Blue morph A. centrarchus AKA Flier cichlid?

Q

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
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Apr 12, 2014
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I ordered a Centrarchus cichlid online as part of a larger order, and when it came in it looked nothing like all pictures I had seen of juvenile Centrarchus. It is plain slate/silvery gray, with not bars at all. Very plain. The only pictures I have been able to find online that look like it are ones labeled "blue morph" Centrarchus, which I had never even heard of before. Is that a common color morph, or will my Centarchus likely color up as it gets older? (It is about 2 inches.) If it is the blue morph, I will be very disappointed because I don't really like how they look that much, and I didn't know that was what I was buying. Below is the picture I found that looks like a more colorful version of mine.(front fish)

 
duanes

duanes

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Yours are a bit young to be showing much color yet, I wouldn't expect true colors to kick in until 4" or 5".
Here is a young Nosferatu bartoni (maybe 2")

That same fish, a few months later in spawning mode

Lighting and background also has quite an effect on color, especially in photographs, the color of bulbs, the intensity, whether sunlight is a factor.
If I take a shot of my Acarichthys using just the flash, and no extra ambient light, they look like this.

add some sun, at the perfect time of day, also with flash, the intensity of color is quite dramatic

Background can make a huge difference in the way we see our fish
here is a bartoni in a tank with blue background

same fish in a different tank with a darker background

But back to age,
for examplehere is a 2" Astatheros rostratum

at 4"
 
ryansmith83

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It also takes a week or two for fish to completely settle in and regain their colors after shipping stress. Never expect a fish to show its full potential hours or even days after receiving it. It takes them time to come around.
 
Q

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
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Thanks for the responses. I know he/she will take awhile to fully settle in and color up, I was just curious because all the pictures of young Centrarchus I had seen look liked the picture below. But maybe people just don't put up many pictures while they are still in the ugly stage!

 
ryansmith83

ryansmith83

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That picture is either slightly enhanced or using good lighting, or both. Most centrarchus I've seen are more steely-blue with some darker yellow, more of a brownish mustard color. I don't think I've ever seen a neon yellow one before.

A quick Google Images search will give you a good overview of what they will look like:

https://www.google.com/search?q=archocentrus+centrarchus&tbm=isch

You'll notice the majority of them are a grey/blue/green color with hints of dark yellow or brown. If they are like rainbow cichlids, the intense yellow is probably a color shown during pre-spawning, sparring, etc. and will not be their normal, everyday coloration.
 
J

jonclark96

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During spawning, centrarchus will turn almost completely black. The yellow comes and goes depending on lighting an mood, in my experience. I've got a group that I've had for a couple years (I think it is male heavy so they bicker more than they try to spawn with the lone female). They really are a great fish to keep.
 
N

newworld

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A really nice fish that was quite common in the Wisconsin shops about 10 years ago, I found them to be very attractive with a shade of robins egg blue on there sides, I believe it was male coloration mainly...
 
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