Could you find a hybrid African Cichlid in the wild? Lets see what everyones opinion is. Could it happen or couldn't it? I have never thought it was impossible but I found an interesting thing I will share after we see peoples opinions.
Are hybrids found in the wild?
- Thread starter jhutch
- Start date
well theres a place we go to where the owner has a huge man made canal around his house in the back about maybe 5-6ft deep and 8 ft across and about 50 ft in lenght and he has just a bunch of differen cichlids lose in there, and they have hybridized on their own even having tons of there own to breed with....dont know if that means anything.
We have an excellent article in AC by liv2padl.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94035
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94035
at some level or another there are probably some hybrids in the wild, although not to the extent that they are found in the hobby...some hybrids are caused by man, like with transplanted species like H. carpinitis in parts of Mexico where they are naturally occurring, then mixing with the fish from the area
I would certainly think it is possible. I will also share something I found interesting with a couple of my own fish... I have a pair of Sunshine Peacocks and a pair of Rubescen Peacocks in the same tank. My female Sunshine was in another tank for a while due to having babies (and yes I know for a fact the male Sunshine is the father)...While she was gone his color went back to a more dull yellow and he NEVER even tried to spawn with the Rubescen (which is the same species) but literally 10 seconds after I put the female Sunshine back he was fired up wanting to spawn. He wanted nothing to do with the Rubescen female at all even when his female was gone. I just found that interesting especially since in essence they are the same species.
Yes - it is a mechanism in nature in which new species are created.
For example, Pungu maclareni, a Barombi-Mbo cichlid, is a result of natural hybridization. Here's an article about it: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15679917
For example, Pungu maclareni, a Barombi-Mbo cichlid, is a result of natural hybridization. Here's an article about it: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15679917
Yes, IMO a species will wants to breed with its own kind but if its own kind can not be found, it will find the closest match. So its unlikely but possible in the wild. I don't think that they would hybridize with their own species present, but anything it possible.
