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Dettonator10p

Feeder Fish
Sep 4, 2025
3
0
1
Michigan
I bought a fish about 2 months ago now and i was told it's a Beani but I feel it looks more like a Parachromis Multifasciatus due to the markings around the face and coloration. Love the idea of it being either just want to be able to cater to its specific needs since they need different diets.. any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated! 👍

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Yes it looks to be from the genus Parachromis, if it came from a LFS turn in, possibly a Parachromis hybrid.
There are a number of color morphs of beanii that vary depending on which river system they come from.
Here a morph I had.
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Male left, female right.
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Male left, female in spawning colors right
As with many cichlids, the geographic topagraphy will determine color variation.
A cichlid from an open, less vegetative environment many have less darker skin pigments and melanin.
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Whereas the same species from a heavily vegetated river may have more melanin, as a survaval of thhe fittest trait.
The Daienheros above was caught in a open, less covered river (below) the Rio Mamoni
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The same species of Darienheros, was caught in the smaller, heavily shaded, and terrestrially vegetative covered river below, the Rio Uni.
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These variant traits are common with environment changes from place to place.

Below to individuals of Chuco intermedia, each fro different riverine environmenta in Mexico.
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Just because a species from one river looks one way, does not mean the same species from another river, will look exactly the sae way.
 
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Another interesting color variant I caught are the ciculids in Panama are from the genus Andndioacara.
Those from the Rio Chagres drainage, where aquatic vegetaion is plentiful show much more blue spangles and melenin.
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These were caught in areas below where endemic, and invasive aquatic plants are thick, below.
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When I started collecting Andinacara in more eastern Panama, where aquatic vegetatiion is seldom found , the base colors were more golden, with less dar areas,
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These come from rivers such as the Ipiti
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and the Pacora below
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Buts its not only the cichlids.
Some of the tetras collected previously in less jungle areas are mostly silvery colored.
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But those from the Rio Uni, where the forest covers most of the narrow rover with shade, sport much more red hues in the unpaired fins.
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Another shot of the shaded Rio Uni below.
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Another version showing light and darker colors are colors are the Gobiomrous.
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Normal riverine color above, but the one caught the other day in the Rio Uni below.
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Another interesting color variant I caught are the ciculids in Panama are from the genus Andndioacara.
Those from the Rio Chagres drainage, where aquatic vegetaion is plentiful show much more blue spangles and melenin.
View attachment 1568016
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These were caught in areas below where endemic, and invasive aquatic plants are thick, below.
View attachment 1568018View attachment 1568019View attachment 1568020
When I started collecting Andinacara in more eastern Panama, where aquatic vegetatiion is seldom found , the base colors were more golden, with less dar areas,
View attachment 1568023View attachment 1568024
These come from rivers such as the Ipiti
View attachment 1568021View attachment 1568022
and the Pacora below
View attachment 1568025
This was insanely helpful! 🤯 You just answered like 50 of my Google searches in 2 posts lol. My fish was a turn in at the LFS so that checks out. Thanks for the great response!
 
Just adding another pic to show his colors a bit better. He's been great, was very shy at first but has been following me everywhere and seems to take pride in attacking the gravel vacuum.

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