Big question ... need ID

[Red Devil]

I bought these few fish as babies hoping they would be a mate for my male Elongatus Ornatus shown in first pic... fish store going out of business so i had to act fast.. so i need positive ID and if they are what sex.. first one is my male and rest are the youngsters... i know the females have hint of pale blue/yellow .. do these look like females? Or submissive males? thanks

 

[Red Devil]

i knew this one would be a hard one

 

[Robert S]

The drab colored one looks like a Red Top Zebra female to me or even a male that hasn't colored up yet.

 

[etcbrown]

Metraclima grashekei would be my guess. And either female or subdominant male.

 

[Red Devil]

Metraclima grashekei would be my guess. And either female or subdominant male.

i have seen some with this coloring but this fish is too narrow compared to the grashekei.

 

[Red Devil]

The drab colored one looks like a Red Top Zebra female to me or even a male that hasn't colored up yet.

i think too narrow also.. to be zebra..

 

[etcbrown]

Without a dominant male coloration it is just too difficult to tell. Many Metraclima, Cynotilapia, and Psuedotropheus females or subdominant males look very much like that. Although rarer, some of the Petrotilapia look similar.

 

[Red Devil]

Without a dominant male coloration it is just too difficult to tell. Many Metraclima, Cynotilapia, and Psuedotropheus females or subdominant males look very much like that. Although rarer, some of the Petrotilapia look similar.

i quess that is the perfect answer ... they do look so much a like ..wait and see i quess.............thank you for your help... you definitly know your stuff because i looked up everyone you mentioned and i was baffled how they look alike.

 

[gomezladdams]

The head and face on the last one sort of look like some kind of afra

 

[ikevi]

Honestly when I saw the second one I thought female grashekei, but I don't know the size of it, and as said you don't think it is... so well time will tell I guess.

As for the first. Well the closest I can think of is an Metriaclima sp. "Msobo". The have a whole range of looks... but well I will let you decide if it is or isn't.