Carpintis colour - Going darker

[Altezz]

Hi guys,

I purchased my first Carpintis a week or so ago to add to my 180g mixed cichlid tank that has Firemouth, Convicts, Rivulatus and some other random fish.

At the store it was speckled all over but a few days after adding it to the tank it's gone dark all over, and after some reading looks like it's gone into breeding dress. It gets really fired up around feeding time and the colours seem to get darker, but I can't see it displaying any kind of pairing behaviour with the other inhabitants.

Is it normal for it to stay this colour permanently?

Also, any ideas on the sex? It was the largest and most dominant one at the store, and given the head profile I figured it was male.

Cheers!

 

[duanes]

Looks like a female, the dark indicating it is ready to breed, and that there's a male of some other cichlid in the tank
Here's a female in normal color, with no male in the tank..

Now a female in breeding color

If you end up with a pair spawning, even the male with get temporarily darker when tending fry.

Above the male is on the right.
Below male in non breeding dress

 

[Altezz]

Looks like a female, the dark indicating it is ready to breed, and that there's a male of some other cichlid in the tank
Here's a female in normal color, with no male in the tank..
View attachment 1529997
Now a female in breeding color
View attachment 1529998
If you end up with a pair spawning, even the male with get temporarily darker when tending fry.
View attachment 1529999
Above the male is on the right.
Below male in non breeding dress
View attachment 1530000

Thanks so much. There's a few male convicts in there, so that makes a lot of sense.

Cheers!