Chocolate Cichlids

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M

merejiah

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 24, 2007
23
0
31
Minneapolis, MN
About 3 weeks ago I happened into a "remotely" located lfs, I was immediately drawn to a tank of beautiful chocolate cichlids about 3-3.5 inch. Very velvety oliveish brown and tan/orange. Anyway, it's been a very long time since I saw them in the trade and I was wondering how rare they really are? I haven't seen them since I was about 17 years old and I'm 34 now... I've had tanks all my life and been a fish store nut, so it's either really bizarre timing or they don't sell them in the mid-west...LOL

Being a fish geek I purchased the "Handbook of Tropical Aqarium Fishes" by Dr. Axelrod and Dr. Shultz and grew up flipping through the pages, the chocolate cichlid is profiled and I always loved the description. Unfortunately I passed on them one day long ago and haven't really seen them since, is it a coincidence?

(By the way, OF COURSE I bought them... 1 male 2 females in a 75, with a pair of kribs and a baby green severum that hatched and survived. They are young and I can't wait to see them at maturity, they are already eye catchers. )

Anyone have pics of some adults?
 
Rarity depends on which chocolate you picked up...

Both have been available in the recent past going back for some time.. Though Coryphaenoides is much less available in the hobby... I seen around 3-500 go through last year online.I got seven of those..And Snookn21 has some adult Coryphaenoides available right now..

Temporalis on the other hand are almost as readily available as convicts ;)
 
It might be a mid west thing i have one now and have seen them here locally for at least 10 years. mine is about six inchs right now and is a true pig. Thfey call them gentle giants! congrads on the pickup
 
They definitely aren't rare, but they're not common either because there isn't a huge demand for them, so not many stores permanently stock them. It took me weeks to find mine and I've only seen them a couple of times since.

choc.jpg


7" Male
 
I'm 99% sure it's Coryphaenoides. At least with the comparison from the book. Do both species have the mid body dot and a light "banding" running through the head?
 
japes;2681220; said:
They definitely aren't rare, but they're not common either because there isn't a huge demand for them, so not many stores permanently stock them. It took me weeks to find mine and I've only seen them a couple of times since.

choc.jpg


7" Male
Click to expand...
im really diging that fish mine is always turning colors and sometimes is a rotton banna color. VERY NICE!
 
from the pics ive seen i like the temporalis better
 
Here are some pics of mine i think its a temporalis

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