Crenicichla??? Pls Help ID

[elindra]

Ok I think this fish looks pretty weird and I'm pretty sure it's a Crenicichla though I've not seen anything like it before.

Anyone can help ID it?

It's eating greedily though it is still stressed coz the Atabapo II picks on it. It's been in my main tank for about a month already.

 

[Conner]

Wow.... that is a seriously stressed fish. You need to separate them immediately.

It is a crenicichla, I'd hazard a guess at saxatilis, but its very difficult to tell because of the stress coloration. If you have another tank you can move it into, you need to do it asap.

 

[elindra]

Wow.... that is a seriously stressed fish. You need to separate them immediately.

It is a crenicichla, I'd hazard a guess at saxatilis, but its very difficult to tell because of the stress coloration. If you have another tank you can move it into, you need to do it asap.

The thing is, the black is not stress colouration.
I have seen stressed crenicichla before and they don't get that black. Look at the streaks on the fins. The black there is it's natural colouration.

I have no idea why it looks like that.

The only reason I say it's stressed is due to nips from the same sized atapabo II and the clamped fins and I had to chase it out of it's hidey spot for pics.

 

[Peanut_Power]

Aye, looks like Crenicichla sp. 'manchada'. They appear to be a 'variant' of either johanna or sp. 'lugubris'. A little hesitant to say variant because they seem to be their own species.

Its debatable as to what that black coloration is. Some seem to think its some type of bacterial or fungal 'infection' that effects coloration. For the most part it doesn't seem to affect that pikes though. Coloration varies between each fish within the species as well, which makes it all the more interesting.

 

[elindra]

Aye, looks like Crenicichla sp. 'manchada'. They appear to be a 'variant' of either johanna or sp. 'lugubris'. A little hesitant to say variant because they seem to be their own species.

Its debatable as to what that black coloration is. Some seem to think its some type of bacterial or fungal 'infection' that effects coloration. For the most part it doesn't seem to affect that pikes though. Coloration varies between each fish within the species as well, which makes it all the more interesting.

I got an ID from another forum at the same time.
Same info I got. Thanks

 

[Scatocephalus]

I'm of the opinion that it is a skin disease that can make any pike look like this. Not any particular specie.

Simply put, your pike has a problem. Look at it. The fins are clamped. The belly concave. The back is humped. This is not a healthy fish regardless of the coloration. That said, I think the coloration is part of the problem, not just a symptom. This is not a healthy fish.

 

[Peanut_Power]

If you look at the black parts of the coloration, it looks like it is 'raised' above the rest of the nonblack colorations, supporting Marks theory. The scales are 'inflamed' or irritated, thus making them stand out a little more.