Gt blotches under eyes

[Something Fishy Here]

Stop new to having Gts. 4 in a 90g with mostly giant danios and pictus cats as mates. All are maybe 2 inches, maybe a little more but still very small. The biggest one developed these dark blotches under its eyes in the past week or so. Is this normal? I haven't really seen these in other pictures but it has great coloration and appetite still. No other cause for alarm. Any ideas?

 

[duanes]

Do you mean the black band, running from below the eye?
This is a normal trait in all young Andinoacara, but it usually fades in A. rivulatus, stalsbergi, and biseratus as they age.
In some Andinoacara it remains at maturity.
Below is an adult A. coerleopunctatus

But this marking is also a common trait in many genera of cichlids (Acaras and beyond) from South America
Below young Acarichthys heckelli

Gymnogeophagus quilero

Geophagus iporaguensus

 

[Something Fishy Here]

Yes, thank you for sharing. I thought it looks completely natural but questioned it only because the other 3 don't show it. Is it an indicator of gender or just random?

 

[duanes]

nothing to do with gender, this pic is a mated pair