Hey Cichla experts...what is this??

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
xander;4754960; said:
Well i don't have current pics of it, but i do have some old ones taken when it was just 6". fish is currently 10" & is still hardly showing any spangling on the anal fin, unlike my other 10" specimen.

close up, note cheek marks & body/head structure, very different from regular kelberi..difference in body/head structure is even more pronounced now that the fish is bigger:P

View attachment 569919

The fish in question is the center-top one, you can see that none of the other fish have similiar cheek markings, although they are from the same batch of "wild caught kelberi"

View attachment 569920

again, fish is on the right. its spots are much larger now @ 10"

View attachment 569921

just for fun, pic of my other kelberi 4" ago:P

View attachment 569922

so what's the verdict? similiar to the fish in page 1 or just an odd kelberi?
Not so much simular in my Opinion but definatly a diffeent lookin Kelberi for sure !!!! Awsome looking really xander and truth be told P's have such simular looks Yet so different if we put your pic and the first pic side by side there would be a world of difference..One thing striking for sure Xander is the cheek markings on the one. and lateral line running through all of your kels the tail for sure ....
 
xander;4755007; said:
haha, so kelberi?:D
LOL!!!I am definatly nto the expert Xander but all that anul fin spangling I'd say JESSS:grinyes::grinyes::grinyes::grinyes:
 
Or we can revisit my theroy then and reality now. Natural hybridization between one or more sp. One of the sp being Kelberi. By the cheek marking's I would say from my experience Orino or even far fetched to say Pinima. (ie intense spangaling and not so much DOT'S like gold DOT'S of the Kelberi). Since we haven't gotten very many updates from the only man I know to have replicated tank hybridization Seichi I am still just speculating since I have no comparison.

Xander you may have more then just and ordinary Kelberi/ more likely an extremely new hybrid of Kelberi.
 
High City Rida;4755067; said:
Or we can revisit my theroy then and reality now. Natural hybridization between one or more sp. One of the sp being Kelberi. By the cheek marking's I would say from my experience Orino or even far fetched to say Pinima. (ie intense spangaling and not so much DOT'S like gold DOT'S of the Kelberi). Since we haven't gotten very many updates from the only man I know to have replicated tank hybridization Seichi I am still just speculating since I have no comparison.

Xander you may have more then just and ordinary Kelberi/ more likely an extremely new hybrid of Kelberi.
Nice HCR very good point I wish he would update those recent fry so we could see them ...
 
I have always been pondering this possiabilaty because of course the Pinima. All I could think when I looked at the Pinima was How did these perticular sp evolve. Of course naturally Kelberi being Super Mono. After ooglining into my own tank the only sensable idea would be hybridization in the wild and good ol evoultion.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com