I Think I Was Mislead on a Fish

[Razor7Music]

Hello--

I'm posting this from my BB so I hope it comes out. I kept going back and forth on whether I was going to post this, but it is bugging me.

I drove far away to a small fish store to get some new mbuna and the guy insisted when I asked if a certain fish was a hybrid. It looked like part yellow lab and part something else. With cichlids they change colors when they get older and genders are different, so I believed him when he said it was not a hybrid. He said it is a mara elongatus and has not changed color yet. The more I look at it and compare to pictures, the more I think it is a hybrid.

It's only about 2" long, but I was hoping I could post a pic when I get home and see if anyone can tell?

Thanks,

 

[mrfuzz]

Get the fish acclimated in your tank... sometimes they will not show color until a few days after they're in your tank.

Pictures always help.

 

[Scuba_Kid]

^^^

 

[CAaddict]

agreed ^^^^^^

 

[Razor7Music]

Get the fish acclimated in your tank... sometimes they will not show color until a few days after they're in your tank.

Pictures always help.

Well, this Saturday will be 2 weeks. So, here is it at almost two weeks. Any ideas? Sure looks like a yellow lab + ? to me.

 

[m1ste2tea]

Its hard to tell from the dark pictures. here's what I have observed. My yellow labs have had hybrid babies with a few other cichlids and in any case the black stripes/marks have disappeared in the hybrids. that being said, the cheeks may have some darker coloration, something that I have seen on some yellow labs.

 

[CLDarnell]

It looks to be a Lab to me. The fin structure, tail shape, facial features all match. Color is good from what I can see.

One question, the dark spots on the cheeks...is that actually a spot? Or a shadow? If its a spot, does it have a blue tint?

 

[Razor7Music]

It looks to be a Lab to me. The fin structure, tail shape, facial features all match. Color is good from what I can see.

One question, the dark spots on the cheeks...is that actually a spot? Or a shadow? If its a spot, does it have a blue tint?

That's just the gill cover--looks that way in the photo. If you look at the fish head on, there are slight horizontal white stripes above the nose, between the eyes. That's what made me fall for it not being a yellow lab.

I know the owner of the store and he was not in so I dealt with one of his staff. As soon as I'm sure it is not a mara, I'm going to complain to th owner.

Thanks all. If the colors change, I'll let you know.

Sorry I can't get a better pic.

Merry Christmas,

 

[Fish_Man_Dan]

i've had a male and female pair of yellow mara elongatus since they were an inch long and i can tell you that this is no elongatus! from what i can tell, it has the fins and color of a juvenile male msobo and the face of a lab, so that's what i think it is... after a second glance i can reassure you that it is a msobo x labidochromis hybrid!

he'll still be a stunner when he grows up, so dont lose hope!

 

[spyke]

looks like a hybrid to me...the face structure and coloration throw me off, but that's no lab face...and the egg spots too...those half egg spots or a characteristic of other mbuna and peacocks...but not labs, they usually don't have too many spots..
but that's just my opinion.