ID help...

[Conner]

Hey, i picked this little guy up from a feeder tank at my LFS about a month ago. He's about 1.5 inches long. I was initially thinking some sort of cichlid, but now it's started to develop a dark blotch on the gill flap, which is making me think it may be a bluegill/sunfish. Any idea's?

 

[sandtiger]

It looks like a cichlid to me. Does it have a broken or complete lateral line? It is complete in sunfishes but broken in cichlids. Also does the fish have two nostril openings on each side of the head or just one? Cichlids have just one, sunfishes two.

Compare the nostrils to these, first fish is a largemouth (sunfish) second is a severum (cichlid).

 

[Conner]

I'll have to check when I get back home. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[MN_Rebel]

You have a young tilapia. Maybe Oreochromis genus?

 

[sandtiger]

You have a young tilapia. Maybe Oreochromis genus?

Yeah, I was leaning towards an Oreochromis species as well. Looks like one and would make sense.

 

[Conner]

Awesome! That helped a lot. I googled Oreochromis and the first pic that came up was O. aureus, which this little guy resembles quite a lot. And since they are fairly prevalent in Florida, which is probably where my LFS gets its feeders from, that would make sense. Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Riftlakes]

Late but better late than never

Oreochromis aureus for sure... there are a ton of nilotecus in southern florida as well... but they tend to have a dark dorsal spot to a much larger size than what you a r e showing... so would stick by O. aureus

 

[SumoNinja]

yea, some type of cichlid?

 

[NOLAfish]

perch...

 

[Conner]

This was decided over a month ago... thanks for the help everyone. (S)He's doing great. Just transferred to my community 125g, and its colors really pop now. I'll try to get some update pictures soon...