Is the barred midas in the pic wild caught? From what I understand they get those lips from chewing the terrain or something like that.
Midas, Red Devil or Hybrid - Opinions please
- Thread starter TrikkyMakk
- Start date
TrikkyMakk;1574820; said:
It's not a Midas (Amphilophus citrinellus). It's a Red Devil (Amphilophus labiatus).
The lips are used as gaskets to help them suck prey (mostly invertebrates)out of crevices.
Their lips get enlarged and callused from eating hard shelled invertebrates such as crabs, craw fish, etc...
EDIT: and I think that is WC Barred Midas. I'm pretty sure there is only a Barred Midas and it has to be WC with lips as callused as that.
EDIT: and I think that is WC Barred Midas. I'm pretty sure there is only a Barred Midas and it has to be WC with lips as callused as that.
scubasteve06;1575774; said:
I hate to contradict you, but you are not correct in your ID.
Those are my fish. The white one is a Midas (citrinellus). The barred one is a Red Devil (labiatus). There are as many barred labiatus as citrinellus in the wild (that is, most of both species are of the grey/barred variety -- it's just that not many of those fish were imported for years as they were not deemed attractive).
Also, most Midas do not get enlarged lips in the wild (most by a long shot). It is usually safe to use the lips as one of the identifiers between the species when both fish are wild caught from the same waters. Only when labiatus is not present do citrinellus get enlarged lips of any real size.
And not to split hairs here, but the method of feeding on inverts is what enlarges the lips, not the prey itself. Suctioning them on rocks, etc. is what abrades them.
I don't profess to be an expert, but it seems to me that RD's have a longer, more "pointed" snout. It's only my observation, though. . .
bluegryffin;1577451; said:
That's a correct observation!
The bluntness of a citrins face versus the more elongated snout of a lab is particulary evident in wild fish.
I guess alot of these paticuler traits get washed out in the hyberdising of these 2 species making things difficult at times.
Here is a classic article that clearly states how to tell the difference between individuals of pure lineage. http://cichlidae.com/article.php?id=106
If you don't know it's heritage 100%, consider it a hybrid.
If you don't know it's heritage 100%, consider it a hybrid.
