Pike fry ID?(pics)

[señor_pescados_felices]

I have this little pike fry I picked up from my LFS.the worker said that it got maybe 6-7 inches max.....
I naturally thought to myself "yeah right,Crenicichla,6-7 inches?"
it was $5 so I grabbed it up and went on my way.
when I came home I dropped it in my "sword-platy" fry tank to fatten him up a bit.hes about an inch,and bright orange with a black stripe going horizontal down each side (through the eye) as well a "V" that starts on his head and goes back to his tail.
while I was acclimating it it was trying to catch the fry through the bag,and when I finally dropped it in it dived down and came up with one in its mouth.
after reading the "dwarf pike" thread Im wondering if maybe the guy at the LFS was right....maybe it is a orange "dwarf" pike?
I'm hoping not becouse I got it with the hopes of putting it in with my 14" managuense and a breeding pair of JD's......I think it will get killed if it maxes out at 6-7"........
it will definately teach me not to assume if it turns out to be a dwarf.....

sorry for the poor quality of the photos but im no expert photographer and my camera (vivitar 3330) is a pile.......

 

[Peanut_Power]

Wow....its really hard to ID that pike from the pictures!! haha...sorry bro. It could be either xingu I, johanna, possibly but not likely venezuela. Best bet would be xingu I. They do get large and would go quite nicely in that tank you suggested.... Being that small, and so hard to see.......its possible its this new 'dwarf' pike, but chances are its just a juv. xingu I. keep us updated!! I don't think your sword/platy tank will be able to keep up, their bellies never seem to be full...

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

Awesome thank you I belive you are correct.I looked into "Xingu I" and found this page: http://www.cichlidae.be/c_crenicichla_xinguI.htm
I believe that it is fairly clear,even with the poor photo quality,that this juvenile will grow to look something like the orange fish pictured in the bottom left hand corner.
again,thank you for your help.

 

[Dominuslive]

The bottom left hand corner is the xingu1 juvy, the others are xingu 1 adults
For all purposes though, I have read, but can not swear to it, that the xingu dwarf is just like the xingu 1 as a Juvy, seeking protection from the Lugubris parents with their spawn. They are also said to retain some of the color that the Xingu 1 loses. But I am no expert, that is just what I have read.

 

[Scatocephalus]

I've proposed this theory but have not substantiated it anywhere. Are you simply parroting what I said or have you read it elsewhere? I'd be very interested in more information on the 6 I just received.

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

ah I see they change their color at around 8".Well,mine looks alot like the pic in the bottom left hand corner of that page,but it also looks alot like the photos posted in the "orange (dwarf) pike" thread.
I really dont want an orange dwarf pike.If it turns out to be a dwarf orange pike I dont have a suitable tank for it.
there seems to be just as much,if not more so, interest in these "dwarfs" as there is in regular xingu,no?
how/when can I be sure if its a real xingu or an imposter?
maybe I can grow it out a bit,and if I notice a halt in its growth somone would be willing to trade one for a real xingu?would that be a fair exchange?
otherwise it will wind up in the "return" tank at my LFS,which is hardly a place for a fish so many MFK'ers seem interested in,no?

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

here is an update:he is very fat and there are not as many platies.Momma platy nips his tale sometimes and he tries to lip lock her but she turns her face like she doesnt want a kiss and then he acts like he just got burned