Pike ID please?

[illumnae]

I came across this pike at a LFS the other day. Costs double the price of a sp. venezuela, but the LFS owner couldn't tell me what it was. Any idea? At first glance I did think it was a sp. venezuela, but the small caudal spot + faint spangles in the blotch behind the gill plate (operculum blotch?) doesn't seem common in the sp. venezuelas that I have seen before in other LFSs which tend to have a fairly plain/clean body. This pike is currently ~10 inches or so.

 

[iHonesty]

looks like C. Cincta to me...but im rather new to pikes, they have become my latest obsession though!

 

[abarilot]

I'd say its in the Saxatilis group but which one I'm not sure.

 

[clgkag]

Definately not a cincta. Abarilot is right, it is sax. group. Maybe alta, they seem to be around alot lately.

 

[illumnae]

It does look like an alta: http://www.pikecichlid.com/altapage.html

Anyone know if it'll live alright with wild discus, panda uarus and a juvenile johanna?

 

[illumnae]

On 2nd look, alta seems to have a higher blotch than this. Possibly anthurus?

 

[iHonesty]

haha well i tried!

 

[NoobPikeCichlid]

No it looks more like a Crenicichla Lucius, like mine... Which i figured out after posting up my forum called "Pike Trouble! :/ " Go and look at my first pike and see if it looks the same, if it does then its a C. Lucius.

 

[clgkag]

This is why I hate iding sax pikes. They all look so similar.

 

[elindra]

Looks like a Crenicichla frenata with stress markings too. Also could be an alta
Do you have better pics?