Please identify this Haplichromis

[Wildcat157]

Recently purchased this hap cichlid. Looks really cool.

What do I have. I don't think it's a electric blue Ali as someone told me.

 

[FishNamedGil]

A lot of african haps and peacocks change colors quite a bit as they mature - I had a few that started out not even remotely blue or purple, and ended up looking somewhat like that. I had a couple Blue Ahli cichlids, and based on the coloring and the white lines dorsal, you may be correct on this one, but I'm not entirely sure, as mine were longer, sleeker and didnt have as pronounced gray and black vertical striping....
This was mine...

 

[Wildcat157]

Thanks. Your Ahli looks perfect.

I think mine is something else because it has the stripes and it is very tall bodied.
He's a bruiser as well.

Just not sure what.

Thanks

 

[A201]

Looks like a Copadichromis Azureus to me.

 

[RD.]

FYI - ahli do not exist in the hobby. S. ahli is an extremely rare import, if ever. In 40 yrs I have seen what I believe to be one group of ahli. The fish posted by FishNamedGil is an S. fryeri.

I agree with A201 , your fish looks like a C. azureus, a very old male on his last legs.

The problem with ID'ing African cichlids is they cross breed so readily, and this portion of our fish keeping hobby is full of hybrids. One cannot simply eyeball a fish, and determine its genetics.

 

[duanes]

The problem with ID'ing African cichlids is they cross breed so readily, and this portion of our fish keeping hobby is full of hybrids. One cannot simply eyeball a fish, and determine its genetics.

Agree especially with all the amateurs thinking they can create a better mousetrap themselves.
This has run rampant in the African area for over 50 years, and in the last 20 has spilled over into the new world cichlids, now making visual ID from an aquarium photo nearly impossible.

 

[Wildcat157]

I agree he looks like the C Azureus. Thanks for making the distinction between him, the S Fryeri, and the Ahli.
I usually don't keep many Africans but I inherited a large batch that grew up together. There are a couple 8- 10" livenstoni, Venustus, and this guy was the only one I wasn't sure about. I do agree he is old, he's pushing 6-7" and the head area where I would normally see a nuchal hump on my CA cichlids is very prominent on him. It's almost like it's a piece of bone protruding from his head? Looks like a dinosaur.

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[james99]

I may just be the pics, but this fish really have red in its body?

 

[FishNamedGil]

FYI - ahli do not exist in the hobby. S. ahli is an extremely rare import, if ever. In 40 yrs I have seen what I believe to be one group of ahli. The fish posted by FishNamedGil is an S. fryeri.

I agree with A201 , your fish looks like a C. azureus, a very old male on his last legs.

The problem with ID'ing African cichlids is they cross breed so readily, and this portion of our fish keeping hobby is full of hybrids. One cannot simply eyeball a fish, and determine its genetics.

Really? I didn't realize that...it was identified and sold as an electric blue ahli...I actually ordered it as such, just didn't realize the species wasn't true. I googled and see that the s.fryeri and blue ahli are identified synonymously...I see the actual species name for the ahli, but didn't realize there was an another species (which wasn't mine).

That said, and even with my limited recollection of the scientific species names to begin with, I agree with the rampant hybridization you mentioned with African cichlids. I could only identify about half the fish in my tank, esp once they matured.... Several of them just all started to look alike....

I'm sure it's worse overall with Malawi cichlids as opposed to the other rift lake species....

 

[Wildcat157]

You are correct james99 There is a slight reddish maroon hue in it's body.
Probably due to some hybridization as the others and moderator mentioned?