What's the Difference (If Any) Between a Clown Afra and a White Top Afra?

[Razor7Music]

When I bought my white top I was told by the LFS they were the same fish as a clown afra. When I look at pics online, the clown males seem to have some iridescence around the head, whereas my white top does not.

Are they the same fish? It's so hard to tell by pics on the Interenet because so many of them are mislabeled.

Thanks!!

sd

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

Never heard of a clown afra...but I googled it and its probably just a variant of the white top afra, I could be wrong though.

 

[Razor7Music]

Here's a link to a clown afra from a respectable cichlid site. http://www.cichlids.com/pictures/pic/Clown_Afra.html

The only difference in appearance from this one and mine is the iridescence around the head. My white afra is in dominant mode--BTW, and has been for months.

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

Here's a link to a clown afra from a respectable cichlid site. http://www.cichlids.com/pictures/pic/Clown_Afra.html

The only difference in appearance from this one and mine is the iridescence around the head. My white afra is in dominant mode--BTW, and has been for months.

Ya, I seen that pic when I googled it... I never seen any cynotilapia species with that iridescent-like color on the head

 

[why_spyder]

I wouldn't buy either one - neither can be confirmed as being a pure species. With the Cynotilapia genus, location of origin is a major part of differentiating the variants.

Many 'white top afra' are either Metriaclima pulpican or Cynotilapia sp. "Hara" - whereas the 'clown afra' can be either of those or a hybrid of some sort.