This is a deformity I have encountered in my sb tex x kkp/bp breeding project.
It appears that lengthening of the head in parrot cichlids (e.g. less notch as in kkp)
may result in lateral lengthening of the dorsal fin and thus vertical compresson of the caudal peduncle.
This fish at .5 inches had a caudal peduncle so drastically compressed (vertically) that it could never move the tail under the power of its own muscles. It moved totally with the dorsal and anal fins along with the pectoral fins.
It seems to me that maybe "heart" parrots are fry with this deformity where the tail is amputated at a very young age, which would also explain why you don't see heart parrots for sale consistantly - it is more often just heart parrots are available randomly when there is a large shipment of blood parrots.
This experience has drastically changed my view of heart parrots, and if this is indeed where they come from, I would find buying one totally acceptable. For me, this changes heart parrots from potentially otherwise alive parrots with the tail amputated to fish that otherwise would have been culled or outcompeted by their brothers and sisters. The tail on this fish served no purpose other than to slow it down and make it a target among a large group of fry. I had to remove it very early as it would most likley have been killed by the others.
It still goes to be shown though whether this is the origin of the majority of the "heart" parrots you see for sale.
Does anybody know of a breeder?
It appears that lengthening of the head in parrot cichlids (e.g. less notch as in kkp)
may result in lateral lengthening of the dorsal fin and thus vertical compresson of the caudal peduncle.
This fish at .5 inches had a caudal peduncle so drastically compressed (vertically) that it could never move the tail under the power of its own muscles. It moved totally with the dorsal and anal fins along with the pectoral fins.
It seems to me that maybe "heart" parrots are fry with this deformity where the tail is amputated at a very young age, which would also explain why you don't see heart parrots for sale consistantly - it is more often just heart parrots are available randomly when there is a large shipment of blood parrots.
This experience has drastically changed my view of heart parrots, and if this is indeed where they come from, I would find buying one totally acceptable. For me, this changes heart parrots from potentially otherwise alive parrots with the tail amputated to fish that otherwise would have been culled or outcompeted by their brothers and sisters. The tail on this fish served no purpose other than to slow it down and make it a target among a large group of fry. I had to remove it very early as it would most likley have been killed by the others.
It still goes to be shown though whether this is the origin of the majority of the "heart" parrots you see for sale.
Does anybody know of a breeder?
