CichlidIDFAQs

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General FAQs on Cichlid Identification

Discerning Cichlid species <Google Challenged>
How can you tell the difference between a red devil and a pink convict?
<Many images of both on the net. Do a Google search. Don>

unidentified chiclid
Cichlid ID Attempt, But No Picture 8/30/08
Hi, I have three cichlids (given to me by a friend) in a tank with an albino tiger Oscar and a Plecostomus. They all get along well- as a matter of fact, the Pleco is the rambunctious one of the bunch! The three cichlids in question have been in my tank for about 1 1/2 years now and none measures longer than 4 inches. They hang around at the bottom of the tank and are shy like convicts. They are social with one another, though. They are a base color of a blue- grey- pale purple- slightly green/ brown (they are quite oddly colored, almost slightly muddy) with vertical stripes of a darker grey, suggestive of black. Only one of the fishes has the purple tendency, and I'm thinking that this is sex- related. The stripes are not distinct like those of a convict, though, and have spots at the horizontal midline (when the fish is in profile) and one at the beginning of the tail. The edges of the stripes are slightly fuzzy. They have very prominent lips which are grey- black. Also, at the horizontal midline, the fish becomes paler toward the belly. Their fin structure is similar to that of a Jack Dempsey, and the fins ( except for the ones at the sides of the fish, the ones they swim with- sorry, the terminology escapes me right now) are all very elegant and wispy. I am not sure of the source of the fishes but I suspect they are maybe Texan in origin. I was wondering if this description would be good enough to jog your brains into letting me know what I have in my tank. They are adorable little buggers, and they do eventually succumb to my attention! Thanks in advance for your answer!
< Sorry. Can't come up with an ID based on your description. Get us a picture and can probably come up with an ID.-Chuck.>

Cichlid dumped in Singapore reservoir – 04/1/08
Bob
<Perry>
I was taking stroll around one of our reservoirs and found these cichlid communities along different spots of the shallows. I think they are Geophagus but am not sure. Hope the footage is clear enough for you to see. http://www.revver.com/video/775512/cichlids-dumped-in-reservoir/ Perry
<Is almost assuredly "Tilapia" (Oreochromis) mossambica... an invasive species spread about the warmer human parts of the world... "St. Peter's fish" for being so/too prolific. Cheers, BobF, down in Borneo diving>> > >

Re: cichlid dumped in Singapore reservoir – 04/1/08
Bob
<Per-ster>
These wild tilapias sure look different from the ones they sell in the local supermarkets that are pink in colour.
<Yes. Much hybridized>
How is the diving over Borneo right now? Has it been raining a lot?
<Absolutely poured last night... supposedly again tonight. The Celebes Explorer/liveaboard had to hightail it...>
Perry
<Cheers! BobF>

I was wondering if you could help me identify this fish... – 10/30/2007
Hi, so grateful for your website, I have looked everywhere for this fish, but could not find it. I acquired this fish from someone who moved, could you help identify this fish and any info you know about it. Thank you
<Greetings. This fish is the Jack Dempsey cichlid Cichlasoma octofasciatum. It is a hardy, adaptable and very colourful species notorious for its aggressive behaviour (hence its common name). Ideal conditions are slightly hard (~15 degrees dH), neutral to slightly alkaline water (~pH 7.5) around 25 C. It is one of the more carnivorous Central American cichlids, feeding primarily on small benthic invertebrates (worms, insect larvae, etc.) and small fish. In captivity, it will usually eat most anything. A good quality carnivore flake or pellet food is the ideal staple, augmented with suitable live or frozen foods such as earthworms, chopped prawns, squid, etc. They don't need "feeder fish" and these are a health risk anyway. As with all cichlids, offering some plant food periodically is a good idea. Sushi Nori, tinned peas, and frozen foods that contain chopped spinach are recommended. It isn't difficult to keep, but its large size (typically around 18-20 cm in captivity) and territorial behaviour makes it a tricky inmate for community tanks. It is best kept with other Central American cichlids, but also works well with Tilapia of similar size. On the other hand, mixing with South American cichlids or Rift Valley is a bad idea because of differences in temperament and water chemistry requirements. Be sure and read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dempseyfaqs.htm . Cheers, Neale>

BW Chromide Species  1/25/07
Hello WWM Crew,
<Hi Adam, Pufferpunk here>
I want to buy an orange Chromide (E. maculatus) for my brackish tank. My LFS has a dozen or so but none are the bright orange colour you see in pictures. Most are like a pale olive-green colour with neon blue lines around the head and darker patches on their flanks while the rest are a silvery colour with a faint smudge on the side. Are the pale ones just immature orange ones or will they to develop the natural colouring? The shop owner said that all their colours would become more vibrant in brackish water but are they both the same colour morph? The natural form is very nice, I would just prefer the orange one.
<The Orange Chromide is an artificial improvement on the wild Etroplus maculatus from India, which is pale colored with black stripes and spots (the only known Asian Cichlid).  My guess is the ones you see at the store are wild-caught.>
Adam

Wild Cichlid ID 8/8/06
I was looking at the freshwater FAQ's and I saw this:
Cichlids With Different Markings   8/6/06 Hi, I require some professional advice,
Is it possible that wild caught Cichlids of the same species can different colours and markings? If so why?
It made me think. I did what one of you told me not to and I went fishing again, but I caught a baby pleco which I'm very excited about. But I also caught 2 of these fish that look like convict cichlids but the pattern us slightly different. Their stripes aren't as dark but I'm sure they were darker in the canal (the fish that I catch, their colors fade very fast) I also noticed that the pictures of convicts I saw online go all the way down to their belly and sometimes they are crooked, these are like lines and they don't go to the belly. They also have a spot at the end of their top fin. The last thing is that they have that cichlid Mohawk, I call it, (you know how cichlids have a unique TopFin shape). Is this a convict or another cichlid?
< There are a few cichlids with the patterns you describe. If the Plecos are living there then convicts could too. But more likely it is a tilapia species with the distinctive tilapia spot at the top end of the dorsal fin. These fish are found all over and are very adaptive to many temperatures and water conditions. When these guys grow up you can identify them. Very hard to ID them when they are small.-Chuck>

Mystery Cichlid ID - 06/20/2006
Hope you can help me figure out what I've got. Since October if last year some time I've been the proud owner of a... something, that I inherited from my
brother, who in turn inherited it from "mystery friend" who lost interest. All I have to offer is my best description, as I have no digital camera to help.
It looks dwarf cichlid-ish, to start. Mostly dark grey, almost black, with lighter vertical bands. Bands run all the way around the body, have a faint bluish
tint. Dorsal fin has bright green iridescent spots in between rays, runs almost full length of body, ends in 1/2"-1" worth of trail/streamer. Body has reddish
iridescent scales on lower half, hard to see if not looking for them. Size is about 4"-4.5", and possibly growing. Temperament is, odd. Either hiding, or trying
to kill everything in sight. Massive appetite, strikes like a bass.
Right now I have it in a 5 gal. hex and it is becoming apparent that this will be too small to keep my whatever-it-is in for much longer. Any help with an
I.D. is most appreciated. I need to know what to plan for. I send this after about 4 hours on both wetweb and fishbase and coming up dry.
< Very difficult to tell based on your description. But we might get close. With vertical bands it could be in the genus Pseudotropheus from Lake Malawi. With close to 1500 species, different geographic variants, and hybrids it could be anything. Start by doing a google search on this genus and see if the body shapes match up.-Chuck>

Cichlid is Not A Cichlid - 04/24/2006
Hello, I recently bought 2 cichlids from Wal-Mart, which were in with the feeder goldfish, and needless to say I got them for 30 cents each. They are beginning to color up, as I put them in my tropical community tank, but my problem is, I can't identify them. The larger one is shaped like most American cichlids, such as firemouths, etc, but it is silver-grey with very faint stripes, not a convict, as that was my first thought. I do have larger tanks, if he is going to grow larger, but it would be nice to know what he is. Enclosed are two of the best pics I could get of him, as there was little light, and he is perhaps 1 inch. Hopefully you can help me i.d this fish. I am not going to bother trying to take pics of the smaller cichlid, as he is very small, and hopefully I can i.d him when he gets a little larger Thanks, Bill Day, Rome, Maine
< Your new "cichlids" are actually native North American sunfish. At first they look very similar to cichlids but they are different. At this size it is difficult to determine the species.-Chuck>

Re: Cichlid Is A Sunfish 4/26/06
Thanks for responding, I am curious, however, how do you know that it is a sunfish, and not a cichlid?
< I too have found these fish mixed in with goldfish and have ID them in the Baensch Aquarium Atlas Photo Index 1-5.-Chuck>

Cichlid Coloration 9/26/05
I have a cichlid. I’ve been told he's an African and a Texas. <Hmm, that just does not work out geographically.> Anyway, he appears very healthy; eats and plays well. I have him alone in a 40 gallon tank. Problem is his color is fading. He doesn't seem sick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
<First thing I would do is try to figure what type of fish it actually is. There are many varieties of African Cichlid; there is also a Texas Cichlid which is North American. Try a Google image search on both African Cichlid and Texas Cichlid. You can also use fishbase.org to help ID the fish. Color change is pretty normal throughout the life of a fish, you might try varying the diet a or some color enhancing food, I like New Life Spectrum personally. Best Regards, Gage>

Asian Cichlid Problems 8/6/05
I have what I think is a Green Chromide.
< Go to fishbase.org and check out Etroplus for an ID.>
She changes colors from Orange/Yellow to a brown then a grey tiger stripe.
< Sounds like an orange Chromide, Etroplus maculatus. Stays small, around 3 inches.>
I found her with a eye that appears to be protruding out of the socket as if it was swollen and very cloudy. I think she can see a little out of it. On the other side of her body, her fin has a white speck that looks like ick on a gold fish. She likes to tear up everything in her tank and has recently dug up her bubbler. She is slow and does not respond vigorously like she used to. She is the only fish in ever in the tank. Can you help? Melissa
< If this is a fresh water fish then these answers will apply. If it is a saltwater fish then you will need to get more info for the crew on what you have. There are three species of cichlids from Asia that all go by the name Chromide. They are brackish and require some salt to the water. I would do a 30% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Add a tablespoon of rock salt per 10 gallons of water. Treat with Metronidazole, or clout or a double dose of Metronidazole.-Chuck>

Nomenclature question
Hello -
For many decades, I have always kept Red Devil's and was familiar with the scientific names. In fact, back in the mid to early 80's, I had several questions answered by Aquarium Fish Magazine regarding the possibility of breeding my large male. In each of these correspondences, the scientific name was always printed with the response, in fact one of the questions I posed dealt with a particular name change which occurred back then.
When I first started rearing Red Devils, the scientific name was Heros labius or Heros labiatus. Several years later, they started changing the name from Heros to Cichlidae labius and/or Cichlasoma labiatus. Today, I have noted that they are also using the name Amphilophus labiatus.
I remember that the original name change from Heros to Cichlidae was an effort to properly show the familial relations as well as reduce the number of animals that had multiple names as a result of different scientist describing the same species.
Thus, what is the current/proper name of the Red Devil? Furthermore, what have all of the different versions been and why are they constantly revising the name?
Thanks.
Art
<<Hello Art,
The name Amphilophus is current and should be final. The genus Cichlasoma was an umbrella for all cichlids from Central America until things got sorted out. Today it has been split into a whole bunch of new genera according to morphological characteristics, so the fish eaters for example are Parapetenia (i.e. friedrichstahli), the rheophile cichlids are Tomocichla (i.e. tuba), the group around the red devil are now Amphilophus. There are still some fish that have not been placed in any of the groups including the salvini and the Jack Dempsey (C. octofasciatum). The genus Heros is now reserved for the fish we know as the severum (now Heros severus), and includes around a half dozen species. To check on current names you can go to http://www.fishbase.org - this site is pretty current with what is happening in nomenclature. Hope this helps, Oliver >>

Black Belt Cichlid
A friend of mine is thinking about giving me their complete stand and all 50 gallon tank that contains what they called a "Black Belt Fish" Other than that I don't know what it is. It's obviously very aggressive as it destroyed a fairly large Oscar. They described it as being mostly silver/blue until a black stripe. Do you also think this is a cichlid? Are these fish usually this aggressive? I feel very sorry for it as the wife no longer wants it to the point where she's trying to starve it to death. Fortunately, the husband and daughter are feeding it with out her knowing. Any info on this type of fish would be appreciated. I got a feeling I'm going to end up rescuing it just like I did my Pacu, the previous owners were trying to starve it too. Thanks!
<May well be a Cichlasoma trimaculatum... please see: http://wetwebmedia.com/, fishbase.org, Google images re... Is an aggressive species... If unwanted, trade it in at a local fish store... Bob Fenner>

Black Belt Cichlid ID
OK, thanks a bunch, I don't plan on trading it in, its coming with its own tank hopefully. Sounds like the poor thing has been through enough as it is.
<Your Cichlasoma (theraps) maculicada comes from Central America and gets about 12 inches long. The interesting fact about this fish that is often found in pure saltwater with true marine species. It prefers water temps between 75-82 degrees F. It love plants so be sure to include some plant matter, vegetable pellets and flakes in its diet.-Chuck>

Re: Black Belt Cichlid
Thanks to Pacu, we have plenty of that. Sounds like its not that hard to take care of. Still, I'm sure its not a Red Devil, yet it killed that Oscar, this has me puzzled. The Oscar they had was 7 inches or bigger. The last couple years they've had the cichlid in the tank by itself as it ate everything.
<This tank is indeed too small to house anything but this fish. BobF>

Thank you Sabrina, and Cichlid Questions
Hello again, Gurus of Aquaria!
Thanks so much for your Red Clawed crab-help Sabrina. We finally found
someone/place that knows what they are talking about!
We were wondering if we could please have some help with our cichlid tank
now.
There are a couple questions:
Firstly, we are having some problems ID-ing our cichlids. We've been through
both www.fishbase.org and www.aquariacentral.com. We're having no luck
There are three pairs of fish:
The first pair are (were... more on that later) a brilliant purple/blue with
ice-blue eyes. From the gill slit to the tail there are six vertical black
stripes. I believe that they were called dwarf blue Kenyi Cichlids.
< Look at photos of Pseudotropheus lombardoi from Lake Malawi.>
The second pair are of the same body shape and size. Those are a solid
yellow orange. They look like little swimming peach or mango slices (yum!).
On of the two seems to have a darker pigmentation - its insides make a
darkened spot on its belly, and there are a few small black spots on it.
There are yellow/orange circular markings on their anal fins. These seem to
be the friendliest (or hungriest) in the tank and will swim to the glass to
say 'hello' (or feed me, heh).
< Look for photos of Red Zebras under the name Pseudotropheus zebra from minos reef or Metraclima zebra.>
The third pair are Jack Dempseys. However after looking at photos of the
Jacks on Fishbase.org, I don't think that they truly are. To me, they look
more like Green Terrors, but with red/orange bands on the ends of their
dorsal and tail fins. Are there different varieties of Jacks?
< There are Jack Dempsey's with reddish to pinkish bellies but that's about it.>
Now, back to the first pair. When we brought the larger of the two home, it
was the most vibrant. Very dark blue/purple with prominent black stripes.
Its colors have since faded away. Its pale now, with hints of purple and the
same yellow/orange as the second pair. It's stripes are quite faded as well.
It seems to be perfectly healthy and is the most dominant one in the tank.
Is this normal?
< Males turn a yellow orange color while the females and young stay the blue color.-Chuck>
We've put photos on our website
(http://www.focusonme.com/fish/cichlids.htm), as I'm sure the pix will be
more helpful than my descriptions.
Thanks again for your help! Have a Happy Halloween!
- Ian and Kristin

Cichlid ID help
Haplochromis was in the original description. Your photo is a fish from
Mdoka, Lake Malawi. If you really want to know about all the name changes
and when you can ask Ad Konings at Info@cichlidpress.com. CR
<Yeeikes! The cichlid name change game! Wish we were back in the days of George Albert Boulenger! Thank you for this Chuck. Bob F>

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