Lake Malawi Species • Post Cynotilapia Pictures!

[cantrell00]

That last pic almost suggests Nkhata Bay. I have never seen Nkhata's with a solid blick-dark blue strip at the top of their dorsal fine though...

"It" does have a touch of yellow blaze on it's head though.

[Ryan82]

I don't think its a nkhata bay even though it has the yellow on its head. I used to have a female that I bought with him, and she was deep purple with a little stripe of yellow in the dorsal, but I guess it could have just been a sub-dominant male because whenever the dominant male is not colored up, he turns dark purple. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Sorry to change the subject Cantrell, but is that a Msobo in your avatar pic? I recently bought three of them from a LFS for $25 altogether and they are all at least 2.5 inches. One of them is already turning blue, and I thought the other two were females because they're yellowish orange, but I saw one of them locked up with the male, and his/her face started to get dark, and so did the dorsal fin. Have you seen a male that didn't have the blue coloration by the time they were 2.5+ inches, or do the females show these color changes when stressed, fighting, etc..?

[cantrell00]

I don't think its a nkhata bay even though it has the yellow on its head. I used to have a female that I bought with him, and she was deep purple with a little stripe of yellow in the dorsal, but I guess it could have just been a sub-dominant male because whenever the dominant male is not colored up, he turns dark purple. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

The only Cyno's that I am familiar with that are purple and not Hara are Lion, Lupingu. Also, I don't "think" your fish is Likoma. I have Likomas and they don't look like your guy.

Sorry to change the subject Cantrell, but is that a Msobo in your avatar pic? I recently bought three of them from a LFS for $25 altogether and they are all at least 2.5 inches. One of them is already turning blue, and I thought the other two were females because they're yellowish orange, but I saw one of them locked up with the male, and his/her face started to get dark, and so did the dorsal fin. Have you seen a male that didn't have the blue coloration by the time they were 2.5+ inches, or do the females show these color changes when stressed, fighting, etc..?

Odds are that both were male. They mature at different rates and not necessarily tied to dominance either, IMO.

This is the first time that I have had Msobo and 2.5" seems too young to say one way or the other. I have never had a female msobo tangle with what I knew to be a male. Female to female squabbles are common though.

[Ryan82]

Thanks for the help. You confirmed my suspicion about the msobo being a male. Now I'll have to keep checking my LFS to see if they have any more. There were only three in the store when I bought them or else I would have bought more.

[cantrell00]

Thanks for the help. You confirmed my suspicion about the msobo being a male. Now I'll have to keep checking my LFS to see if they have any more. There were only three in the store when I bought them or else I would have bought more.

If one of the three stay orange and 3.5+", I would say female for sure.

Females actually darken up and can display dark lines on their dorsal when holding too.

I have read that subdominant males can stay orange as well although I haven't verified that myself. Mine are still too young to say...