Lake Victoria Basin, West African, Madagascar & Asian Species • Yala Swamp Hap/Fulu variant

[nick a]

From my recollection the male in Dave's picture may be the father of most of the fish in the US hobby today.

Comparing/diagnosing fish from photographs is sometimes pretty difficult however. Camera angles can distort geometry and the quality of the photographer is a critical factor. It's obvious that Kevin is a much more skilled photographer than that guy who took that crappy pic on Dave's site Only I get to say that though

Comparing/diagnosing fish from stock many generations in aquariums is also not optimum.

!00% with Kevin that discussions should be based on respect and desire only towards better knowledge vs trying to argue who's ice is colder.

[KMX]

Unless it is identified by the French, it is wrong

[samaki]

Ya right
xris

[samaki]

Hi There is a topic on Http:wwwcichlids of victoria called Potential Mbipia Lutea tank mates?, yu will see pictures of both species and Honnestly who can tell they are of the same species?????
xris
Ole Seehausen didn't identified this fish as Mbipia lutea so...(no need to mention that Ole is one of the scientits who caught most of the fishes we have in the hobby)

[Aspencer]

Here is the latest picture of my male...almost 3 inches now.

[samaki]

I keep myself Mbipia lutea Makobe island for 5 years now and none of my young fishes did ever show this kind of body color
xris

[Aspencer]

How about some pictures of your Mbipia?...I looked in your album but I see none. It would be interesting to see yours to compare body styles. Mine are almost growing daily.

[samaki]

Hi They are exactly the same as on Kevin picture,
xris

[nick a]

Kevin or Xris...it would be interesting to see some comparison photos of the females also.
One of the things that originally appealled to me about these that Greg had was the 'distinctness' of the females.....many Hap femmes are very similar to each other but these were very easy to identify.

[samaki]

Hi Nick, for some species the females can be very hard to distinguish for example P.nyererei/ P.pundamilia/P/igneopinnis, so if yu have two or three close species, yu can't segregate the females from each others only by eyes, yu have to check the teeth number, rows and form and the body proportion.
Nick yu know that a female in french is a femme
xris

[StructureGuy]

Kevin or Xris...it would be interesting to see some comparison photos of the females also.
One of the things that originally appealed to me about these that Greg had was the 'distinctness' of the females.....many Hap femmes are very similar to each other but these were very easy to identify.

Like many Victorian females, they sometimes show some barring and sometimes don't depending upon age and mood.

http://www.african-cichlid.com/Lutea.htm
(scroll to the bottom)

Kevin

[samaki]

Hi Kevin did yur fry showed any blue body color when growing???We are not dealing here with two variants of one species as in P.nyererey Makobe and Python( the young fishes of theses variants are impossible to distinguish until they are fully sexually mature for the males, the females are impossible to be taken apart from one another), but with two separated species and perhaps belonging to two genera .
The differences are two importants from the pictures, the barring doesn't correspond nor the number of vertical bars 5-6 in lutea/6-7 in yala, the body color is obviously not the same, the head profile is somewhat different, becoming decurved with age in lutea while it is straight in the adult yala fish, the caudal fin color is not the same, the anal fin also and the egg dummies are not arranged in the same manner nor are in the same number.
xris

[nick a]

The same male as in Dave's pic and a female....I'll have to get on the home PC & upload some better femme pics (Xris...I'm bilingual when talking about the fairer sex! )

To me....the females of this type are significantly different than those that you picture Kevin. While mood variance is a given, the 'spot' vs 'bar' pattern in this type is what set them off from your more typical Punda or other type female. The examples you show are more in line with a 'norm' type of female.

[samaki]

[Aspencer]

Here is the male one week later