boban_nz

It has just happened that HFF got all males and there are females as well. When fish are too small for positive sexing the main focus is to provide at least some males. So there is no conspiracy against the cichlid fish keepers

Apistogramma agassizi - Double red Just to share a few photos with you.

Sundadanio axelrodi - Rasbora Axelrodi - Blue rasbora

Generally they look like this now being young

Young Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" - Taiwanee Reef

Well, we have to examine the fish to tell that it is a Copadichromis. I can't see any other way to do that and it is the first step that has to be done. For sure true locations would eliminate any possibility of hybridization but naturals. No, not at all. As I said first step is to prove that it is genus Copadichromis. Anyway the fish has some good indications especially breeding colourations of male. For me it is unclear how big the supra-anal spot is, is the supra-pectoral spot below the lateral line and breast colourations as well. You have all visual indications on the fish there indeed. My Photoshop comment was about the photo from the net. I have never put any effort to breed them but there were heaps of baby fish. They were a good source of live food. The papers I mentioned in my last post has a lot of answers you are looking for so I still think that it is good advice, at least there would not be comparisons between C. borleyi and C. azureus.

Looks to me it is Gasteropelecus maculatus

Yeah my typing mistake. Here is S. fryeri Also, we had here in NZ S. psammophilus aka Electric Blue Kande fryeri (I took the picture myself) A copadichrimis has no exact shape, has bars and some of them also a blaze. Breeding colourations may be used only as a reference. If you are interesting in Copadichromis have a look at these documents: Stauffer, J. R., Jr. & A. F. Konings. 2006. Review of Copadichromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with the description of a new genus and six new species. Ichthyological Explorations of Freshwaters, vol. 17 (1), pp 9-42. (Mchenga, Copadichromis melas, C. chizumuluensis, C. diplostigma, C. insularis, C. cyanocephalus, and C. parvus). Konings, A. 1999. Description of Three New Copadi- chromis Species (Labroidei; Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa. TFH magazine, vol. 47 (9) May: pp 62-85 and for S. fryeri The Cichlids Yearbook, Volume 3

I don't understand why you have such a strong connection between this fish and C. frayeri. If you believe that there is any hybridizations occured in the past why it hasn't happened within Copadichromis genus or maybe Otopharynx? When I saw this fish a few years back now, I did some study to verify that it is C. azureus. Unfortunatly as you know there is no known true locations of this fish which is the case for all aquarium breed or most commercial fish. Regardless of that I have moved ahead. I fixed a few fish and did a study. All results of meristic and morphometric date and observations lead me to C. azureus. C. azureus belongs to mbenjii group. This group has a small number of gill rackers on the first ceratobranchial, 12-20. As I can recall now I found 17 or so. Body depth may vary from 33 to almost 39 % TL. There is also big oscilations in eye diametar (31.6 to 39.8 % TL) and preorbital dept. Those facts are very confusing for many people because fish may look very slender especially at the early age. You have a few pictures and it is what we would like to see regarding Copadichromi sp., their colourations of teritorial male, non teritorial male, female and juviniles. This discussion may go on and on dependent what data you have. Internet source is great but could be very tricky and we have a good example in this topic, picture of azureus (Schumacher). If we know that C. azureus has narrow yellow to orange margin in the blue to green anal fin and in fact that margin DISTIGUISHED C. azureus from other Copadichromis of mbenjii group, according to C. azureus description, how that fish can be C. azureus? Well, that is the internet, everything is possible I hope there was not any photoshop job done on that picture. It is up to you. I have done my bit of work and this fish cleary fits in C. azureus descriptions. Please note that I talk about original stock. Many of you breed Copadichromis and some hybridizations may happen, who knows. Also different suppliers may give a wrong name to some Copadihromis. It is such a small difference and it is so easy to mix different species. Observe your fish, study a bit, follow fish descriptions and key to species and you would be fine.

Carnegiella marthae - Blackwing hatchetfish Just have a good look at a school of Marble hatchetfish in your LFS and if you are lucky some Blackwing hatchetfish could be there. If you are lucky you might come across some.

Well it is too late for that. The A. Compressiceps had a party last night

After removing the eggs the male has started to do what it is supposed to do, showing off to the other female. As I mentioned before I didn't see the spawning. In fact there were two spawnings according to the eggs developement. It doesen't matter how many males are out there, did it fertilize eggs or not the fact is that it has eggs in his mouth. For sure there are other people who witnessed that unusual matter. It is a male by any definitions of copadichromis and there is no well coloured female. Female of C. azureus has silver and blue highlight on cheek and lateral portion of body grey blue. Moreover the female has three distinct black spots on the body. Have a look at pelvic fins on the picture. Male has much longer pelvic fin than a female. I had Sciaenochromis fryeri on a few occasions in my hands and never saw a coloured female. I am talking about true Sciaenochromis fryeri not ones that are on the market under that name. Last time I saw them was about 3-4 years ago or so. An Electric Blue Hap that most people are talking about are not Sciaenochromis fryeri at all. That "Electric blue Hap" has coloured female to some point. Unfortunatly I could not make any further steps to identify that fish, it simply didn't fit in any specimens descriptions. Might be some hybridizations, who knows. Female Male Female adpressed pelvic fin Male adpressed pelvic fin

Here is some very odd behaviour of Copadichromis that I have never witnessed before. The male holding eggs in his mouth???? Originally I thought that the male was holding food in his mouth but after sometime I found that it wasn't the case. I opened his mouth and got the eggs out. The bigest suprise for me was that it was actually hold two batches of eggs. First ones are well developed and the second ones are very young. I had a quick search over the internet but didn't find any other report about that matter

Yes I do.

Carinotetraodon irrubesco - Redeye Puffer Male Female

Yes the fish are in NZ and for sale. Price, ask your LFS, different pet stores different price. CL's was a good guess. The Loach is about 10-11 cm.

No I didn't. I have had the camera for quite awhile now photographing fish but I just never posted the pictures on this forum.

I am sure you can get this fish from your LFS if you ask for them.

Danio nigrofasciatus - Spotted Danio - Spotted nigrofasciatus Just another nice fish

Syncrossus berdmorei - Blyth's Loach - Royal botia etc.

It is just a matter of luck and a bit of photography practice.

Danio tinwini - Spotted burmeses tinwini An excellent addition to a community tank.

My Altolamprologus compressiceps - Gold head

Danio aesculapii - Panther danio