What am I??

So I got this guy about 6 months ago...he was completely brown when i got him and was told he was a female Sunshine Peacock! Obviously he's a male and I'm pretty sure he's not a Sunshine Peacock because he looks nothing like my other known male Sunshine. So any ideas!?

Not the greatest pic

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Could this be your fish?

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I believe that is the one, alonacara baenschi.

It was supposed to be a female Baenschi, but turned color. I have a male Banenschi in the tank as well and this guy looks different than the Male that I know is a Baenschi. I hope that makes sense....if not here is a pic of the real Baenschi.


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The head of that unknown fish doesnt even resemble a peacock, Ill have to do some research on cichlid-forum and see what looks close to it. Maybe gobluecichlid might chime in on this one.

OK thanks Addicted! I was watching that "tanked" show and they showed a Lemon Jake and I thought maybe that was it,but his dorsal fin isn't pointed at the back!?

I was looking last night and didnt come up with anything close enough to resemble the fish, my guess is going by the shape of the body and the head it might be a hybrid with a Metraclima species in it. Your correct on the dorsal fin, most males from Mbuna all have a longer pointed dorsal fin which yours doesn't. I think your going to have to live with the fact its a mutt, might want to take the picture up to conway on thursday or sunday when Jim the owner works and ask him.

Right on I appreciate your effort as usual!

The first picture looks like it's taken at an angle and maybe that's why the head shape doesn't look quite right. Can you get another picture with a better side profile?

Is he different from your other male Sunshine peacock in coloring or body shape as well?

So I have looked at cichlids and there is one that is commonly mistaken as a sunshine and it is called an Aulonacara Maleri Gold...Could it be what you have? :flower:

@Betty- yeah its a horrible pic. its to the side and through a bow front. HE'S VERY CAMERA SHY SINCE i CHASED HIM AROUND THE THE TANK A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. i WANTED TO (sorry for the caps) separate him because he was getting picked on. Anyway I'll try to get a better pic tomorrow.

@czeiszler- kinda but the fish you speak of doesn't have any blue in its face. Thanks though!

I know if 3 kind of peacocks that has a yellow body, yellow fins and blue face , it's either a benschi, malari Island or sunshine. I have seen good and poor quality strains, and that pic is definitley a peacock, but I've seen better strains than that. I believe this one looks simular to my malari island.


Now, how did you get this fish? that may help determine since most LFS only get sunshine peacocks. The other 2 kinds are the uncommon ones.

If the peacock gets picked on by other tankmates, he loose some of his colors. Happens to me often.

Addictedtofish wrote:I was looking last night and didnt come up with anything close enough to resemble the fish, my guess is going by the shape of the body and the head it might be a hybrid with a Metraclima species in it. Your correct on the dorsal fin, most males from Mbuna all have a longer pointed dorsal fin which yours doesn't. I think your going to have to live with the fact its a mutt, might want to take the picture up to conway on thursday or sunday when Jim the owner works and ask him.

The shape changes more if it's inbred. Wilds and F1 are like what you see in books and on cichlid-forum. The more generations of inbreds will create less colors on the fish, and the fish become less elongated. Size of F3, F4, F5 and so on become larger than the wilds.

I prefer wild peacocks that come from africa or european bred. Peacocks at most LFS come from Asia, where it's cheaper to get. You get what you pay for.

Thanks Gobluecichlids

I got the fish at Bridges in Snohomish. He was just a little guy and was still brown in color and was sold to me as a female sunshine. Then low and behold he turned color a couple of months ago. I'm beginning to think he is a mutt like Addicted has said. The other male in the pic above is supposed to be a Sunshine Peacock and I got him and two females as a breeding trio from someone on this site.

Here's a couple more crappy pics


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