View Full Version : New Pics: RD or Midas
Sorry about the dirty looking glass. Having the tank near a window doesn't help the algae to go away ;)
SO whats the verdict? RD or Midas.
http://www.arofanatics.com/members/vfrex/oscarreddevildempseyetc/image28.jpg
http://www.arofanatics.com/members/vfrex/oscarreddevildempseyetc/image29.jpg
http://www.arofanatics.com/members/vfrex/oscarreddevildempseyetc/image30.jpg
I'm guessing red devil by the shape of the head and big lips.
that looks like a midas. hard to tell by pic though. if you look down at the fish from above does the snout make a v or is it more of a u shape. midas have more of a u and less of a point. also devil bodys are slimmer and longer looking. your fish appears more broad bodied. here is a pic of my red devil.
http://www.cichlidsickness.com/rus-striped%20midas-3.jpg
also here is a link to a good aritcle about the complex.
http://www.cichlidae.com/articles/a106.html
MeAirlinePilot
12-25-2002, 7:42 PM
Looks like a midas to me
Rarely points towards the bottom when I'm in the room. How is this one though?
http://www.arofanatics.com/members/vfrex/oscarreddevildempseyetc/image16.jpg
im still saying midas and it looks like he/she has a some room to play. i love these fish very fun to keep.
Harry Tolen
12-25-2002, 9:25 PM
Midas. Rus's picture is a perfect shot of a Red Devil (a/k/a labiatus), by the way. It's all in the lips. My own Midas (citrinellus):
http://www.harrytolen.com/images/aqua/RDcropped.01!.JPG
blee358
12-25-2002, 9:38 PM
That is one hott fish! The first time I saw the pics I thought that the fish was diseased or something. But then I looked back and found out it was algae. I would definitely get a pleco for that. Looks like a midas to me too. Dunno though because they're hard for me to tell apart.
AikidoGuy
12-26-2002, 9:02 AM
im going with midas, my female looks like that.
Baraka
12-26-2002, 10:01 AM
its a midas----
I dig Midas's a lot more
you get a pleco for it and in 3 months I bet you find him shoved under a rock with its guts eaten out
those fish are too curious and too aggressive
its like a pit bull with a house cat
it doesn't want to kill it
just bite it a little bit
it just doesn't know
how to play without killing it
vfrex
12-26-2002, 10:16 AM
Thats pretty much why there isn't one in the picture ;) I think i'm going to buy an algae scrubber today.
Just goes to prove I am still terrible at guessing between juvie Midas and RDs! :o
With the head- on view(of vfrex midas) and rus' red devil to compare to, I now see the difference in the lip size a lot better. Wow, that red devil has some kissers! ;)
Rare Cichlids
12-26-2002, 3:07 PM
Lip size isn't really anything definant to go on because Costa Rican Midas are polymorphic in respect to lip development also. The mouth shape when viewed from above (as mentioned earlier) is probably the best method.
robdiep
12-26-2002, 8:52 PM
hey guys.. there could even be a chance that it is a cross breed between a midas AND a red devil.. you never know these days unless you get one from the wild..
Harry Tolen
12-26-2002, 9:20 PM
Robdiep makes a good point. Especially considering the confusion in the hobby between the two species, the likelihood of a hybrid is not that remote. However, I still think that lip size is a better predictor than the very difficult "jaw shape" criterion, especially since it is much more observable. I have yet to see a fish with small lips that isn't an Amphilophus citrinellus, and have yet to see a thick-lipped fish that couldn't be identified as an A. labiatus (or at least an A. labiatus hybrid).
Mattimeo
12-27-2002, 12:46 AM
the Costa Rican midas are reported to hybridize with the labiatus, which could be the reason for the strong polymorphism...
Rare Cichlids
12-27-2002, 12:35 PM
Originally posted by Mattimeo
the Costa Rican midas are reported to hybridize with the labiatus, which could be the reason for the strong polymorphism...
Mattimeo, do you have a link to an article that talks about this? If so please post it as I don't think I have read one yet that talks about the 2 fish cross breeding in the wild. In fact, most of the articles I've seen are speaking of how the different species will not cross breed.
Harry, why do you say the very difficult "jaw shape" criterion? I have found viewing the fish's head from above a very easy way of distinguishing the species. Also, I have thick lipped Midas, and simple lipped Red Devils (all wild).
I've read that the fish, if unable to find a suitable mate in the wild, will look for another species that suits its fancy. However, I don't remember if the article was talking about Midas' or RDs.