Name that species!

[FireDancer7905]

Hi all, just a quick question:
We've had 2 beautiful blue cichlids in a community tank that we've had running for about a year now, and we're having doubts about the correct speicies identification. We originally thought they were Pseudo Socolofi, but now we're not so sure. They have the exact same size, shape, structure as a yellow lab, but are blue and get dark black vertical bars (similar to a convict) but only when excited or agitated. Are these blue labs, or was the original identification correct. I've asked at a couple LFS, and done lots of research online, can't get a definitive answer.

See this thread for a pic:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=636352#post636352

Thanks!

[FireDancer7905]

:bump: ...please help :dance2:

[drgold]

Looks like some sort of blue zebra, or a hybrid. The body shape is very similar to my cobalt blue zebras, but they have no black. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[DeRo316]

It looksl like a socolofi to me, and they do have bars depending on mood see:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/image.php?id=919&pic=12

To identify sometimes I go to cichlid-forum and check out their profiles which have different pics than the profiles here. Here is the profile for a socolofi:
Pseudotropheus socolofi profile (http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=919)

[Web Gazelle]

Looks like Socolofi to me.

[rslinn]

The pick you posted looks identical to my Kenyi or Pseudotropheus Lombardoi.

[Gian krlo]

its a female kenyi, i have a little female kenyi too :hi:

[kay-bee]

Probably one of the following:

pseudotropheus socolofi
melanochromis joanjohnsonae ("exasperatus")

Can you post more pics of your fish?

[DeRo316]

I thought the Lombardoi females had very dark bars?

"while females retain their original blue and white bar morphology, although the blue turns a very dark blue, almost black." ->from profile.


But I think there is a very good chance it could be a Melanochromis joanjohnsonae like kay-bee said, check out the profile:
Profile Link (http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=759)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/image.php?id=759&pic=2

[FireDancer7905]

Thanks to everyone for your input, and to DeRo, the link to those pics really helped. :bowing: They are definitiely socolofi. I'd only seen a couple of other pics, and they all seemed darker than our fishies. Now, having seen the pics at the cichlid forum, there's no question. Thanks to all for your help!

It was just one of those things that stuck in my head and kept bugging me! :duh: Now I can stop thinking about it and just look at the pretty fishies!
:clap:

[mostlycichlids]

it looks like a socolofi to me I would bet on it. Its not a Kenyi as stated above.

[Gian krlo]

yep is a socolofi, sorry i confused :p:

[Web Gazelle]

Here is a good picture of a Kenyi (http://www.bbayaquariums.com/select-action.cfm?ID=56) .

[managuay86]

looks like a pindani (aka socolofi)to me