Just how many are there??

RyJ

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Feb 2, 2003
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I was just reading my copy of the 'Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes - New Edition!', by Dr H. R. Axelrod (tfh publication) :p :p :p

Well, I'm wondering how many offical 'types' of Convict Cichlids there actually are?

I'm aware of the very common Black Convicts, and its Albino mutation. I've seen the very shy Blue Convict (also refered to as Blue-eye Cichlid). However, in this encyclopedia, it says there is a Golden Convict Cichlid...but no scientific name is given. Does anyone know it? Does anyone know if there are any other types of Convicts?
 
CONVICT TYPES

How about a marbled convict? I purchased 4 from a shop in Renton WA. They are black,pinkish,and orange bloched. Kind of hard to find some as many shops have not heard of them here in WA. Some shops refer to them as OB. CHEWEY
 
The black, pink, and marble are all just different color strains of convicts. The black are the "original", the pink aren't actually albino..they just lack black pigmentation. The marbled are when you cross certain black and pink convicts and they are pink with a bit of black pigmentation.

The blue-eyed cichlid is a entirely different species Archocentrus spilurum whlie the black, pink, and marbled are Archocentrus nigrofasciatus.

I have honestly never heard of a gold convict.
 
The blue eyed cichlid (aka: Sajica) is not part of the the convict family as Frameshift already stated. Although they are originally from the Guatemala, Honduras regions. Like the convict.
IMO. It doesn't really even look like a convict.

Archocentrus_sajica.jpg


The Archocentrus that looks like a convict and has been called "friendly convict" is the Archcentrus Spliurus.

They are very simliar to the convict but are not as feisty. They are also hard to find now a days with all the cross breeding going on.
They will easily cross breed with both the convict and the sajica.

spilurus01-vi.jpg


I have owned and bred both the spliurus and the sajicas. I still have the a couple of the true spilurus left in one of my tanks. Great fish.
I have had them cross breed with the sajicas a couple of times. And the fry end up looking like convicts with blue eyes.

None of the fry survived past juveniles because I used them as feeders not to contribute to the nasty hybid problem that is running rampant right now in the hobby.
 
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the gold convict is not a convict either. the nanoluteus is what is being called the "gold convict' it is a species thats been around for a while, but is just recently starting to become more available. Also, the Chanchito is sometimes called a type of convict but it to is not related.
 
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