Help Identifying a fish..

Hi All,

Many years ago when I was still a novice in the hobby I came across a tank of cichlids that I thought looked interesting. They were not labelled and at the time I didn't really mind. I bought a trio and kept them for quite some time. They grew quite large and bred a few times. The only trouble is that I have no idea what they were and can't find them on the internet as I have no name to search. I was hoping to describe the fish and it's breeding and it might sound familiar to someone who could help me identify it.

The fish was cigar shaped, grey all over except for the male who's fins were red. When I moved them on they were about 5 inches. They were mouthbrooders. I am pretty sure they weren't Malawi's or Tanganyika's. Very similar looking to the Mozambique Mouthbrooder (Oreochromis mossambicus) but the red in the fins was the whole of the fins not just the edges and there was no pattern to the body just a grey colour.

Hopefully this sounds familiar to someone out there,

Sam

Got me stumped, were they light or dark grey, large or small scales, upturned or down turned mouth?

Light grey until the male was trying to impress the females then he'd darken up a bit. Small scales. Up-turned mouth.

Thanks for trying Star, it's got me stumped too. I've never seen them again and always wondered what they were.

Sam

I will have a look see if I can find what it was.

Suggestions from the BCA forum are; Benitochromis and Chromidotilapia

I've googled both but can't find the fish.

Sam

Some pics on here...

http://www.hippocampus-bildarchiv.com/db/eng/62/2/63/0/list_Africa.htm

There are a few colour morphs of Oreochromis mossambicus Mouthbrooders

Might also be oreochromis tanganicae

Wow Great Link Star!

From your link it looked most like;
Haplochromis nubilus
Oreochromis mossambica
and a bit like Sarotherodon lohbergi but without the funny upturned mouth.


Thanks Davo86, I wasn;t aware of so many different colour forms but none of the one's in your link match the fish I am describing.

I'm still stumped.

Sam

The troube is some fish in the pictures look nothing like seeing them for real.