# mbuna identification



## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

Hey everyone,



I picked this cichlid out because I like his coloration, but he came from a tank of mixed mbuna and the species was not labeled.

I suspect he's a hybrid, but can anyone ID what kind of mbuna he is?


mystery mbuna - YouTube


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## RonB (Nov 7, 2011)

Kind of looks like a Yellow Top Mbamba. I have a some that look kind of like that. I have one that just turned his adult colors the other day. I'm not 100% sure so maybe someone else will chime in. Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba"


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## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

hmmm he does look like some of the duller mbambas in images that I've seen. he is still a juvenile, but getting pretty large... it's hard to tell from the video, but he's about 3" long from nose to tail. body shape is very similar to my red zebra. I'm assuming he's a male because of the number of egg spots. I wonder if he will brighten up as he matures... he's pretty aggressive (second only to the boss red zebra) and easily the most voracious and greedy eater in the tank at feeding time, so I would figure he would have his dominant coloring already. 

Anyone else have any ideas?


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## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

Here's a better photo...


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## RonB (Nov 7, 2011)

Thats deffinatly not a Mbamba.


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## JohnniGade (Dec 22, 2011)

What? That second pic looks nothing like the other one.


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## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

Same fish. Video was taken with natural light, and the photo was taken with a flash. Cichlids color is typically exaggerated with a flash. Anyway, found this one holding, turns out to be a female who spawned with my alpha red zebra, so I'll be taking her back to the LFS.


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