Are They Hybrid - Or Not?

[WAG741L]

Well, we finally installed the 5' x 2' x 18" in its permanent position, and set about filling it with gravel and the basis of the ocean rock; and it finished cycling a couple of weeks ago. It's been a long wait with various delays, but I have been looking forward so much to the day it was ready ...

I have been growing on 9 Cyrtocara Moori (had 10 but sadly lost one), and they were moved to the 5' a couple of weeks ago. They vary in size between 2" and 3.5" (including tail), and had actually become rather shy as they grew larger and older, so I read the thread about African Cichlids hiding with great interest, and resolved to stock the 5' so that they were shown off to advantage. There are also eight young golden bristlenoses, some of which I will move to other tanks as they grow on (I have the tank space).

That's the background. I regularly visit my (not so) local Maidenhead, but have either bought hardware, or just looked and coveted up until now. It is beautifully clean and well-kept, and the chap who manages it seems to know his stuff. I have admired various Africans in the past, and he has stopped to talk and advise on compatiblity if there have been no 'paying' customers to deal with. I had noted some of his comments, and went confidently to buy some fish this past week-end.

The thing is, I am not at all sure that I have done the right thing. After some discussion, I bought the following:

4 x Aulonocara Peacock (wild caught)
6 x Labeotropheus Feulleborni (Marmalade)

We ascertained that all fish could live in harmony, their care, their feeding, and characteristics, but it did not even occur to me to ask if they were hybrids. Given that the Aulonocara were 'wild-caught' and not inexpensive, it never entered my head to ask the pointed question.

When I got home, and the fish were safely introduced to the 5', I looked them up on the net to read about them in more detail. and was dismayed to find that some sites record them as hybrids. Now, I am well aware that the Internet is not infallible, and some 'information' posted is downright mischievous, so I thought I would ask advice on this board. It's been a great source of help in the past!

They are beautiful fish in their own right; however, I do feel very uncomfortable with the 'hybrid' principle. Rightly or wrongly, I do feel that lines should be kept pure where possible; and in captivity, where fish have a limited choice of mates, I personally would want to restrict their choice to their own kind.

I am well aware of the principle of 'hybrid vigour' claimed for mongrels and cross-breeds; but that is not to say that I support it. Given total freedom to mate indiscriminately, all dogs would probably end up as medium-sized, black with tan points and white chests, and think what we would lose, not just in appearance, but also in instinctive behaviour, temperament and character! I think the same applies to fish.

You may have another opinion, and if you do, I am sure you will voice it!

But have I been misled or perhaps just not given the whole story? Are they hybrids - and do fish hybridise in the wild? - so can these fish actually be wild-caught AND hybrids? I'd really appreciate your feedback.

Thank you.

 

[Ferris]

Which species of Aulonocara are they? (presuming you are talking about them, not the Feulleborni)

Have you got any pics?

What info on the net led you to belive they are hybrids?

 

[WAG741L]

Hi Ferris, thank you for the reply.

I am not sure of the species - the chap in Maidenhead threw a lot of names at me, pointed out other cichlids in other tanks, threw more names at me, and then returned to discuss the characteristics of the wild-caught. I asked him to write down their names, which he kindly did, but my better half picked up the paper (I picked up the fish), and when we got home, he had simply written 'Aulonocara Peacock wild caught', and 'Labeotropheus (Marmalade) feullbourni' (sic), which I now discover is incorrect during my trawls on the net. Feulleborni seems to be the usual, this was also how you spelt it.

All fish are juveniles, but one Aulonocara is breathtaking in his colour - he is electric neon blue, gold-edged dorsal, possibly showing traces of red behind his gills, so I guess he could be a red shoulder. He is also quite pushy, quite active, and the others get out of his way. There is a second, I suspect male, who also shows brilliant lilac/blue over the head and lips, but s/he is peachy pink in the body, with spots along the sides.

These two are immediately identifiable; however, it is difficult to differentiate the others from the Labeotropheus, as body shape is not mature, they all just look peachy, translucent pink, with tortoiseshell-type markings. They also vanish if I try to study whether they are overshot or undershot (sorry for doggy terminology, but I don't know how to express it in fishy terms), and unless they are all swimming together, it is quite difficult to discern which is which. The markings themselves can give a quite misleading impression, particularly over the lips.

Sorry I cannot supply photos at the moment, I will try to get some on at the week-end. I can take the photos, but my better half downloads them (I tend to lose them!).

I am concerned that I may have Aulonocara Peacock OB because I found a number of entries on the net which dismissed fish which resembled those I have as 'hybrids'. That was why I asked for help in regard to hybridisation. I would really like to avoid this if possible.

http/aexchange.addr.com/auloobpeacock.html

http/www.fishaholics.org/show_fish.php?FishIndex=11

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ob_peacock.php

My fish most closely resemble those in Fish Index (the second link listed).

On the upside, the Blue Dolphins are very much in evidence, having been quite shy in the 5' up until now!

Thanks, Ferris.

 

[Ferris]

There are so many stunning Aulonocara species, you would be very unlucky to have hybrids.

In pretty much every case, the males display the vivid colouration, ranging from bright yellow to deep purple, depending on the species. The females are usually a rather dull brown colour so most aquarists keep a mixture of males, which makes for a stunning display tank.

"Peacock" is just a common name for Aulonocara, although quite an appropriate one but doesn't therefore give any hints as to the species you have. Pics would be essential to help with an id but if you search for "Aulonocara" on google images, you should have some success.

Many of the OB species are man-made/engineered unfortunately but if your fish are truly wild-caught they are almost certainly not hybrids as this process takes place in fish farms etc.

My own view on hybrids is that it is wrong in principal, but at the end of the day it is not the fish's fault and if I ended up with one by accident then so be it, I certainly wouldn't dream of destroying it.

If you do get some pics, post them and we'll take a look.