Melanochromis Species Sexing! Id'ing

[helterskelter]

About 3 years ago i got 2 Melanochromis auratus for one of the 8' tanks i look after, they was both young fish and the juvenal colour's (yellow black), after 8 months they both sexed out to be males (dark blue body).

They are with:

• Copadichromis borleyi
• Cyrtocara moori
• Labidochromis caeruleus
• Sciaenochromis ahli
• Labidochromis hongi
• Parrot cichlid
  

All are fine and healthy fish but this week i notices a couple of fry, which are only a couple of weeks old.But the look like M. auratus!!!!
Looking at the 2 fish one has egg spot's the other dose not so is it possible to have dark females?

I've never heard of this personaly but intrested what u guy's think.

Helter

P.s. They would not cross with anything would they?

 

[kj23502]

Well if they are the only two males in the tank they'd cross with whatever would breed with them. I'm sure their desire to breed doesn't decrease just b/c the # of females of their own species aren't there. Likely hybrids of something.


In all I've read, I've never heard of a dark female when it comes to auratus.

Sure they aren't yellow lab juvies?

 

[Colin_T]

they are probably a hybrid with one of these.
Labidochromis caeruleus
Labidochromis hongi
generally all mbuna styled cichlids will mix and match with each other, especially if they don't have partners of their own species.

 

[helterskelter]

Is it possible to cross though?

I've never heard of the crossing with Labidochromis

they are defo M. auratus in colour but only 10-12mm long

 

[kj23502]

Males will breed with what they can. that's a part of why proper ratios are stressed.

 

[humpy_the_humphead_wrasse]

this just happened to me. i ended up with a male melanochromis and femal peacok breeding and the babies are absolutely superb. ive actually just done the first milking on the female for the second batch. so fare only 2 fry but her mouths still full. i think i might try what ive heard, holding her mouth open with a syringe i use to feed my corals, after cleaning it of course and getting her to spit befor swallowing. *god ive just noticed how dirty that sounds lol. her mouths just to small i think, squeezing her cheeks doesnt do much!.

 

[helterskelter]

just got a seconed brood of babies so i'm guessing it's not 2 males but a pair.

so their not Melanochromis auratus, the young are blue as well. but i'm sure they was yellow when i got them.

 

[dthoffsett]

just got a seconed brood of babies so i'm guessing it's not 2 males but a pair.

so their not Melanochromis auratus, the young are blue as well. but i'm sure they was yellow when i got them.

Any chance you could post a picture, some of the Melanochromis species look similar. Have you observed either of them holding, if so that would verify at least one female.

 

[helterskelter]

Cant get pics as it's at work.

Basically their M. auratus but the females is the same colour ie blue with no egg spot's.
also their temperament is much nicer than M. auratus

 

[dthoffsett]

Cant get pics as it's at work.

Basically their M. auratus but the females is the same colour ie blue with no egg spot's.
also their temperament is much nicer than M. auratus

Hmm...I've never heard of female auratus taking on male coloration, btw both sexes can have egg spots so the absence of them doesn't really mean anything. Interesting indeed.

 

[helterskelter]

I know the nonspotted fish is the females by the loss of weight. Then seeing loads of fry.

I only see the tank once a week as i do the maintenance on it, this is why i cant get a pic and their so may rocks it's difficualt to get anything.

Still i dont think their M. auratus, but i dont know enough on this genus to ID.