Multifasciatus? I Sure Hope So

[Torrean]

I've been looking for a small species of shell dweller for a good 3-4 months now, and I believe I found some. I was browsing a few lfs' looking for some shellies when I stumbled across a tank that said african cichlid fry $2 or 3 for $5. I got excited and bent down to take a look. To my surprise they looked a lot like multifasciatus...the species I really wanted to get my hands on. I've been looking around for a while and the best price I have found was $80 for 8 fish. So naturally I start running around looking for an employee. Once I find one I ask if they know anyone who's good at ID'ing africans...a tricky thing to do. I found one and she said she had no idea what they were. Well I told her to bag them up anyway. At that price I can get twice what I paid in store credit at another store if I turned out to be wrong...(depending on what they turn out to be)

So what would you have done?

Check back tonight and tommorrow for pics...I'm gonna let them settle for a while before I start taking pics. I'd really appreciate opinions on what they are.

 

[Torrean]

They camera adds a lot of blue to the pics...sorry. They do have some blue to them now although they didn't in the store.

this one is closer to there true coloration...forgive the diatoms. it's a new tank

 

[Teelie]

Not positive, but I think they are multis. Definitely look like shelldwellers. Check out this thread and see how much they match up.

 

[Torrean]

hmm. I think they're just too dark for multies. Atleast the biggest one is. They were all pretty light and looked a lot more multi'ish in the store. I think the lines may be too close together on the multies. Here are a few more pics.

The first three pics are very close to true coloration. I don't know what the deal is with my camera sometimes it takes great pics and sometimes not so much...especially with fish.

 

[QuotheRaven]

these shellies appear to blue to be multies from the multies i've seen they aren't that blue...but they are definately shell dwellers

 

[cometcattle]

Sorry, but they're definitely not Multies. Look at the mouth. Here's an old thread from when I got my Multies.

I would stay away from "assorted African Cichlid" tanks and buy them from a reputable LFS or breeder.

 

[Teelie]

The problem with some Lake Tangs are different strains out there and the similarity to some of the closely related species. Their colors can also change depending on their mood and environment. The body shape does look right and the fins are close but it's sometimes hard to identify some of them. All I'm sure of is they're some species of shelldweller. It's possible too they're a hybrid species but I don't think that's the case.

 

[Torrean]

I agree with you about the assorted africans tank but I had an opportunity to get $15 fish for $2 and I just couldn't pass it up. I have a place I can take them to that will probably give me more store credit than what I paid for them. I took into account the possibility that I was wrong before I bought them.

Teelie they sure do look like shellies don't they. But I believe they are some form of pseudotropheus elongatus. look at the mouth (if you can see it in these blurry pics) these fish have straight mouths. Multies have upturned mouths. I think I may have mbuna mouthbrooders on my hands. If you don't mind my asking why are you so sure they are shellies?

I'm planning on keeping them for a little while anyway.

 

[Teelie]

Maybe they could be mouth brooders. I don't know very much about them and I'm still learning more about shelldwellers as well. The reason I think they're shellies is mostly their body shape and size. I'm not afraid to say I could be wrong, it's just to me they have the right look.

Most of the Africans I've seen are larger even as juveniles and have a slightly different body frame, but then there being so many hundreds of species, it's possible they're just a similarly shaped species from Malawi. This is why I hate identifying fish out of the African Rift Lakes. So many look so much alike but have some minute differences or tell-tale signs that identify them as something else. Almost as bad as some of the Corydoras or Plecs. Would help if I had some glasses on too.

 

[Torrean]

Thanks Teelie.
My plan at the moment is to grow them out and see how big they get. If they quit using the shells or grow over 3 inches then I'm gonna turn them in for credit or get a bigger tank. Well thanks again guys

 

[Teelie]

If they do go over 3", definitely not shellies.

 

[Torrean]

aren't brichardi or brevis one 4" as adults?

 

[Teelie]

According to their profiles, only about 2.3" for Brevis and 2" for Birchardi.

edit, I just double checked a different site and they say birchardi get to 6" but that's Neolamprologus, not Telmatochromis which might be a different species. And the Neo is supposedly a substrate as opposed to shell spawner.

edit again: Yep, I just realized, google their images and they are indeed two seperate species.

 

[sic0198]

Are these aggressive?

 

[Torrean]

yes.