my fish looks just like one of these only it has white markings instead of black, also the eyes are red so i think it is an albino, is this possible? and how do i tell the sex, it's getting quite fat.
2006-11-20 07:50:05 · 7 answers · asked by abbyg24 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
petlover that is exactly what mine looks like thanks. do you know how to tell the sex?
2006-11-20 08:03:15 · update #1
i only have 1 of these in my tank the rest are yellow labs and a bumble
2006-11-20 08:19:32 · update #2
Yes, if it has red eyes, it is an albino or at least has albino genes.
The species grows to 4-5 inches(even more in an aquarium) and is regarded as one of the most aggressive Lake Malawi cichlids. It will decimate a population of non-agressive fish in short order.
It should be housed with species of equal or bigger size and of the same temperament. Keeping more than one male in a tank is almost impossible in tanks smaller than 120 gallons. Even then, all other males will be probably killed by the dominant one.
Females are also territorial and intolerant of their own species and are extremely aggressive when carrying eggs. It is not unusual for a male M. auratus to kill one or more of the females living with him. This is especially true in small tanks so I recommend you take the minimum tank size seriously into account if you plan to keep this fish.
Males of normal coloration will be darker on the lower half of their body than the females. With albinos it will be difficult to tell. If the fish is plumping up, it is either fed really well or is a female filling up with eggs. Do you have more than one? They are maternal mouthbrooders (female carries the eggs in her mouth until they hatch after fertilization by the male).
Good luck with your M. auratus....
2006-11-20 08:11:52 · answer #1 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is possible to be albino, actually it is a sub-species called
Melanochromis auratus albino
http://www.cichlidsrus.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?search=yes&hits_seen=125&product=178&category=Lake_Malawi&keywords=&detail=yes&page=search.php&template=database_list_page&and=
here u can find a photo to compare
You can tell the sex if you look at the top of the body, at the end of the head: if it has a very thin black ray just behind the head, it is male. If not, it is female
2006-11-20 09:19:32 · answer #2 · answered by meinett 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hard to tell from that picture, but it looks like an African Cichlid to me - maybe a young female Melanochromis parallelus or Black and White Auratus Nasty piece of business to have in a community tank. Ian
2016-03-29 02:58:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is probably an albino. As far as i know pretty much all animals can have defects in genes that make them albino. Animals can also have select albino genes, meaning some of there genes are albino.(not like in color but you know what i mean) : P
2006-11-20 13:53:32 · answer #4 · answered by ziddyziddy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know the answer to your question, but I would like to thank you for your post... after checking out the species profile on cichlidforum.com, I have finally ID'd two of my own fish. After hours of searching, your post led me right to these little buggers. Just wanted to say thank you, and good luck with your fish!
2006-11-20 09:01:10 · answer #5 · answered by cichlidgirl 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If it looks like this http://www.fishpost.com/images/mal/melauralbino.jpg
then yes it is. Hope this helps!!!
2006-11-20 07:58:22 · answer #6 · answered by ♥Petlover♥ 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It looks like a "Dave" to me but I could be wrong
2006-11-20 07:53:00 · answer #7 · answered by usually2right 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋