Advice needed! Not sure of what to do!

[Mrs.h2012]

As I was beginning to have issues with my kenyi's, I returned them back to LFS. I saw this fish and couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was a trade in by another customer, customer wasn't sure what it was, neither was LFS, so they let me take it and said I can return it if it doesn't work out. I thought I might have figured out what it was, thinking it was a cynotilapia afra cobue,
possibly a female. This is the site that led me to believe it's a female cobue...
http://www.african-cichlid.com/AfraCobue.htm

But after looking through the site LFS orders its fish from now I'm thinking it may be a zebra mbuna.

Behavior wise it doesn't seem to be aggressive, only chases other fish out of a few caves it seems to have claimed.

Can anyone offer any advice on what it may be or if I should return it?

 

[kjacks]

Well not sure if its my phone or the image but i cant see a photo to help you

 

[Fresh2o]

Well not sure if its my phone or the image but i cant see a photo to help you

It's the image. I have an Imgur account and I have seen a couple of my uploaded pics look like this. Not sure why it happens.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Well not sure if its my phone or the image but i cant see a photo to help you

Ill try again.. Hold on.

 

[kjacks]

Hmmm... im not good at ids but my females dont look quite like that for my cynos although i jave a different one then the cobue.. from.the photo in the link you provided it very well could be a female cobue..

 

[kjacks]

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=B2CB46B0B918FFA6!108&authkey=!APkvyt4xIeBZR_8

for some reason I can't load pics on this phone and I can't use my app on windows so lets try this link... I made you a photo of my juvi female n male and my dominant male ... My female does look very similar to yours but like I mentioned mine aren't cobue but another set so there will be some differences

 

[Mrs.h2012]

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=B2CB46B0B918FFA6!108&authkey=!APkvyt4xIeBZR_8

for some reason I can't load pics on this phone and I can't use my app on windows so lets try this link... I made you a photo of my juvi female n male and my dominant male ... My female does look very similar to yours but like I mentioned mine aren't cobue but another set so there will be some differences

The body color of mine now looks like the juvi female but it also definitely has the orange on the tops of the fins like the dominant male in the photo you made. I found a few cichlid groups on Facebook and posted a picture there as well, and one response was a cobalt blue zebra/rusty mix and another response was a rusty/Metriaclima greshakei mix, but seems on the Facebook group they think its part rusty cichlid.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=B2CB46B0B918FFA6!108&authkey=!APkvyt4xIeBZR_8

for some reason I can't load pics on this phone and I can't use my app on windows so lets try this link... I made you a photo of my juvi female n male and my dominant male ... My female does look very similar to yours but like I mentioned mine aren't cobue but another set so there will be some differences

What kind are your cyno's? From the site LFS orders from the cobue was the only cyno they have access too, so that was why I assumed it was a cobue.

 

[kjacks]

Mine is technically not a afra its classification both places i bought it was cynotilipia zebroid nhkata bay yellow blaze.... yea its a mouthful...lol but my friend Andrew has cobue so i know they are basically the same in temperment and coloration... mine instead of orange actually has yellow and is a darker blue almost black stripe with a lilac body when in full color then a light blueish purple when not fully colored

My female has sime yellow on her top its fins too its just not as much as.the males... i dont think your fih is any part rusty... not sure about zebra but im thinking it is a afra

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Mine is technically not a afra its classification both places i bought it was cynotilipia zebroid nhkata bay yellow blaze.... yea its a mouthful...lol but my friend Andrew has cobue so i know they are basically the same in temperment and coloration... mine instead of orange actually has yellow and is a darker blue almost black stripe with a lilac body when in full color then a light blueish purple when not fully colored

My female has sime yellow on her top its fins too its just not as much as.the males... i dont think your fih is any part rusty... not sure about zebra but im thinking it is a afra

Cynotilapia afra was honestly my first thought. I could be wrong but isn't it a pretty common thing for the males to have more egg spots than females on the anal fin? Big guy has 5-6 egg spots but its color is more female like according to the link I posted earlier in the thread. The bars on him definitely aren't black yet, more like a faint gray at best, and only one time I have seen his bars get more or a darker shade of a medium gray.

 

[kjacks]

Egg spots arent a way to tell since even the females get them some of my proven females have mire spots then the males ... time will tell i have a few i cant tell if they are sub dominate males or females so im waiting to see as i do not feel comfortable enough to vent them

 

[Andrew McFadden]

It does does look like a female coloration of a Cynotilapia Zebroides. I could be wrong so don't mark my words on it. I have no clue on what one it actually is at less it colors up.


Kristian
I believe the "Afra" name has been reclassified as zebroides. Most sites except Dave's fish is still got them listed as afra or other names. Mine is called several different things depending on what site your looking at.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

It does does look like a female coloration of a Cynotilapia Zebroides. I could be wrong so don't mark my words on it. I have no clue on what one it actually is at less it colors up.

Kristian
I believe the "Afra" name has been reclassified as zebroides. Most sites except Dave's fish is still got them listed as afra or other names. Mine is called several different things depending on what site your looking at.

Actually all the sites I've came across all still use afra, I know the site LFS orders from still does.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Actually all the sites I've came across all still use afra, I know the site LFS orders from still does.

Yea some are slow going threw the change. This topic was brought up on my local club and it was reclassified in the Malawi Cichlids in their natural
habitat, 4th ed. By Ad Konings

If you can afford his books it would be well worth it if your really interested. I just can't ever dig up enough cash to buy them.

 

[kjacks]

It does does look like a female coloration of a Cynotilapia Zebroides. I could be wrong so don't mark my words on it. I have no clue on what one it actually is at less it colors up.

Kristian
I believe the "Afra" name has been reclassified as zebroides. Most sites except Dave's fish is still got them listed as afra or other names. Mine is called several different things depending on what site your looking at.

Good to know... this is why i keep you around....