bumble bee change colors?

[giggalz]

So I bought my bee over a week ago I got him cause he was the darkest...he lightened but every once in a while he goes very dark...is he doing this cause he is stressed or is he just giving me a hard time?...he doesn't look or act stressed either...

 

[spoonman]

I had a bumblebee that went from solid black at times to black with bright yellow stripes. They just change with mood.

 

[giggalz]

I had a bumblebee that went from solid black at times to black with bright yellow stripes. They just change with mood.

thank you for replying..i use to have cichlids a few years back and dont remember any of them including my bumble bee change colors...so i thought i'd throw that out here...lol

 

[Arborist131]

Some people actually refer to bumblebee cichlids as chameleon cichlids because of their quick color changes. In the wind the bumble bee cichlid will live in harmony with a large catfish (can't remember exact name). The bumblebee will eat ticks and lice off the catfish and in turn any fish looking bright like a bumblebee is safe from being a catfish meal. Once the catfish breeds and lays eggs the bumblebee will turn black and dart past the catfish to steal some eggs. Once full it darts back out of the catfish hole and returns to the safe bumble bee colors.

I actually noticed last night that after lights out my bumblebee will turn a charcoal color and once I keep the flashlight on him he turns back to bumblebee pattern.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Your bumblebee that didn't change or as noticible could have been a female, only the males get the darker coloring while females always retain the bumblebee look.

Read up on them, pseudotropheus crabro I think.

 

[giggalz]

Some people actually refer to bumblebee cichlids as chameleon cichlids because of their quick color changes. In the wind the bumble bee cichlid will live in harmony with a large catfish (can't remember exact name). The bumblebee will eat ticks and lice off the catfish and in turn any fish looking bright like a bumblebee is safe from being a catfish meal. Once the catfish breeds and lays eggs the bumblebee will turn black and dart past the catfish to steal some eggs. Once full it darts back out of the catfish hole and returns to the safe bumble bee colors.

I actually noticed last night that after lights out my bumblebee will turn a charcoal color and once I keep the flashlight on him he turns back to bumblebee pattern.

wow very cool

 

[giggalz]

Your bumblebee that didn't change or as noticible could have been a female, only the males get the darker coloring while females always retain the bumblebee look.

Read up on them, pseudotropheus crabro I think.

only reason why i asked is cause someone told me it was stressed...but it really doesnt look or act it...i prefer directly asking here..everyones filled with so much knowledge..i can easily get mixed info from googling..

 

[Marylizbella]

Hi.

So I bought my bee over a week ago I got him cause he was the darkest...he lightened but every once in a while he goes very dark...is he doing this cause he is stressed or is he just giving me a hard time?...he doesn't look or act stressed either...

The reason the change colors is because of where they live in the wild. They live in caves with cave dwelling catfish. They like to eat the catfishes parasites and also their eggs. So when the catfish are spawning they turn black so the catfish don’t know they are there. They tricky little buggers.