What species is my albino?

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NyteGTI

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Messages
549
Location
Central NJ
I got him at my LFS but the tank was only labeled "assorted malawi cichlids"

any body know what he/she is & if it's a male because of the eggspot on the tail or not?

6464082547_39f31dcec9_b.jpg
 
looks like an albino red zebra, but thats an assumption form the body and mouth.

congrats on the holding fish in the bg! x
 
thanks she just started showing last night, I started a thread trying to figure out what to do :)
 
I'm leaning towards albino pseudotropheus socolofi (usually sold as snowflake socolofi's).
 
Head structure, body form and mouth design are significantly different between zebra's and socolofi's.

P. socolofi have have less robust builds than zebra's as well as smaller mouths and a more elongated body, proportionately smaller mouths.

Zebra's are somewhat stockier and 'deeper' fish (distance from bottom of belly to top of back), with broader mouths and defined lips better adapted for algae-grazing.

Disregarding the color (it's not a factor in this case) and going by strictly by body form, head shape and mouth design, there's no mistaking the two:

P.socolofi (compare head shape, body form and mouth design with NyteGTI's fish)
img_1685105_0_19aa59fa637e61b27eac0e6a8572f30e.jpg


P.socolofi (compare head shape, body form and mouth design with NyteGTI's fish; note torpedo-shaped bodies and smaller mouth )
img_1685105_1_e0a42569615653803566950c3a10c69f.jpg


Three different zebra species (compare head shape, body and mouth with NyteGTI's fish)

M. estherae
img_1685105_2_d6a7f1d553f8ee135daa83aa5f748fac.jpg



M. callainos
img_1685105_3_ce3f6dacbe9a20a89f2a9a785ca649e8.jpg


M. zebra

img_1685105_4_c001963901c33ac01880779415b4c7f9.jpg


Could albino-versions of these zebra's be mistaken for socolofi's?
 
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