Help ID this cichlid

[anythingscales]

I got it from this guy, he said they were peacock cichlids. I looked them up on google, but seem different. The price was cheap, so Im happy with them. Just wanna find out for sure.

 

[TCTFish]

Yes that is a peacock. They are African cichlids native to Lake Malawi.

 

[Zagz]

I agree it is a peacock, I can't tell for sure which one though, it appears to be a juvy or a small female.

 

[Hillbilly Jerry]

Looks very much like one of the German variants of Aulonocara sp.
Also looks to be male, as female peacocks are mostly grey in the body as well as the fins.
Without fish in hand, I can't give a 100% positive ID, but rest assured it is a Malawi Peacock. Maybe if you could get a clear close up of the Tail, anal fin and pectoral fins I could narrow down the variant a bit.

 

[anythingscales]

Took some more pictures. The Geophagus really like attention from the camera. Peacocks are still kind of hiding.

 

[mr funktastic]

you appear to have the same peacock as i do. mine is a bit smaller and doesnt have as much colour yet. i am led to believe that it is called a hongi or that is what lake it is from. it will be an electric yellow and blue colour once fully matured. i will put a pic of mine so people can compare. mine is just starting to get the yellow in his fins. i couldnt get a close up but he is top dead centre. u can see the yellow in his bottom fins. the female is right on the bottom under the yellow lab.
also here is a link to what i think it will look like once matured. http://www.hyggefisken.dk/images/aul st hongi isl.jpg

 

[Hillbilly Jerry]

Could be hongi. Could be Lemonjake. (for both of you fellows). But chances are, unless the fish was bought as a specific morph, it's a line-bred A. stuartgranti that didn't meet the cut to be called a German Red. Not a darn thing wrong with them, IMO some of the "culls" are better looking than the reds. I say this because that's what 90%+ of the Peacocks found in tanks marked African Cichlids or Mixed Africans are. The breeders know that while these fish may not be the big money reds, they are still very pretty and saleable fish and pass them on to wholesalers.

The care requirements are the same as for any other peacock, so I suggest you enjoy them for what they are - a beautiful, intelligent fish who is not dead set to kill everything else in the tank. A jewel among Africans if you will

 

[anythingscales]

 

[anythingscales]

 

[Hillbilly Jerry]

Aulonocara sp. "Stuartgranti Maleri" (Chipoka) aka "Sunshine Peacock"
Based on the pic at MonsterFishKeepers. The tail markings (blue on yellow) rule out my initial guess, and point me towards the Chipoka. When it fully colors up, they're beautiful.

Very peaceful (as far as Africans go anyway), typical Malawi water specs, Needs animal protein unlike Malawi Mbuna so careful with the diet if your tank is mixed. The males don't color up until about 2 years of age, and your's is starting to color. If you have more than one male, expect one to become far more colorful than the other. If at all possible, look for 2 or 3 females for him. That will give him a bit more courage to fend off any other more aggressive tankmates.

Great find and great fish!

 

[anythingscales]

Thank you for that great information. Yes one of them (sunshine) has alot more color and seems more aggressive of the two. Im going to look for some females as soon as I can, I hear females are duller in color?

 

[mr funktastic]

the female will be the dull grey colout that he is mostly now.they stay that way as where the males will compltly change. it is very unfortunate that thye are not both colourful. the colour that mine were in the pic is the colour the female will always be.

 

[anythingscales]

So the color phase is just starting right now? When its in a net under a light, there are yellow or gold color that glitter in the light. I thought that was cool, until I saw a picture of an adult once I got home and searched it up. Does anyone know what MINE will look like in the future?

 

[mr funktastic]

i believe something like this. but that is just a guess.
http://home.comcast.net/~koolkat007/cjakem312.jpg

 

[anythingscales]

I think thats the wrong fish, I see those at the local fish stores all the time. The one I have is way bigger, and none of the chrome looking shine.

 

[Hillbilly Jerry]

If both of your fish show pattern in the tail, and have a whitish/bluish edge to their dorsal fin, they are male. One is drab colored in an attempt to mimic a female so he doesn't get picked on as much. The females are very plain, a sandy body color with dark brown bars. Only the pectorals and gill covers will have any hint of color on a female. Just feed them a balanced cichlid pellet of some sort, along with krill for the occasional treat and your dominant male will show himself.

A google search for Sunshine Peacock should turn up lots of photos. You'll see that there is plenty of variation in color even in the same subspecies of peacocks. A prize specimen will have bright electric blues, especially the strip along the top of the dorsal, and lots of red/orange mixed into the tail and body. There are no ugly ones IMO, and I actually prefer the powder blue/bright yellow ones.