What Kind of Cichlid is This?

[Austin.brehun]

Hello,

Recently, about a month ago, we discovered a new random small cichlid in my tank out of no where. we have no clue where it came from or how it got in my tank but its been growing up and living in the tank.

Its a 60 gallon tank that includes A Large Jack Dempsey, a Parrot cichlid, a few female convicts, a few peacocks, and a red jewel.

I know there is "no chance" of cross breeding and hybrids supposedly dont happen but the only think I could think of is maybe the Jack and the Red Jewel. The baby looks like a mix.

Here are pics, please let me know what you think


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[mikem691]

That's a north American blue gill Not a cichlid. I believe its called a long ear.

 

[Austin.brehun]

That's a north American blue gill Not a cichlid. I believe its called a long ear.

How could that have gotten in my tank though?


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[TMRC Exotics]

Equally curious, why are Peacocks with central American cichlids?

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[Austin.brehun]

Equally curious, why are Peacocks with central American cichlids?

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Been in same tank for along time and never fought. Share tank equally probably because its huge. might be 80 gallon tbh


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[mikem691]

How could that have gotten in my tank though?


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Good question. Its defiantly a blue gill of some kind. Some one sneak it into your tank.

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Size doesn't matter, these fish have no place together. None. Africans with americans is taboo. Diet wise, water parameters wise, aggression wise, they're completely incompatible.

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[Tbox]

Your friends f'ing with you?
I've caught a few in my time. Thats a tough little fish!

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[Austin.brehun]

Good question. Its defiantly a blue gill of some kind. Some one sneak it into your tank.

The only people who touch the tank are my dad and his gf and Me. No one else goes near the tank or cares m. Really have no clue at all how it couldve gotten in there.


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[Rivers2k]

You ever feed live food? I have seen these in the feeder fish tank at the LFS more than once. They are tough little guys could have stayed in hiding while growing out.

And yes it is a blue gill.

 

[Andy Sager]

I can't get a great color pic on my puter screen but it looks like a "Green Sunfish" to me. You can verify at this site( about 1/2 way down the page are 3 pics to choose from.) : Extreme Philly Fishing: Be a "Sunfish Expert:" A Simple Guide for Identifying your Small Catches


Another possibility is a "Warmouth." It's another type that resembles both bass and sunfish. The "ear spot" is an indicator of a warmouth but blue spots would lean more towards the sunfish.

Hope this helps.

As for how it got there, somebody had to put it there. Either as a food fish or as a gag but it didn't just "happen". If you added any live plants, there could have been an egg on them and that's how it got there.