22 replies to this topic

[caillin]

Hi there all, Im New here and just returning back into having an aquarium.

Now i have a few of these Fish, But i dont have any idea what they actually are, any help will be much appreciated

[The_Bull]

Protomelas taeniolatus. Red Empress.

[Bowdy]

It could be anything going on that pic. Need them to colour up before you can tell

[Scales]

Most likely female taniolatous on colour food. The variant of which can be anyone's guess

[Bowdy]

^^^^ No

[caillin]

Pretty sure he must be a Male as i have two others who are only slightly smaller but have no pigment in their scales what so ever? only the same Markings on the fin with the White to red tips

[werdna]

Finnage is close for almost all haps!

I'm calling Red Empress too

[Pat]

I agree with Monster red devil. I have a female red empress that looks very like this minus the fin colour and the males do get that red/white edge to their dorsal just like Strigatus. It's snout is a bit long but there is so much variation in captive bred malawis.....

[Buccal]

Red empress isn't even close, they don't even look similar.
I'm very certain it's a lethrinops lethrinus male and is about to present his full color any day.
If there is any females he will put on a excellent performance and color display.
A beautiful bright green fish.

[caillin]

Just used my good friend Google to look up lethrinops lethrinus,

Thats exactly the colour he is showing so far and seems to be brightening up more and more, Theres 2 females aswell in the tank with him cant wait to see him in his full beauty

Thanks for all the help everyone =D

Edited by caillin, 10 October 2012 - 08:31 PM.

[Buccal]

They breed at very small sizes, so you will have females holding any day now.

[Stacey89]

lethrinops lethrinus :-)

[Pat]

Why'd you let us make fools of ourselves Buccal?

Yes that looks pretty close hey... Don't know about Red Empress females and them looking NOTHING alike, assuming the fish I have IS a Red Empress female. Therefore I have fired up the lights on my tank in order to get a photo of mine..... Can you confirm it is a Red Empress Female???? It was sold to me as such from a former sponsor now closed.

Had to catch her....

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[Buccal]

Why'd you let us make fools of ourselves Buccal?

Yes that looks pretty close hey... Don't know about Red Empress females and them looking NOTHING alike, assuming the fish I have IS a Red Empress female. Therefore I have fired up the lights on my tank in order to get a photo of mine..... Can you confirm it is a Red Empress Female???? It was sold to me as such from a former sponsor now closed.

Had to catch her....

Hah hah, I just got on the forum when I saw this.
Both these pics are of small fish. When small they can all have a similar nose body shape. Juveniles and females of a wide variety have these survival camouflage appearance. I guess what seems obvious in a second to me probably would leave most fish keeper scratching their heads and frantically googling and still incorrectly label it, lol.
Yours Definetely a red emp female. The lethrinops pic has a entire green shade over whole body.
A red emp has a more aqua green color, but only to the head with blue following the body. With a orange or red flank spilling into dots of red onto the tail fin.
As in your pic there are darker patches that spread just under the dorsal. In lethrinus they are more refined into more cleaner small dots.
The red emp has darkening shades that bleeds downwards of th lateral line almost forming faint bands when stressed. Lethrinus does not get this at all.
A similar thing occurs on the Taiwan reef, another similar look, but the darkening shades form the letter H in shape over the lateral line.
Your female shows a faint line between the jaw to the eye. This is not seen in lethrinus.
The markings on the pics of the lethrinus fins (dorsal, tail and anal) is very clearly lethrinus, the stand out white dots to anal fin and dots to tail are yellowy, not red.
The two male types compared are completely different.
A female lethrinops has a very clear light silver body with a very thin pin stripe lateral line.
Red emp lateral lines tend to be thicker.
I have researched Malawi fish extensively in a obsessive manner. A.D Konnings
There is many many fish that look similar in one way or another when females and juveniles are compared.
It s only when you work extensively breeding them the differences become more apparent in appearance.

The older the fish become the more obvious the specie becomes.
I am a breeder of 160 species plus of Malawi and tang, mainly Malawi.
I ONLY sell to shops, and not privately due to business ethics, and value conservation.
I consider my experience as at a high level.

I know this is a long one, but you asked, and I'm not a black and white minded person LOL.

[Pat]

Appreciate the time and effort. I'm keeping out of Fish ID threads!!!

[caillin]

Thanks for that Buccal!!!

Did read through it all very appreciative you took the time to write that up for us to read.

Its a bastard to try get photos of the Female she doesnt stop moving!!!

Closest i could get in focus was when she was right next to the Spilonotus Tanzania

[sajica]

Hi there all, Im New here and just returning back into having an aquarium.

Now i have a few of these Fish, But i dont have any idea what they actually are, any help will be much appreciated

I was thinking it was a Protomelas similis, but I could be wrong. I don't mind if I'm wrong, just adding a bit more mud to the water

Edited by saj, 11 October 2012 - 07:37 AM.

[Peckoltia]

Saj - To be honest, I was thinking the same thing. I haven't seen Similis in years. Be great if someone had some again.