Cichlid Suprise!

I came home to a suprise today!

My Female Metriaclima estherae had been looking like she might be holding for some time now but I was really not sure. During the past week she became very reclusive and was hiding in your self made cave at the bottom of the tank only popping her head out once and awhile. I noticed her enlarged mouth and thought she might be holding... WELL today I got my answer! While feeding the fish today I noticed something very small swimming around the bottom of the tank near the mothers cave... you guessed it fry! I can only count maybe 10 of them total but they are swimming around rather happily now. I guess that she must have been holding for a few weeks now I suppose with all the other stuff going on I just didn't take notice!

Now the question was who was the father... I believe I have my answer but figured that some of you could tell me for sure. From what I know the male Metriaclima estherae (red zebra) are often blue with vertical strips and egg spots, the female is orange in color.

So here are a few pictures to enjoy!

Congrats on the fry! However, I believe the male red zebra is the same color as the female. They might have a brighter orange/red color and slight blue tint along the edge of it's fins, but other than that, they look the same. Anyone else?

Not from what I have read but there are different variations depending on the location the fish is from. The common Minos reef variant seems to be blue males with orange females with a few O variant males in there.

From what I can see it "could" be a Metriaclima callainos but my suspect has barring(hard to see in my pictures they are faint) and is not as brightly colored.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=791 Metriaclima estherae

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=787 Metriaclima callainos

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1729 Metriaclima estherae "O"

Ah yes, you are correct. It's been so long since we have had them, I suppose I forgot. :) Hopefully your zebra's found each other! Have fun watching those fry, hopefully a few survive! Do you have any other zebra's in there?

I was wondering if it might have been one of the albinos in there but they never seem to pay much attention to the female...

Never did get a good ID on these first two guys guys. These are all rescues... from other people getting rid of fish otherwise I would have bought from a well known breeder...










and one Pseudotropheus crabro


That's all that is in the tank right now... sticking with a Lake Malawi tank.