NOT hybrid Peacock picture!!!

[finaddict]

Wowsers that's a great shot...the red color is amazing..

Good luck for the future offsprings.....

[Vallisneria]

Albert- Is that an acurate representation of the red on this fish? Is he actually that red in person? If he is you have a great red peacock there :drool:

[albert_dao]

It's pretty damn close. Flash does a bit of weird things to the opacity of the color, but not much to the actual color itself.

Actually, this color is not so unusual on well-bred red peacocks from what I've seen.

[Vallisneria]

Actually, this color is not so unusual on well-bred red peacocks from what I've seen

Unfortunately all the ones i've seen around locally have been more of an orange. Still nice looking fish but definately not "red".

[RD.]

Val - the color of this species (as well as any red fish) can be largely influenced by it's diet. I've seen orange "rubescens” turn 'ruby red' by doing nothing more than adding massive amounts of color enhancers, such as naturose astaxanthin to their diet. With this species sometimes the lack of color is diet related, sometimes it's simply poor genetics.

Great looking specimen Albert .......

While it's possible that this species may have been derived from a few different geographical variants of A. stuartgranti, one would think that IF this species was created from crossing geographical variants, which were then line bred, that there would be a lot more documention out there than a couple of articles posted on the internet by Marc & Keegan. (neither of which I personally consider an authority on Lake Malawi species)

Either way, they're a man made fish and are not natural to Lake Malawi.

Here's another interesting read from Keegan Armke;

http://www.ohiexchange.com/armke/ Go to articles, and then .........

"Hybridization and Line Breeding of African Cichlids by Ken Armke and Keegan Armke Let's get the facts straight about these controversial issues."

Time to update his articles methinks.

Labidochromis caeruleus Lion's Cove “Yellow”—M.....(This fish is found naturally in Lake Malawi, but because of the restricted area where the fish occurs, adult wild-caught specimens are relatively nonexistent in the hobby. There is a report of young specimens being produced from wild-caught stock in Africa, however.)

Lion's Cove has never been a 'restricted area', and this had nothing to do with why so few of this species left Malawi back in the mid 80's, and 90's. More info here: http://www.cichlidae.info/article.php?id=188

By the way, to the best of our knowledge, all albino forms of African cichlid species in quantity are the result of line breeding

With regards to albino strains, IMO it's the exact opposite, and this has been confirmed from the owner of the largest African cichlid breeding operation in North America. Someone who has created many albino African strains, some of which took 10+ years to develop. Of course they are line bred, once the albino gene is introduced via a hybrid cross.

I'm not saying that A. rubescens is a hybrid (so don't throw a fit Albert) but other than a couple of online 'opinions', I've yet to see or read anything that would prove otherwise.

[albert_dao]

You're right, it all is a matter of opinion, it's just frustrating to have such a nice fish downplayed like that.

[RD.]

I say to each their own, and I certainly wouldn't downplay a specimen like that.

Same goes with some of the albinos on the market. I don't personally have a desire to own any, yet I saw a pic of an albino Taiwan Reef recently that was simply stunning. It too was purchased at Gold Aquariums.

[Nyasa]

Great looking fish. :thumbs:

Very informative article on L. caeruleus by Ad Konings. Thanks Neil.

Edited September 23, 2005 by Nyasa

[sammyswife]

What a looker!! I have to agree with Val that in Edmonton the ruby's are all orange. I will be looking to take one of the offspring home if they look anything like the daddy. Sammy might wear the pants in this family....but, I tell him which ones to put on :P

[dunl]

I'll agree with Albert, and Neil.

First, I don't think they are a hybrid. It's not impossible to get coloring like this from cichlids. But that's thinking, not knowing for sure. It's impossible to know if any fish isn't a hyrbid with 100% certainty, without actually pulling it out of the lake.

Secondly, most of the fish you see around are a orange colour simply because the diet they have lacks the necessary ingredients that would promote the red colouring. Take my female red zebra I used to have. Neil considered her coloring to be as good as most pictures of wild caught zebras, simply because she was fed with a great diet.

Regardless, Albert - that's one fine specimen you have there. I've always loved the look of these guys. It's just too bad that the females aren't similarily colored.

[tc51]

Regardless, Albert - that's one fine specimen you have there. I've always loved the look of these guys. It's just too bad that the females aren't similarily colored.

I totally agree what an amazing looking fish Regardless of the background.

very nice picture Albert was it one of those you stood for hours or were you lucky enough to snap it right away.

[Vallisneria]

Secondly, most of the fish you see around are a orange colour simply because the diet they have lacks the necessary ingredients that would promote the red colouring.

I had a "orange" red peacock and was feeding NLS at the time. His color never improved much. So dont'think if you buy one of these orange ones that it might be as easy as feeding good foods to get good color.

Unfortunately we aren't all lucky enough to have beautiful peacocks availiable like Albert's

[finaddict]

OK people I have to say I saw this Fish tonight and he is REALLy that red..

No photo enhancements .... Awesome red

very pretty fishy!!!!

Edited September 24, 2005 by finaddict

[freshmike]

Not hybrid how?

[dunl]

Why would it be? Did you read the articles?

They're not like the yellow x yellow labs that pop up with no history except that they've been "linebred", but no one knows where, how, who, etc.....