Some 'zebra' pics

[kaybee]

Here are pics of mbuna's belonging to the 'zebra-complex' group:

Red zebra (Metriaclima estherae)
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Cobalt Blue Zebra (Metriaclima callainos)
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Black-barred Zebra (Metriaclima sp. zebra 'Chilumba' Luwino Reef)
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]


Finally, here's a pic of a 'wild-type' Red Zebra (extremely rare in my area). Not my fish but I took the photo. I really wanted to acquire this fish but wasn't keen on the idea of adding a 5" male zebra into a tank containing other full grown male zebras (which had grown up together).

In Lake Malawi, the majority of 'red' zebra males resemble this one below rather than the orange male at the top of the post:

Red Zebra, Minos Reef (Metriaclima estherae)
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[ladyoutlaw50]

Very nice pictures!! I have a couple of Zebras and just love them!!

[donvichu]

wow they look cool and those are wicked pictures thumbs2: thumbs2:

[Lady Hobbs]

Just gorgeous fish.

[troy]

Nice pictures.:thumb:

[young_cichlid]

ha, bought two zebras and they were eaten

[Pranger]

Great pics!!! Fantastic colours!!!

You should be proud

Pranger

[angelcakes]

nice fishthumbs2:

[Dixie]

Very pretty fish and pics. I have some of the red zebras (M. estherea), some M.callainos, and I just got some zebra obliquidens (Astatotilapia latifasciata) not really sure that it's in the zebra complex or if it's just a nicname.

You have to be careful of the estherea and callainos crossbreeding. If you keep them together you shouldn't distribute any fry from them. Just a note, I thought I'd drop in lol.

[kaybee]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Dixie, I've found the best way to prevent crossbreeding among mbuna's belonging to the same genus is to have ideal gender ratio's in place (I male per several females). Interaction between my zebra's, and particularly between opposite genders of different species, has been non-existent in the 3yrs they've been together(except for occasions when one of the dominants decides to chase off any mbuna within 2ft of it). I've only got one cobalt blue zebra, though (a female), and any fry she'd produce would be hybrids by default.

I'm currently out of the 'breeding business' (rearing my last groups of juvies right now), so any fry (hybrid or otherwise) would have to pass the 'survival of the fittest' test in the main tank and even then wouldn't leave the confines of my tank (with regards to mbuna's I'm perhaps as anti-hybrid as they come).

[sandy_n]

Beautiful fish!