Msobo color shift

[kaybee]

One of my sub-adult Metriaclima sp. msobo's, a male, is currently in the midst of its color transition. It will go from being a yellow-orange fish to a become a black and blue fish.

The msobo with the darker pigmented head and black fin markings is the transitioning male:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/msobogroupjan10.jpg

In mid-transition it appears sort of hybrid-ish, resembling neither the juvenile nor matured version of the species:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/malemsobojan10a.jpg

There is actually a second sub-adult msobo male in the same tank, seen here at the bottom-left, adjacent to the first male:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/2subadultmsobomalesjan19.jpg

The manifestation of faint lavender facial pigmentation and the development of light blue fin markings are usually the signs that the msobo is male and has started the transformation. Both males should complete the transition by Jan 2011.

A similar thread, posted in 2008, documented the color shift of one of my older male's (which sired most of the msobo's I have):
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=24746

[Lab_Rat]

Very cool, I loved it when my kenyi would switch (though it was opposite).

[Crispy]

Very cool kaybee! Thanks for sharing. :ssmile:

[Northernguy]

Thats a great looking fish! I love the way change their colors change.From one extreme to another!
That would be a nice to watch!thumbs2:

[rangur1]

very nice, my msobo just started his color morphing and is almost completely black. he has those 2 lateral blue stripes across his forehead just like yours does. very cool.

[rich311k]

That is very cool. Never having owned African lake cichlids it is fascinating to see the change through your pictures.

[Scrup]

looks incredible. How large are they at this point? I was lucky enough to see my auratus morph, but still don't know if it was a color morph or a sex morph.

[kaybee]

looks incredible. How large are they at this point?

The one undergoing the change is about 3", he's the largest one. I guess the others are about 2.25"-2.5".

[Scrup]

awesome, thanks. again, great pics!

[kathymac]

Wow! those guys are beauties.

[kaybee]

Update on my msobo's color shift. Less yellow/more blue since the Jan 2010 photo's:

March 2010
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/msobomar10.jpg

[kaybee]

The color transition continues.

This sub-adult msobo has now lost all of the yellow pigmentation...and the lavender coloration has nearly disappeared as well (the last hold out of that color appears toward his tail section).

Here's how he appears today (8 weeks since the last posted photo):

26Apr2010
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/msobo26apr10.jpg

[kaybee]

Final transition photo

July 2010
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/msobojul10.jpg

He's completed the color transition (earlier than I anticipated).

What he looked like 6 months ago:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/African%20Cichlids%202009/African%20Cichids%202010/malemsobojan10a.jpg

[troy]

That's incredible.

[cichlids209]

beautiful fish Kaybee !

[Aquatic Dreams]

Very nice fish, There isnt a lot in Perth, we are trying to change that.
Beautiful species and not overly agro. Makes for a nice display

[hari-goshi]

Very impressive fish Kaybee. I like that you documented different stages of the color changethumbs2: .

[Donatron]

Stumbled across this thread on a google search. Thanks for submitting. I have a colony of Msobo and the dominant make has been morphing for about 2 months now. I can't wait till he's completed the transition, but didn't realise it took so long!!

Anyways, great to have a read through this thread and check the pictures.

Thanks again
Don

[kaybee]

Thanks. How many do msobo's do you have in your colony?

[Donatron]

I started with a dozen but I'm down to 8 after 4 jumped. At least 3-4 are male, maybe more.

The dominant male has been morphing for a couple of months now and I've started noticing a couple of others this week who are looking like they are starting. Their body colour seems a little "dirtier" than the others and they are getting a faint hint of black in their pelvic fins. From memory that's how it started with my dominant male.

Little Blakey, the dominant male, has gone very dark this week. His blue is still the lilac sort of colour but his overall body colouration has gotten much darker and his face is pretty much completely black now, as is his dorsal fin.

It's great to watch. I've been wanting Msobo for some time now so really enjoying having them. If they end up with the colouration yours have I'll be one happy man :fish: