Fish Id Please

These were sold to me as Guianacara Geayi, But a mate of mine seen them today and said they look more like Guianacara sphenozona. Could someone please give me a positive ID.

All The Best
Eds

Its a juvi fish, so you can never really tell. My instinct when i saw them was Cupid cichlid, because the markings are identical to those one mine, however. It also looks alot like both those fish you mentioned. Wheres Wills when you need him, he'll be able to tell you more for sure, along with other members.

It definately has that flatish face of the sphenozona though.

Well I can narrow it down a bit. These are definitely not biotodoma species. With that head, looks like a guianacara but that is as far as I'm willing to go. Beautiful little guys.

I would also go with what you friend says....stunning find mate, what ever they are you lucky,,

Yeah I agree G.Sphena, full eye line, black at front of dorsal fin and the body line starts to fade below the lateral line

Great looking fish! But can turn nasty sometimes, but usually when there is more than one they are quite chilled

Wills

Thanks folks, Much appreciated

All The Best
Eds

I would have to disagree and say they are Guianacara geayi. We have had them many a time in our store and they are much easier to come across than Guianacara sphenozona. In fact, out of all of the lists of fish that we can import from various locations around the world, i have never come across Guianacara sphenozona. But have Guianacara geayi, Bandit cichlids and they look excatly like the ones in our store we have at the moment.
Look at images of both species and compare them to yours

I'd say they look more like Guianacara sphenozona having compared images of the two. Ofcourse, that is from my untrained eye having had no experience with these fish.

char la said:

I would have to disagree and say they are Guianacara geayi. We have had them many a time in our store and they are much easier to come across than Guianacara sphenozona. In fact, out of all of the lists of fish that we can import from various locations around the world, i have never come across Guianacara sphenozona. But have Guianacara geayi, Bandit cichlids and they look excatly like the ones in our store we have at the moment.
Look at images of both species and compare them to yours

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Hi the ones you get in the store are really unlikley to be true Geayi - its like Geophagus Surinimensis all of the common Geos are called that even though they are actually Geophagus Altifrons or Altifrons/Areos hybrids or Dizcroster (spelling) is becoming a little common under the Surinimensis name. But the fact is that anyone fishing for Surinimensis will be shot as it is very dangerous. Similar story with Guianacara - though it is actually a much lazier reason - the fishermen simply changed river for catching the supply fish. Guianacaras are split very narrowly mainly on a cosmetic basis via their markings - eg some have full eye stripes some have half and others have a dot on the cheek. The eye spot on the lateral line also dictates species as well.

The story is the same for Severums as well the ones in 99% of the shops are Heros Efasticious and grow much larger than the originally imported (a long long time ago) Heros Severus but again the shops and even some importers were never told so are still selling Heros Efasticous under the scientific name of Heros Severus. Heros Severus the true one is more of a tan brown colour with rows of red spots and black freckles on the gills and sometimes nose where as H.Efasticous are much more green with with one more lateral stress line and get red and or blue markings on the gills and/or nose. And lastly Heros Severus max out at about 8 inches for a big male where as the Efasticous (common sevs) are closer to a foot long.

Wills

Personally would still have to say geayi just from the length of the central spot. If you got the from a MA, EdsInWales, im 99% sure theyll be geayi

I am aware of the surinimansis/altifrons confusion. As i have seen it many times. But comparing the images of the two species, the central spot isnt elongated enough, in my eyes, to say it is Guianacara sphenozona, including the species that we import to our store.

Kk, I see your from Wigan on your profile Dont suppose your store is Pier by any chance

Wills said:

Kk, I see your from Wigan on your profile Dont suppose your store is Pier by any chance

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Please dont insult me by assuming i work in that hell hole. No, at my store we actually care about our fish and customers and are more interested in the welfare of the fish being bought than the profits we are making. If you knew just half of the things i know about that place, you'd see why im so insulted

wow sorry I had no idea which shop are you at? If your able to say, I travel over to the "Manchester" area for fish quite often so always happy to pick up a new store (unless I have already been to you )

Wills

Wills said:

wow sorry I had no idea which shop are you at? If your able to say, I travel over to the "Manchester" area for fish quite often so always happy to pick up a new store (unless I have already been to you )

Wills

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I shall msg you