Yellow Lab question

[Bryan]

I bought 2 yellow labs a month ago. One had a black stripe that runs down it's top fin like the one in this picture

The other does not have that black stripe, did my LFS screw me (there were a few without the strip)?

 

[keane]

Hi Bryan,

you may be better served posting this question in the african cichlid section.

steve B)

 

[keane]

Hi Bryan,

you may be better served posting this question in the african cichlid section.

steve B)

That is where you posted!!!

Man am i still not woke up this morning or what!!!!!!!!

Sorry Bryan! )

Am sure someone will come along (in this, the African Cichlid section!!!) and help you out shortly.

steve

 

[freddyk]

There are natural strains of Lab. Caeruleus that have no stripe. There are also blue strains (caeruleus actually means blue) and white ones. Yellow with the stripe have become the staple of the hobby. Whether you got jipped... do you have a pic? If not, pay close attention to the body shape, Labidochromis have a distinct shape over other mbuna.

 

[Ferris]

I allways thought that no stripe or faint stripe meant it was a female or have i just made that up? Every time I've seen yellow labs there has allways been some with and some without.

 

[Bryan]

Hi Bryan,

you may be better served posting this question in the african cichlid section.

steve B)

That is where you posted!!!

Man am i still not woke up this morning or what!!!!!!!!

Sorry Bryan! )

Am sure someone will come along (in this, the African Cichlid section!!!) and help you out shortly.

steve

no, you were right, i posted this in the wrong section. It was moved.

 

[Bryan]

I allways thought that no stripe or faint stripe meant it was a female or have i just made that up? Every time I've seen yellow labs there has allways been some with and some without.

thats what i was thinking when i bought them. It's been a long time since I've had African cichlids, but I thought I remembered some others being that way, the males had a stripe in the top fin, or, the males would have more color or something like that.
My problem is that the one with the stripe keeps attacking the other one. Yesterday the one without a stripe fought back, they were doing a circle in the center of the tank.

 

[freddyk]

You cannot sex Labs by their colors. The top stripe will be equally vivid or faded on males and females, depending on the strain. While males tend to have darker pelvic and anal fins, this is by no means a rule - many females have dark under-fins, and many males don't.