Electric Blue or melan johanni?

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gsk177

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Feb 12, 2003
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Ok, I hunted for weeks to find what kind of fish I had. It is shown here http://www.cichlidfish.com/cichlidprofiles/johanni.htm and called a Melanochromis johanni. I am absolutely in love with this fish because it is absolutely gorgeous. The one I have has three yellow spots on its lower anal fin.
I went to the LFS today and found a whole tank full of them. They had the common name listed as electric blue and the scientific name as Melanochromis johanni. When I search the net for these, I get a totally different looking fish.
The main question I have is sexing. The LFS told me the yellow spots indicated a male, so I specifically got a female in hopes of breeding. The "female" I hope I got, is about 1/2 the size of my "male" and "she" has no spots and is much less colorfull than the "male".
The above link, however, says the females are yellow.
Can anyone tell me for sure, which fish I have, what its name is, and how do you sex them?
Also, if, by chance, I now have a pair, does anyone have any suggestions for breeding?

Thanks
 
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The other electric blue to which you were referring to is probably S. ahli. Melanochromis johanni males turn blue as they mature while females will remain yellow their whole lives. Johannis are best kept with a ratio of 3 or more females to 1 male. That way no one female is singled out and harassed when the male gets into breeding mode.
 
Johanni and Electric Blue Johanni are two different species. The regular Johanni males and females are both yellow as juveniles when they become adults the male turns blue the female stays yellow. Electric blue johanni (melan) both the males and females are blue as juveniles and through adulthood.
 
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Yes, this is what I have. http://malawicichlids.com/mw09003i.htm

Monglor! How do you sex these? I have a large specimen with the 3 yellow dots, and a smaller one, a female I was told, that has no spots and is much lighter in color, almost pale.

What really through me off was that, when I brought this supposed female home, the supposed male began to shake rapidly almost like a bee doing a dance. I only saw him do this once, and Ive never seen him do this before.
Could it be I actually did get a female? Would he know that rapidly that the newly introduced fish was a female?
 
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The egg dots you described are called egg spots or dummy eggs that the male flashes the female after she lays her eggs and scoops them up in her mouth. When she tries to pick up the "dummy eggs or egg spots", thats when the male fertilizes them. Males often shake rapidly in front of females in a courtship display and I've witnessed mine do it to other males as a sign of dominance just before they chase them away from their territory. Males should be brighter in color than females. Females are slightly paler than the males of this species. The females usually have no egg spots but I've seen some with about one. Look how similar the males of the johanni and cyaneorhabdos look:

johanni

male04.jpg


cyaneorhabdos

mcyaneor.jpg
 
I just studied these pictures closely and I am beginning to think I have the Johanni. Mine has no stripes on its belly, just one along the top. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Anyone know where I can get a breeding pair of the Johanni's shipped to TN??
 
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