# Breeding Coloration - Pelvichachromis taeniatus 'Moliwe'



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I was finally able to get a photo of these guys that does them a bit of justice. When they're displaying to each other, they're nothing short of electric:










Hope you like them. This particular pair has raised one group of fry to about 1 week of maturity in a very busy community tank. Sadly none of that group made it. It's just as well, since there are already a dozen 3/4" juveniles from another pair's first spawning and more on the way.

Pay no attention to the algae.


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## rmg (Dec 5, 2008)

Veeeeeeeeery nice!
Keep showing thatt Pelvichachromis


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

BTW,

Does anyone have a sure-fire way for sexing juveniles? The adults are easy, but the little ones are pretty similar in appearance.

There just getting large enough to tell the difference. Still, I'd like to be sure.


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

I am having the same hard time sexing some Nigerian reds. I have to wait until males get red or females develop their purple bellies.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

They surely are beautiful! Makes me want some!!!


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## cottus (Aug 25, 2008)

NIce shot! Beautiful fish!



BryceM said:


> BTW,
> 
> Does anyone have a sure-fire way for sexing juveniles? The adults are easy, but the little ones are pretty similar in appearance.
> 
> There just getting large enough to tell the difference. Still, I'd like to be sure.


 The surefire way to sex just about any _Pelvicachromis_ species as juveniles is to examine the pelvic (ventral) fins. The second and third rays of the fins will be longer than the rest on a male giving them an overall pointed look. The same rays will be shorter than those that follow them on a female giving the fins an overall rounded look. This works as a key for sex differentiation long before there is any difference in color. If I am not mistaken, this is where the name _*Pelvica*chromis_ comes from.

HTH

-Dan


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Geeze!!!! Very nice Bryce....these guys hail from Africa, right? Where did you get the orginal pair from?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> They surely are beautiful! Makes me want some!!!


Um, me too!


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I got three pair from TwoFishGuyz.com, although I don't see any Pelvicachromis on their site at the moment. They told me that they were wild-caught, which might or might not be true. They aren't the hardest-to-breed species in the world, making it more likely that they were tank-raised.

If y'all want some, just drop me a PM.  I haven't shipped fish before, but there's always a good time to start. I currently have a dozen juveniles and another dozen that'll be big enough to sell in a month or so.


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