#Full red zebra cichlid full#

Common names are derived from their color patterns and popular varieties include the Cherry Red Zebra and the more recently developed Super Red Zebra. Females can be yellow, orange, or orange with dark mottling. Males of a 'red-red' strain can be a orange/red coloring with no vertical bars, and there is also an albino strain. These include males of a 'red-blue' strain that are a light blue with faint vertical barring. There are many captive strains available. This resulted in orange males and a variety of other unusual color patterns. Most captive bred specimens available in the hobby were originally line bred for specific color traits in Florida fish farms. But today it has regained its status as one of the 'most popular' African Cichlids. When first introduced to the hobby this was a very popular Mbuna, and then it fell out of favor a bit.

Now however, the Red Zebra is considered valid as Maylandia estherae and is also called Esther Grant's Zebra. All the Zebra-type cichlids were moved to their own genera and both Maylandia estherae and Metriaclima estherae were recognized for this cichlid. Recent revisions in the Pseudotropheus genus caused a new surge of identity crisis. Finally it was described as its own species, Pseudotropheus estherae, by Konings in 1995. It was known as the Orange Blue Mouth Breeder and described as Pseudotropheus spec. It was originally considered to be a variety of the Zebra Cichlid Pseudotropheus zebra. This cichlid has a history of ups and downs in both identity and popularity. This name aptly describes the environment these fish live in as opposed to being open water swimmers like the Utaka cichlids and other 'haps'. The name Mbuna comes from the Tonga people of Malawi and means 'rockfish' or 'rock-dwelling'.

#Full red zebra cichlid full#

There are 13 genera full of very active and aggressive personalities of Mbuna cichlids.

This is a zebra-type cichlid that belongs to a group called Mbunas. These are also one of only a handful of Mbuna species that produce blotched color mutations. In the wild adult males are light blue, while females can range between a brownish beige to an orange-red and lack the broad vertical barring. The coloring of both the male and the female is very appealing, almost looking like two separate species. The Red Zebra Maylandia estherae (previously Pseudotropheus estherae) is a very beautiful and desirable cichlid.