Purchased as Red Empress

What do you think?

When they were small.


Starting to grow






Now








Female. Fortunately, I haven't kept any fry.


Now

Looks like juvie Protomelas taeniolatus to me. Seen those H on empress that is not fully colored before. You can see a little of it on this pic.


http://www.ciklider.se/malawi/protomelas_taeniolatus.shtml

This is what my 1.75" juvies look like .

Betty
Never seen a H pattern on a red emp.
That is normal on T-Reefs.

This could very possibly be a cross between a T-Reed and Red Empress.
The white blaze before the dorsal on the one that is colored like a Super Red Empress. Is a normal blaze for a T-Reef not a Red Empress.

Very nice pictures Betty

Thanks for that link, swede. I did some looking when I first noticed the barring on mine and found several photos of fish that had similar bars. The fish in your link also has a tiny bit of white blaze. I also came across this one -- no bars, but a blaze. 2nd picture -- http://www.ciklidbladet.se/artregister/artreg_visa.asp?ID=576.

Cichlid-Forum's profiles also had several pictures of male Super red empresses with barring, but no blazes. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1369. The Taiwan Reefs all seemed to have white dorsals, so I had felt better about mine, but still had that small doubt in my mind.

I do understand that if they are crosses of T-reef and red empress, that they could display some traits and not others. At least I paid the price for pure fish with these!

Oh well -- I still like my possible hybrids and they will live out their lives with me. I haven't intentionally kept any fry from these fish, but have one survivor that is almost as big as his mother.

Thanks for your help.

Betty, honey if I am wrong sorry.
Just I have never seen those types of traits in Red Emps.

Your fish are beautiful..

Honey here is a T Reef
Look at the 7th one down. Subadult male.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1235

I appreciate your opinion, Roger. No need to be sorry.