red eye red zebs

[dazzman]

Can someone tell me what the story is with Metriaclima Estherea having normal body colouration but red eyes?

[Buccal]

Albino,,,, colors of yellow, pink, orange and red still shows vividly in albinism.

Examples,,, dragon blood peacocks,, both standard and albino show bright colors.

Albino compressiceps,,, the red flush and red scale edging shows bright.

Albino red cheek tropheops shows bright orange head.

Albino aruatus,, females are bright silver yellow while males are silver slightly pink.

[dazzman]

i knew about that albinos had red eyes but i wasnt sure about the ones i saw because their colour was so good, just like the normal version. Funny how albanism works, fish that are blue based look totally different as albinos.

[Buccal]

Yes it is funny how it works.

Here in Perth and guessing where you are,,, albino red zebs aren't all that common,,, a bonus if color is deep and vivid like you said to.

If I saw them anywhere in Perth, I'd snap them up for sure.

[malawi sand diver]

There are 2 types of red zebra - the original blue male and red female ones (quite rare now) from minos reef.

Then there are the ones we call "Pulu Point" in Oz where both sexes are orange. The Pulu point ones are also known as "Red eye red zebras". They get this name because of a red mark above the eye. This is not to be confused with having red pupils as they don't have the albino type pink eye, they are black.

It is most likely they are a man made or line bred species, possibly from Germany. They are known as red x red zebra in the US. e.g. you will only see the name "Pulu point" used in Australia.

It has been said that orange males occur naturally in the wild but they are extremely rare.

Regards, Rob

[Link2Hell]

Hi Dazzman

the red eyed Tangerines (Ps. esterae) were what use to be traded as "Pulu Point"

nobody could seem to find their origin and there is no Pulu Point in Lake Malawi

The ones that are labeled as Pulu's now seem to be missing the red eye that

distinguished them

As with most things in the hobby that are similar it appears they have been out crossed

to Esterae and now show normal eye colour or are really Esterae but mis-labeled

maybe not due to the lack of intense orange colour shown

Being albino they never produced the blue male that was the norm in Esterae

and never showed the the intense orange a true Esterae develops

some pics would be good

[Link2Hell]

MSD there was time when the blue Esterae male were in trouble because everyone want the orange form males

thankfully there were breeders that saw this and bred for the blue male genes

[Buccal]

I often wondered about those black eye zeb labeled pulu with their vivid color.

That explains a lot.

[malawi sand diver]

Hi Chris, yes, good to see that the blue form were rescued.

There is a place called "Puulu" on the southern end of the Tanzania side of the lake, then got it probably got mislabelled "Pulu" in Oz.

That location is just to the North of Minos reef where the blue/orange ones live.

Regards, Rob

[Buccal]

The blue/orange sex species are for sale here in Perth on Gumtree if anyone wishes to check the pics out.

I have got them on hold till I can pick up.

They are being labeled Metriaclima Estherae Minos Reef.

Thoughts on purity wise ????

[Link2Hell]

Hi Rob

yes it is close enough that it could be the collecting point for a variation to the

original species from a genetic mutation and in the way it was recorded by

collectors Pulu and Puulu

like a lot of things the history of origin was never established to my knowledge

[Link2Hell]

Hi Buccal

they seem more yellow than orange, could just be the pic

I would want to see the adults, also there should be no black

marks on the females

every one that thinks they have Estherae now add Minos Reef

I can't remember any new blood showing up in the past 20 years

that could allow confirmation of locale to the species in Australia

even though it was the original collecting point but has been here

since I started into cichlids in the 70's

there are still some true to type ones that pop up at club auctions

over here in the east

[Buccal]

We get little pockets of the authentics,,, specie wise also here in Perth very occasionally,,,, but now becoming less.

I have seen the adding of Minos rf enough times to,,,, and it gets annoying,,,, also adding the location on other instances Pulu,,,, but now understood correctly as Puulu.

The reasoning for other opinions was that I to thought they were yellow looking.

But there is signs of a orange hue to them,,, maybe the pic,,, as the blue males look silvered over by the camera flash, hence change of appearance in females.

I guess parent viewing when I check them will reveal it for me.

As for the black bits,,, with some breeders this happens,,, and is very controversial,,, I see this happen with sera-flora lovers.

Being high dose spiralina in diet related,,, but still perfectly healthy otherwise.

[Link2Hell]

Good luck Buccal I hope they come up the quality you're after

[dazzman]

Hi Dazzman

the red eyed Tangerines (Ps. esterae) were what use to be traded as "Pulu Point"

nobody could seem to find their origin and there is no Pulu Point in Lake Malawi

The ones that are labeled as Pulu's now seem to be missing the red eye that

distinguished them

As with most things in the hobby that are similar it appears they have been out crossed

to Esterae and now show normal eye colour or are really Esterae but mis-labeled

maybe not due to the lack of intense orange colour shown

Being albino they never produced the blue male that was the norm in Esterae

and never showed the the intense orange a true Esterae develops

some pics would be good

Hey Chris I cant get any pics unfortunately. it was over 12 months when I saw them in a breeders grow out tank and I don't think he has keeps them anymore. he had the red x red version.

[dazzman]

There are 2 types of red zebra - the original blue male and red female ones (quite rare now) from minos reef.

Then there are the ones we call "Pulu Point" in Oz where both sexes are orange. The Pulu point ones are also known as "Red eye red zebras". They get this name because of a red mark above the eye. This is not to be confused with having red pupils as they don't have the albino type pink eye, they are black.

It is most likely they are a man made or line bred species, possibly from Germany. They are known as red x red zebra in the US. e.g. you will only see the name "Pulu point" used in Australia.

It has been said that orange males occur naturally in the wild but they are extremely rare.

Regards, Rob

Hey Rob, I knew about the original blue male ones, I actually placed a WTB blue x red recently and have one lead so far but it's a waiting game with that one.

As we know the blue x red original ones (do I call them Metriaclima estherea Minos reef)? produce blue male fry and red female fry. If a blue male was bred with a red x red female (a bad thing I think) what fry would be produced? I would think that they would be red both sexes?

[Link2Hell]

Dazz you should get both blue and red males in the fry

the more that the blue males are bred back to the females

from red/red lines the higher the content of blue fry should

be produced

Good to see interest in the old Mbuna lines

[Gombe]

Very nice thread, was a good read

[dazzman]

is there any way to distinguish females from original lines (blue x red) from the red x red females?

[Link2Hell]

not really Dazz as the red male was a natural mutation

but always go for the more intense and solid orange

female rather than anything pale

the colour should be clean and no black marks

[dazzman]

so would a red x red female with nice colour be preferable to a blue x red female with bad colour?

[Link2Hell]

Dazz what you want is solid orange female nothing pale

this will develop your line to the standard

this will be the hardest part as there are more general

hobbiests out there than species knowledgeable puriests

and that is the main threat to species purity in Australia

for what we have

a good example is JPM thread on Salousi from an auction

that have now raised concern because the males are

colouring wrong

we can luck out with species that are on the brink some

times but the cycle can repeat easily and they possibly

lost again

when did you last see these species Ps. aurora, Ps. daktari,

Ps. hajomaylandi, Mel johanni (not interruptus) just a few

[Buccal]

It may be that dominant and ressesive genes involved can result in either being good.

But considering both have the favorable dominant gene,,,, yeah, what would be favorable ?

[dazzman]

Hi Dazzman

the red eyed Tangerines (Ps.

some pics would be good

Geuss what i found today guys?