Can This Cichlid Breed With a Convict?

[DeathStalker]

I swear this and a Convict have bred, as only 1 Convict in the tank acts like a "parent" (in living around and defending its young), but this one does too - emphatically so. It is also the one who keeps their cave clean of gravel. The fry (at ~0.5" now) look more like Convicts though.

Thanks! (BTW, I'm not even certain what kind of cichlid this is).

 

[HybridFinatic]

This is a Herichthys cyanoguttatus and yes in the right circumstances it could breed with a convict

 

[DeathStalker]

Well how interesting

I'll post a pic of the babies once I'm finished cleaning the tank and the glass.

 

[ryansmith83]

All North/Central American cichlids can interbreed, and convicts are the worst. So yes, convicts will breed with anything. They've even successfully bred with the very southern South American genus, Australoheros.

It's really not encouraged to spread these fish out into the hobby. Hybrids have made a mess of the market, IMO. It's fine if you want to raise them yourself, but I wouldn't let them leave my house.

 

[Carter020108]

Yes they can breed
That fish is called a Texas cichlid

 

[Wharf]

The comparison I was told from a buddy is that Convicts are the Chihuahuas of the CA cichlids they are so determined you get mixes that make you scratch your head.

 

[Carter020108]

Above Is convict x Texas

 

[DeathStalker]

Well I have WAY too many for even my 125gal, so I'll be giving them away, but will certainly let people know about it (might also be able to

 

[The Morning]

As much as I hate to do it I would cull before I let them out of the house. You can’t control what others do with the fish. You can however control what you do.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Personally I wouldn't mind having one. I think it would be interesting trying to hybridize it with one of my 2 flowerhorns just to see what I could get. Personally I see nothing wrong with hybrids. Even tho these 2 species would never hybridize in the wild, (just do to them being from 2 completely different areas) hybrids do occur in the wild naturally, all be it very rarely. I've personally even caught wild hybrids while fishing, mostly hybrid bluegill (bluegill/greensunfish) and a friend of mine caught a hybrid Blue channel cat once (blue catfish/channel catfish). The only thing that ruins a pure specie of fish imo is when someone, whether knowingly or unknowingly, sells/distributes a hybrid without notifying the buyer that it is a hybrid of 2 or more different species.