Hypermelanistic Chocolate cichlid progression

[Rafini]

This guy is really interesting so figured I would document his growth on here for all to see. He has an over production of melanin pigment which gives him those cool black splotches. two of the splotches are irridescant much like the flowers on a flower horn.

I saw this fish when it first came in, It's always been an oddity but I never thought it would last. here we are months later, the fish is a lot bigger than when it came in and still has the splotches. the fish also has really nice trailing fins, a more slender body shape and nice clear red eyes. Compared to the other chocolates I've kept this guy is entirely different. so it will be really cool to see him grow and I will update this thread with new pictures that I take. so here he/she is the day I got it

day 1 looking a little skinny

4 days later after some good food

 

[Rafini]

Now his stress pattern has faded and he looks much happier

 

[freebyrd]

he looks good to me. its always nice to have a fish that is special to you

 

[ryansmith83]

I tried to take some pictures of chocolates for you today at my local cichlid dealer. He had a tank of about 10 of them at 3" and there were four or so that had black marks like this in the dorsal and the tail. They were really nice looking chocolates. Unfortunately I don't have space for any more large cichlids.

 

[Rafini]

Ryan that would have been awesome if you could get some pictures. I feel like mine can't be the only one out there. I am thinking that it might be a certain race of chocolates that are more prone to getting this condition. Like how you can get the piebald hartwegi that occur naturally in certain localities. Interesting enough the blotched Hartwegi is found among other non blotched in the same location so It's probably some form of genetic mutation based on location.

Maybe chocolate cichlids from a certain locality can display this genetic trait among so many of their offspring? Either way will be amazing to see this guy growing. I would love for someone else with one to join the thread but I don't think that will happen. Although as Ryan said it may be more possible than we think

 

[dreysthename]

my fav cichlid...suscribed. plz do keep up posted

 

[Rafini]

So now hes been feeding up for just over a week. I appear to have been correct about the fish having more red than green, the reds are really starting to come out now, heres some updated pics from today. Excuse the water stained glass

and my personal favourite pic

 

[cichliddave]

Nice

 

[Rafini]

Just did a big waterchange so his colours are all washed out but hes getting really fat now

If i knew of any chocolate cichlid hybrids existing then I might be tempted to think this fish wasn't a full chocolate cichlid. looks nothing like any I've ever seen. interesting though. i'll try to get a picture of him in his dark colours again instead of his washed out "scared" colours after the waterchange.

 

[ryansmith83]

Trust me, he is a chocolate cichlid. Those markings and colors are typical for a chocolate. You'll always have variations. This is mine when I bought it, then a month later, then a year later:

In those last pictures you posted, you can really see the green sheen starting to cover over his body while retaining the burgundy fins.