Why is my green texas cichlid's face pale?

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

One of my green texas cichlids is around 4 to 4.5 inches. Its face and half ot its body length seems more white and kinda pale? Especially the head area. It's still cheerful, aggressive, dominant and eat as usual. So I don't know if this is normal or not?

 

[danotaylor]

Pictures?

 

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

Pictures?

It's already night in my place, but sometimes his colour is normal.

 

[Cichlids-r-beasts]

Usually that indicates breeding coloration but they may also get it when engaging in territorial disputes with other cichlids.

 

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

Usually that indicates breeding coloration but they may also get it when engaging in territorial disputes with other cichlids.

Maybe both IDK if green texas can be determined sex at this size?

 

[duanes]

Here are some color phases seen in Herichthys carpintus

Left, mature female in breeding color, middle imature female, right mature female normal color.
Below males

Mature male left, middle male breeding color....
imature male

Pair in breeding color, they are all location varient Lago Chairel from near Veacruz

Below Herichthys tamosopoensis , from Rio Tamasopo near San Luis Potosi

 

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

Here are some color phases seen in Herichthys carpintus
View attachment 1559910View attachment 1559911View attachment 1559912
Left, mature female in breeding color, middle imature female, right mature female normal color.
Below males
View attachment 1559913View attachment 1559914View attachment 1559915
Mature male left, middle male breeding color....
imature male
View attachment 1559916
Pair in breeding color, they are all location varient Lago Chairel from near Veacruz
View attachment 1559917
Below Herichthys tamosopoensis , from Rio Tamasopo near San Luis Potosi
View attachment 1559919View attachment 1559918View attachment 1559920

Mine looks exactly like that? Should I get another green texas with opposite sex? Cuz I'm not even sure what sex is my green texas. Though I assumed a male.

 

[duanes]

One other factor....All cichlids react to, and change color with their substrate.
If you have a light color substrate, they will usually try to blend and remain light in color.
If your substrate is dark, they sometimes react to that by turning dark.
They do thhis to become inconspicuous to predation from the air/


There are 3 carpintus in the pic above.
The most dangerous predation of cichlids usually comes from above, and just because they are in a tank, doesn't mean that instinct is lost.

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