Iranocichla question

[taeniopareius]

Wondering for awhile now that the hobby's Iranocichla with black male have different color from here:

http://www.briancoad.com/Species%20Accounts/cichlidae.htm

http://www.aquapress-bleher.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=400&Itemid=1

Is the black one the same fish as the red throat one?

[Heiko Bleher]

HI,

THIS IS HEIKO BLEHER AND I COLELCTED RECENTLY, AS YOU HAVE SEEN ON MY WEBSITE, IRANOCICHLA.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT POPULATIONS BUT THEY ALSO CAN CHANGE THEIR COLOR (BOTH POPULATIONS) TO COMPLETELY BLACK DURING MATING,
THUS IT STILL IS ONE AND THE SAME SPECIES, JUST THAT IT CAN CHANGE ITS COLOUR QUITE FAST.

ALL THE BEST

HEIKO BLEHER
WWW-AQUAPRESS-BLEHER.COM

[westafrica]

Hi Heiko,

I've been wondering the same, thanks for the answer. Here in France we only have 2 females left, they are at Haplochromis association predisent's house near Nîmes in southern France. I hope he will be able to find one male at least, as he proved very efficient in keeping and breeding rare species in the long term with conservation purposes (S. neodon for instance).

As you were on site recently, may I ask you to which extent the habitat of Iranocichla is threatened / already degradated?

thanks in advance for your answer.

Jérôme

[taeniopareius]

Thanks. However i wonder why the males in captivity turn black with spankles when breeding while pic of breeding male in the wild [the fish of Iran link] have green spankling fish with orange throat and chest?

[DaveHansen]

Take a look at the description...the describer mentions both color schemes

[DaveHansen]

Heiko,

I checked on your site and appreciate the info..were you seeing them everywhere or were the difficult to find??

[taeniopareius]

The color description are from pics from 2 separate accounts.

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

I just saw this. And I have written on another threat (Israel - Middle eastern Cichlids) that on the two recent Iran expedition I define now at least 3 very different populations, and I think even now, after seeing some of your photos here, that there might even be a complet different 4th population.

The problem is, they have adapted to live so isolated and to such extreme water parametres and temperatures (the last I colelcted and lived in 37.5°C and very well), There is definitely of the few places where water remains, no connection with other warter sheets in the entire area of the Coad location. And I I said almost all are dried up.

I will go soon and I hope to have a even better understanding as I have so far. The Fars Minsitry of Fisheries is very helpful.

I let you know.

Best regards and try to keep breeingn what yoiu have and try not to mix them.

Best regards
Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

first of all you all must forgive that I write, or better make, so many typos, but I have so little time to go over my written texts and I wish Cichlidae.com hat, like many other sites already, autmatic English corrections...

Anyhow, I only wanted to tell you all that I wrote an extensive article for PFK on Iranocichla and the 3 populations (quite different ones), short infor under:
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/issue.php?issue=7

Best regards

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com