Ophthalmotilapia nasuta ID

[James Shingler]

I have 4 of these fish. I really want more as they are all male. Can anyone tell me what variant they are so I can get some females.
They were sold as "Tiger" but I do not think they are.

Couple of photos of them at about 5" now sorry about the photo quality.





All comments welcome.

[coenb]

The pictures are somewhat unclear. I would guess 4 males also (the first is clearly a male). The other 3 are difficult, but looking at their fins, very pointly at the end, I would say males. I don't know the size of your tank, but 4 males is a lot in every tank!

If you don't think they are 'tigers'; because of their yellow color, they come from "kachese", "mtosi" but I'm only guessing?? .
I've got some (1/5) nasuta's in my tank, looking the same and sold to me as "gold".

How big is your tank and what other fish do you have in there?

[James Shingler]

Tank is 84"x24"x24" no other feather fins and no sand sifters and not much aggression.
Just a few far smaller shell dwellers and a gobie cichlid.
Thanks for the reply.
I think they are one of the gold too.
I was thinking Kipili or Mukusa like but not sure as I have not seen photos of "kachese" or "mtosi" at this just before full adult stage.

[coenb]

Tank is 84"x24"x24" no other feather fins and no sand sifters and not much aggression.

I've got mine in a 200x60x60 cm, so almost the same. But I'm afraid that if they are all male, you may lose some due to fighting.
One gobie in this aquarium, (and all alone... )
Which kind of shell dwellers do you have?

If you know they are all male for sure I would buy/change to get females (2/6 for the Nasuta's) and put in some cyp's.

This is mine male (WF)

[James Shingler]

Thanks again. That looks more like my fish than my photos do. Mine have slightly less yellow than that but not much.
Can you tell me what size the one in the photo is? He clearly has better/longer pectoral fins than mine. Very nice.
Not worried about the gobie (Tanganicodus) it is the rejected third of a trio and I think enjoying the rest from the other two. If it continues getting into condition I may try and sex it introduce one of the pair, who seem not to want to breed in with the Tropheus tank.
I hear these Ophthalmotilapia nasuta can be nasty to each other but honest, mine show very little aggression just a well established pecking order enforced by show and mock attacks but no contact as the other moves quietly away. Maybe because there are no females to fight over. Who knows.
Clearly if I do manage to get females I will have to watch em all and be ready to separate them if needed?

on the shelly its a bit of a rag tag nothing planned just things moved out of other tanks when something else bred.
Lepidiolamprologus meeli
'Lamprologus' calliurus
and a few odd 'Lamprologus' multifasciatus males

[coenb]

That looks like quite a mess on the shelly side ....
Perhaps you should look for different kind of bottom dwellers. I’ve got Xeno singularis ndole. To be honest mine nasuta’s also looks very mean, but are quite friendly to everybody (although sometimes some small intimidation takes place). But I’ve got quite a “nasty habit” population:
N. leleupi longior (1/1 and small ones)
N. beuscheri “kamakonde” (1/1 and small ones)
A. calvus “black” (1/1)
And to top it all: Cyprichromis jumbo kituma. (5/7, no small ones at the moment), one male is the dominant fish in the sea!
All have had eggs (except the nasuta’s and the calvus (bought them quite small).

My nasuta (male) is (appr.) 13 cm, female a little smaller. (But all are WF. ). And considering the ndole WF are a bit larger. The WF ndole are 10 cm and the Fx?? are 1,5 cm smaller.
First I bought 5 and lady fortune took care to make them all female… But I must say they intimidated more at that time. Now that there is a male this intimidation has worn down.
The first time when someone looked at the 5 they also thought I had 5 males. But in time I got convinced they are all female, so I bought a sure male (as a long shot). And I think I was right.
Hope you succeed also!!

[xmacx]

Hi!
Could you help me with my nasuta id?
Is it a juvenile Resha or Sela, or something else?