Ice blue convict parrot cichlids - How did this happen?

[AggressiveAquatics]

Hey everyone

I was at my lfs yesterday and saw they had ice blue convict parrot cichlids so I’m confused because how can a parrot breed with a convict because I thought parrots were sterile so is this somehow a double hybrid

 

[chromedome52]

The spinal deformity that denotes the Bloody Parrots actually occurs commonly in a number of species of fish. The Blue Convicts are either Honduran Red Point Cichlids, which are an undescribed relative of the Convict, or a hybrid between these two species. Hybrid is suspected, as the Jelly Bean Parrots have long been recognized as ordinary Pink Convicts with the spinal deformity, and if those were bred with HRP, you tend to get a very blue fish with convict stripes. Hence the Ice Blue or Polar Blue Parrots are simply deformed Convicts crossed with the HRP. These hybrids are known to be easily bred and raised.