Typical 'what Is It?'

ok, saw this monster at the pet store and even though I know I could never have him, I want to know what it is. He's easily 10-12" long and MEAN. I'm the kid (cough 21 years old cough) that sticks their fingers in the pond but I wasen't that stupid this time.

He's pretty beat up, not sure what the heck would manage to do that to a fish that big but then again they also had 2 oscars surrendered and the one took a chunk the size of my fist out of the other.

Thank you.

 

Looks so similar to a blue dolphin moori

will know

 

Looks so similar to a blue dolphin moori

He didn't have any Blue to him but he's very washed out/ grey color. Might be stress or his colour.

 

Hello!

Lol! I can't believe they have those at the pet store! They're called [zebra] buttikoferI tilapia (or [zebra] tilapia buttikoferi) with scientific name Heterotilapia buttikoferi. They're a cichlid and pretty cool and can (ok...is) be aggressive. Lol they like to bite things...little buggers

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

Hello!

Lol! I can't believe they have those at the pet store! They're called [zebra] buttikoferI tilapia (or [zebra] tilapia buttikoferi) with scientific name Heterotilapia buttikoferi. They're a cichlid and pretty cool and can (ok...is) be aggressive. Lol they like to bite things...little buggers

Hope this helps and best of luck!

They don't normally. this was a surrender. They never carry fish this big. But that is awesome! Is that their max size? He'd vilolently murder everyone in my tank not to mention no way is my 60 big enough. I want to know who turned him in cause I want to see the rest of his fish!

 

They don't normally. this was a surrender. They never carry fish this big. But that is awesome! Is that their max size? He'd vilolently murder everyone in my tank not to mention no way is my 60 big enough. I want to know who turned him in cause I want to see the rest of his fish!

They easilt can be one foot in size (the aquarium near me has a few that's almost a good 18-20 in), and need an equally large tank; so whoever had him probably didn't know and he killed off their stock or something lol. They're really smart too. Way back when, my parents used to have one and that sucker was MEAN (apparently). They kept him with an equally murderous red-tail catfish and (nice, but very large, so nobody bothered him) Clown knife. It was an awesome tank.

 

They easilt can be one foot in size (the aquarium near me has a few that's almost a good 18-20 in), and need an equally large tank; so whoever had him probably didn't know and he killed off their stock or something lol. They're really smart too. Way back when, my parents used to have one and that sucker was MEAN (apparently). They kept him with an equally murderous red-tail catfish and (nice, but very large, so nobody bothered him) Clown knife. It was an awesome tank.

Ugh I know... I always kinda hope that people getting "tricker" fish know what they're doing. A guy near me (like probably across the street!) was selling an 18" wolffish. Another awsome fish if totally get if I had a monster tank... oh forgot to ask, does he have a common name?

 

Ugh I know... I always kinda hope that people getting "tricker" fish know what they're doing. A guy near me (like probably across the street!) was selling an 18" wolffish. Another awsome fish if totally get if I had a monster tank... oh forgot to ask, does he have a common name?

[zebra] buttikoferI tilapia is their common name lol. Quite a mouthful XD

 

[zebra] buttikoferI tilapia is their common name lol. Quite a mouthful XD

Good grief. Tilapia is edible though isn't it? Somewhere someone was saying they taste good. Not necessarily that exactly fish but something similar.

 

Good grief. Tilapia is edible though isn't it? Somewhere someone was saying they taste good. Not necessarily that exactly fish but something similar.

Apparently tilapia are good eating lol. I never had it, but I've fished them and my family like them. If I rember correctly, Tilapia is a genus name within the family Cichlidae, so they are cichlids. And delicious ones at that

 

Apparently tilapia are good eating lol. I never had it, but I've fished them and my family like them. If I rember correctly, Tilapia is a genus name within the family Cichlidae, so they are cichlids. And delicious ones at that

That's what I thought. I'm not a big fish eater but I'd seen on a buy/sell website someone wanted to bulk order tilapia fry and split the cost. We joke that my 8" goldy is big enough to fillet but this guy you literally can and he'll even taste good. not that I ever would. Fish are friends, not food. (That movie scared me for life ironically)

 

Tilapia is sold at most grocery stores around here. It is yummy.

 

That's what I thought. I'm not a big fish eater but I'd seen on a buy/sell website someone wanted to bulk order tilapia fry and split the cost. We joke that my 8" goldy is big enough to fillet but this guy you literally can and he'll even taste good. not that I ever would. Fish are friends, not food. (That movie scared me for life ironically)

My mom had a special fish, it was a giant/elephant Gourami, and my grandfather used to joke that is was big enough to batter fry in a pan (he was just under 2 feet...ya...my parents were crazy)

 

My mom had a special fish, it was a giant/elephant Gourami, and my grandfather used to joke that is was big enough to batter fry in a pan (he was just under 2 feet...ya...my parents were crazy)

Holy cow that's a big fish. Man I WISH I could have one that big. But one "big" tank (pehff it's only 60g) is enough. I can smuggle little ones in but that because I don't need help moving them.

 

There's a buttikoferI in an LFS around here. They use an acrylic tank because he hits the glass so hard, but they love him. He's a character.
They have a common name for them. It starts with the first four letters of the species name, and kind of develops from there...
Big Tilapia breed so easily, and every once in a while, someone local spawns juvies, gets 3000 fry and ruins the name of a good Genus when they all end up huge. We had T. mariae around for a long time.
There are some Tilapia types that stay small and are great little fish, but most aquarists run screaming at the very idea of a Tilapia.

 

Whats this guy he was at my lfs priced at £45

 

Are you in south florida? I’m pretty sure I’ve been too that fish store but everyone in the comments are wrong it is a very old Mayan cichlid

 

Heh. Which fish?

Oh yeah, that big guy I asked about got rehomed. Yeah.

 

I was about to say the first fish looks like a festae, or red terror. with its colours washed out. I just googled the mayan cichlid u meantioned Scope and they look very similar so u are probably right (maybe even just another name for festae?) ...it isn't a buttikoferi

 

Don't know how I missed this thread earlier, sorry.

The first fish is most likely just a non-red Amphilophus citrinellus type. Not all Red Devil/Midas types are red, and there are feral populations in Florida that often lack the red color. The head/mouth is wrong for a Mayan, though that was a reasonable guess. The head is just a bit too short and not pointed enough, and the mouth isn't quite big enough. It is most assuredly not a Heterotilapia buttikoferi, which is the photo in post #16.

 

still got my money on festae due to the markings. I think the spot toward the top before the tail is a dead giveaway.

 

It lacks the Y-bar behind the gills that festae possesses, and the spot at the tail is not ocellated. The red behind the gill covers that runs to the forehead does not exist on festae, but is quite common in the Amphilophus citrinellus complex. I am quite certain it is Amphilophus, but precisely which species I am not so certain.