is it true that melanochromis johanni is really a pseudotropheus? ive heard its because of the melanin patterns. are species moved to another genus on patterns?

I have never heard of this, the seem very different from most pseudotropheus and I notice a different body shape, many mbuna were moved out of the pseudotropheus genus several years ago but that doean't include johhani to my knowledge. They also look too different for any competition or hybrid problems in the tank

What's your reference?

most of the grouping that goes on with Malawi cichlids is centered around their teeth.

What have you read that makes you ask this question?

Patrick Tawil

No. They are as much a melanochromis as the fish they are derived from...maingano. *nod*

Cichlid....ok...good stuff...I'm not qualified to answer your question...

So, here's Konings' response to your question.

http://listserv.nic.museum/cgi-bin/wa?A2=i...d-l&F=&S=&P=798

I hope this helps your research.

thank you, seedy, yes that helps!

question to other poster, how is johanni derived from mingano? r there cladistic studies to support this?

Looks like I read it wrong....the dirty versions (almost all) of maingano are mistakenly sold as johanni....due to the fact that they almost look identical, besides the difference that johanni are almost black and maingano are more blue....and then there are some sites that claim that THEY ARE the true "Electric Blue Johanni"

Check these links out...

site 1

site 2

site 3

site 4

By the amount of sites that claim they are INDEED the wild strain of Johanni, I find it almost 100% convincing that they are. :D


These are some of mine...

nice fish!! i cant count the gill rakers in those pics =) but there probably cyaneorhabdos unless you gotta bunch of male johanni!

groupings on teeth? do u mean dentition or trophic patterns? and what do u mean my groupings?

Maingano males and females both look the same or very similar. I had some Johanni back when I first got into Africans. They have nice bright orange females, I wouldn't mind getting ahold of a nice strain of them again in the future sometime.

They seem much too different to be the same species(females of the johhanni change females of the cybernahabdos do not) and the fact that johanni is more common suggests that they were first introduced into the hobby, though I admit I have never known of any specific f# johhanni


By the way this reminds me that my johanni just took over the same half of the 90 gallon after about three weeks in a different tank--I'm pissed off

All I can say about the ones i have is that they are like the police of the tank....any other species starts to fight and the maingano are right there breaking it up....they think they are the tuffest fish in the world :P

my lombardoi male does that it's kinda cool