This year's feature is the Haplochromis. Its not just one fish, but actually a family of cichlids. However, I have conflicting reports as to which mine was. I think I had a Haplochromis venestus or a H. Livingstoni. Either way, it was a giraffe spotted hap.
I got it at Wuhl-Murt when it was miniscule in size. It grew up to be about 6" long, the largest fish in my African Tank. Despite its size, it wasn't the king of the tank; it was actually more passive than most of the others.
Coloration: Mine was a light olive-green base with large, dark green spots on it. That was how it looked for most of it's development. When it became full-sized, it started to fill in the light green areas to match its dark spots. In the end, it looked like one large puke colored fish. If it was startled, it would revert to its original spotty look. Thus, it didn't lose its coloration, just changed it for whatever reason. The reason for its various coloration is for either camoflage or its unique hunting tactic. Usually, wild specimens will lay on the bottom of the lake, looking like a rotten dead fish. When an unsuspecting fish swims by...GULP!!!
My Hap did nothing spectacular like Satan did. However, Hap was my second favorite fish. I was amazed by his size and rapid growth. His color, while not bright and pretty, was also quite fascinating for me. These are easy to raise, and somewhat common to find.
