What with the rise of hybrids in the Malawi hobby, it’s a real treat to see some proper Red zebras (Maylandia estherae). Females retain their bright goldfish hue and wild males turn blue - although the males of this Red/Red strain do not, earning their name from the fact that males mature in a fetching shade of salmon pink. This name hints at them being a double red or super red strain when each red just describes the colours of each gender. Red/Blue lines have the wild-type colouration, with brown juvenile males (you can see why they’re less popular) maturing into powder blue adults. As this species also displays an OB (orange blotch) form, it’s possible to have a single species tank that has blue males, red and OB females. Estherae are typical mbuna in terms of aggression and need large tanks with plenty of hiding places that break sightlines. These were looking good at our Lechlade branch.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/cichlids/red-red-zebra

Like pedigree dogs, Koi (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) come in named breeds. One of the most popular are the single-colour metallic fish known as Ogon, with gold ogons being particularly popular for their eye-catching appearance. The simplicity of their colouration makes them very consistent fish to produce and this has a knock-on effect of giving them good, hardy genes. Ogon are often the most robust carp in a batch and often grow faster than more highly bred varieties. These were trying to get our attention (and food) at the Stapleton branch.

 https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/pond-fish/koi

Wrasses are popular marine pets with good reason - they have plenty of personality, an appetite for some reef pests and a range of colours. Although not as dazzling as some of its kin this Jade wrasse (Halichoerus chloropterus) is unusual being clad in the purest green. Tough enough to stand their ground against territorial tankmates, these wrasses need a bed of sand to dive into and can be expected to snack on tiny crustaceans. With that in mind, it’s worth saying that their talent for hunting small creatures can make them bad company for slow ‘pod pickers’ such as Mandarins. This one was watching from a tank in our Norwich store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/marine/wrasses/jade-wrasse

Not so long ago buying Siamese algae eaters/flying foxes was a risky proposition, with erroneous reference images often leading to misidentification. Many shippers using the Baensch guide were sending a fish that we knew as Garra taeniata (now Ceratogarra cambodgiensis) in good faith and much digital content was written about telling them apart. Now this issue is mostly a page in hobby history, we’re seeing some diversity amongst the fish that we buy as ‘SAE’ and the yellow-finned Crossocheilus atrilimes is making fairly frequent appearances. Deeper bodied than other species, this seems to fit with accounts that indicate that it’s not found in such fast-flowing conditions in the wild. This batch of stocky algae-munchers were seen at our Wenvoe branch.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/cyprinids/siamese-flying-fox-siamese-algae-eater-

With a face that looks fresh from the Muppet workshop, the Slender blockhead (Steatocranus tinanti) is a quirky looking small cichlid that sinks. At home in swiftly-flowing softwater streams, they’ve adapted to live in conditions where midwater dwellers might quickly become exhausted and their bottom-dwelling habits are more akin to a goby than a typical cichlid. Although they can be hard on cichlid competitors, they will generally ignore fishes swimming above them which don’t threaten their young and can be combined with anything too large to swallow that enjoys swimming in a current out of harm’s way. This one was part of a batch at our Cwmbran store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/cichlids/slender-blockhead-cichlid