# Convict "Red Point"



## MT-ED

Bought 6 of these little cuties from Harold at The Menagerie yesterday. Managed to get these decent pictures today.....



















They are _Archocentrus_ sp. "Honduran Redpoint". Harold said these are locally bred F1 stock from fish that came from Costa Rica.

This is what they can grow into, and this one is a female....










They're known as "Red Point" Convicts, which is probably a location rather than anything to do with colour, but they're not _Archocentrus nigrofasciatus_. It was once thought they were a colour sport, but those who keep them say they're far less aggressive unless spawning and have smaller broods than the very highly productive dime-a-dozen Convicts.

The one in the first two pics is only half an inch long and some of the others are smaller. They should grow reasonably quickly and in the 120 that they're inhabiting now, I should be able to breed them easily. Harold says he wants babies, so they're readily offloadable unlike your regular Convict babies.

First Central American cichlids I've had in ages 

Martin.


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## MT-ED

Some more pics.......



















.....and the best pic....










Martin.


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## Ciddian

Wow... I really enjoy the colour in them. Is the photo pretty close to what they look like in person... I just love that convict dorsal.. :3


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## nightowl1350

Great colour!! IF they are related to convicts they should be easy to breed. I think convics are like guppies....they breed even when you don't want them to 

Good luck with them and let us know how they do.


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## MT-ED

Ciddian said:


> Wow... I really enjoy the colour in them. Is the photo pretty close to what they look like in person... I just love that convict dorsal.. :3


Yes, that colour is pretty accurate. They looked nice at The Menagerie, but they look even better now against those Crypts. This species seems very variable. I found pics on the net that are quite different. That female in my first post was the most colourful. I'm wondering if, like regular Convicts, the females may be brighter in colouration.

Check out the dorsal in the first photo here:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/gallery/cichlids/Archocentrus_nigrofasciatus.html

Based on what mine look like now, they're going to be stunning as adults.

Martin.


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## MacFish

Hey I found you over here now too MT-ED!

You are going to be very happy with your HRP's. I love mine.

They do vary their colour quite dramatically especially when spawning or protecting fry. They are excellent parents as well. In fact, my Male adopted a bunch of my Thorichthys babies a while ago. It was very amusing to watch 

Here are a few shots of my male in his 2 main phases. Sometimes he has the greenish look to him that yours do but I haven't been able to get a good pic of him like that.

Him @ 2" protecting his fry...









Him @ almost 3" in spawning dress..









Him and his mate a day before she laid eggs..









And here is a better pic of my female. She is about 1.5".


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## MT-ED

MacFish said:


> Hey I found you over here now too MT-ED!


Yeah....I'm like City TV...I'm everywhere! Your fish are gorgeous. I love the way the males colour up.

Martin.


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## MacFish

Thanks, he has gone back to the Blue colour now that there are wrigglers to protect.


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## Ciddian

Wow macfish... beauts!!!! <3


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## nightowl1350

Awesome colours.....love the way they change like that.


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## stratofish

FYI, there are a couple articles about these fish in the July issue of Tropical Fish Hobbiest magazine. Interesting stuff and beautiful fish!
stratofish


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## Pablo

hehe
i was about to post about this but it looks like everyone beat me to it. I cant find anything as to the scientific name of the species either- so it seems likely there is none.

When these were tiny I thought they looked like A nanoluteus but those turn yellowish as they age so thats wrong. Definitely in the Archocentrus genus but honduran red point or "ret" point is all that seems to come up.

The ones from menagerie were bred by Tom Mason from W/C individuals he apparently collected in the wild. If someone could find out where exactly they were collected it might be possible to at least find out what the locals call the fish and have some sort of decent common name for it.

I suggest Archocentrus pulcher

Just because there should be a pulcher ("Beautiful") in every genus 

As per their agressiveness level, its still pretty high. I bought four and now only have the one breeding pair (they were too small to sex). The two males almost ripped eachother's lips off mouth wrestling. I tried putting a 2" male in with 7" angels and 4" bolivian rams... No damage but he was definitely in charge. Definitely not something you could pull off in a community with larger fish the same way you might get away with it with a single A sajica or Herotilapia multispinosa... *Might*


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## MT-ED

Great photo Pablo. I just bought the July TFH on my way home, but haven't read the article yet. I took these pics last night.......





































These little guys are greedy as anything and growing. It's clear I have at least two males in the group.

Martin.


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## MacFish

Looking really good MT-ED! Love seeing your updates!

My HRP tank is pretty much in front of a window. Sucks for algae but I have no where else for it. The fry seem to like chewing on the greenery anyway. On the bright side, the HRP's look amazing in the sunlight. I tried to get some shots today but they didn't show the vibrant colours like real life.

The female's chin and belly are a really nice blue/purple and her back and fins are a nice copper/green colour. I need a better camera!

Here's the best it could do...










If you look real close in the rocks at the front, you can see some of the fry. 
My numbers got cut in half today. Not sure what happened


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## Ciddian

They are quite tiny! I wish you luck with them...

I love the faces on those fish, the colour is fantastic


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## MT-ED

OK, more update pictures. I have to inspire Ciddian into using her new camera 

These are all of the most obvious male. I can't believe the colour of this fish at only an inch in length.














































It's even getting a slight nuchal hump.

Martin.


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## Ciddian

Eeee! ^^ those are great! I cant belive they are just at an inch right now..


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## Pablo

MT-ED said:


> OK, more update pictures. I have to inspire Ciddian into using her new camera
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> These are all of the most obvious male. I can't believe the colour of this fish at only an inch in length.
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> Martin.


I noticed the hump gets WAY bigger way faster the more open space they have.


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## MT-ED

Like 120 gallons of wide open space?

Martin.


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## Pablo

MT-ED said:


> Like 120 gallons of wide open space?
> 
> Martin.


That'll do .......


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## Pablo

Interesting how the color of the inner caudal fin goes from yellow to red once they lose their virginity.

Id like to get me some Archocentrus spilurum. They're way cooler.

Here's an old pair (they're still ratty from the fishstore here) I had long ago


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## Pablo

NEW PIC of my male from tonight. Hes not this pale or blurry. Quite a nice blue and red. This camera sucks and he doesnt stay still so this is the best that can be done.


He isnt deformed btw hes coming toward me at an angle


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## Pablo

Same fish about three or four weeks ago (showing the true color... he actually sat still that time)

(I also have a new pic in "FW FOTOS")


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