Red Zebra Cichlid Maylandia/Metriaclima (prev. Pseudotropheus) estherae

The Red Zebra is part of the Zebra complex of the Mbuna ("rock fish") cichlids on the eastern side of Africa's Lake Malawi, so named because many of them have dark vertical bars on their flanks. The Red Zebra is often blue with dark bars, mottled blue-gray on yellow (mainly females) or, as here, plain pink or orange-red, depending on location.

Brown-beige or orange-red females usually can be distinguished by a rounded back edge to the dorsal fin. Adult males, fully blue (with or without bars) or orange-pink often with a bluish tint, have an angular or pointed end to the dorsal fin and often have a few "egg spots" on their anal fin.

They grow to some 10-13cm long. Females mouth-brood their eggs and fry.