Red Zebra Cichlid (Maylandia estherae)

Females can grow up to 10 cm (4 in) while males will grow up to 12.7 cm (5.0 in).

Despite their "red zebra" name, this species is polymorphic and can be found with different colors. The normal color of wild females is beige to brown while males are typically bright blue. However, red-orange females (O morph) as well as blotched females (OB morph) can be found in certain localities. O morph males (found only at Minos Reef) are white-pink colored with a tint of blue in the fins. OB males (so called "marmalade cats") are extremely rare in the wild.

Early exporters often selected the red females for the aquarium trade and used O-morph males to create a strain of orange-red males, making it the most commonly found variant from breeders and fish keepers.

In Aquariums and Zoos: common in european aquariums