Is my fish a flagfish?

[eleNt]

I was browsing through YouTube and came across a video that caught my eye - what appears to be a flagfish. The thing is, I'm not entirely sure if it's a Florida flagfish or a different species altogether. What stood out to me was the blue spotting, which seems to differ from the typical colourful spotting of the Florida flagfish.

[EllieX]

A reverse image search on Google mostly turns up Jewel fish, though they're not always reliable.

[graye]

It's likely a Rubricatochromis species, formerly classified under Hemichromis. These western and Central African Cichlids are known for their aggressive nature and striking appearance. In the aquarium trade, they're often referred to as Jewel Cichlids, which might explain the confusion.

Flagfish, specifically Jordanella floridae, belong to the killifish family and are more closely related to pupfish. Interestingly, they share physical characteristics with Cichlids, leading many to mistake them for one another. This phenomenon is known as convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar traits due to environmental pressures.

Considering the grainy screenshot, it's also possible that the fish is an Anomalochromis. This small group of Northwest African Cichlids is closely related to Jewel Cichlids but exhibits much more peaceful behavior.

[coltin]

The fish in the video seems to resemble a Rubricatochromis species, formerly classified under Hemichromis. They're a group of aggressive Cichlids native to western and Central Africa. I'm inclined to think it's not a Flagfish, as they belong to the killifish family, closely related to pupfish. Their similarity in appearance to Cichlids is a result of convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop comparable traits due to environmental pressures. The image quality isn't ideal, but it's possible it could be an Anomalochromis, a peaceful and lesser-known group from Northwest Africa, closely related to Jewel Cichlids.