Is a Mixed Peacock a Hybrid?

Is a Mixed Peacock a Hybrid?
I asked the pet shop assistant but she couldn't tell me. Not her fault ,she was filling in for the owner. The fish I saw are colouring up nice and look like growing into handsome fish. They actually look like Orange/Blue Peacocks.
Sorry I did warn eveyone I would pester and pick your brains.

I assume the tank was labeled "Mixed Peacocks". If thats the case, it's going to be hard to say if they are hybrids. They could be legitimate species mixed together in the same "for sale" tank... or the fish in the tank could be a "mix" or hybrid of different species. You would generally want to see the genus and species labeled on the tank and a collection point would make it even better. The genus for Peacocks is Aulonocara. A few species of Peacocks would be baenschi, stuartgranti, jacobfreibergi, koningsi, etc. The collection point lets you know exactly where the fish is found in the lake as there are different color morphs of the same species at different locations around the lake. So, if you saw a tank labeled :

Aulonocara koningsi Mbenji

That would tell you the genus, species, and that it's found around the Mbenji Islands

Mixed tanks are always a crapshoot.

Finding stores that have correct labeling isn't always easy, most stores around me that actually have the species seperated use "trade names" rather than scientific names. Best thing to do in that circumstance is get a good look at the fish, come home and search for that trade name and see how many scientific names come up. Then you can look at the different species associated with that trade name to identify which species it might be.

Finding a breeder is the easiest way to be sure your getting legitimate fish, regardless of what the label on the tank says, it comes down to the person selling them... how much do they actually know, how honest are they, etc. Reputable breeders are my choice when buying fish

Hope that helps some.

My LFS will sometimes combine fish that haven't sold when they get new fish in to make room. So sometimes I do see fish in the Mixed tanks that I do know what species they are but only for the males. Most female peacocks look so much alike once they get mixed its almost impossible to tell them apart.
That being said and especially with Peacocks its always best to only buy fish where you are sure of the names. One reason being should the need ever come up where you want to buy more fish to combine with yours you are sure to get the same fish.

I am finding out there are many nick names and abbreviations so I am cramming as much info as I can. In the past I wouldn't have cared as much but now I am finding it more interesting. Thanks for the help.

Just for your general information ... I've heard that the only way to truly tell one female peacock species apart from another is to count the scales. Females tend to be a drab brownish color. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on sitting around counting scales, so .... stay away from the LFS 's and look for breeders. Always your best bet.