It's also been suggested that these individuals are a result of crossing the regular parrot to a convict cichlid. This, as well as the overall shape of the fish, leads me to believe the parrot is nothing but a balloon-body red devil. citrinellus has multiple color forms, including a bright-red form that is similar in color to the purple parrots, and a pale, striped fish similar to the un-dyed jelly beans. What the aquarist is left with is a pale fish with dark stripes.Ī. Fortunately, unlike tattooing (more on this later), this doesn’t appear to do any long-term harm to the fish, and the dye eventually fades. These fish t have been soaked in a dye and are artificially colored. Recently, individuals known as “jelly bean” parrots that are colored blue, green, purple, or other bright colors have begun to appear. Especially with the rash of other balloon-body fishes appearing on the market (i.e., balloon-body rams, gouramis, rainbowfish, etc.), I believe that the entire hybrid prospect is just clever marketing to disguise the fishes’ true origins, and that they are nothing but severely mutated, balloon-body forms of a single species, most likely Amphilophus citrinellus. Personally, I have a completely off-the-wall theory. Of course, it’s also possible that more than two species have contributed to the makeup of the parrot, and as I'll discuss, I don't believe the makeup is static. At one point or another, it seems as though virtually every cichlid has been suggested as a possible parent to the parrot, and I have even seen it suggested that the parrot is a cross between a cichlid and a goldfish! It may also be that the parrot is its own parent, that parrots have been crossed back to one or more other parents to produce hybrids (e.g., a red devil x severus mated to a red devil).

citrinellus), the redhead cichlid (Paratheraps synspilum), and even the convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). Other possible parentages have been suggested, including the other red devil (A. It was as improbable as Steve Urkel and Madonna getting together. At the time, both of these fish were classified in the genus Cichlasoma, and though the idea raised eyebrows, I don't think we realized just how unlikely a mating would be between them.

When they originally surfaced on the market in the 1980s, the parentage was purported to be that of a severus cichlid (Heros severus) and a red devil cichlid (presumably Amphilophus labiatus). The parrot is believed to be a hybrid of two cichlids, supposedly created under artificial conditions. There are few fish, though, that trigger such a wave of controversy as the parrotfish, particularly among cichlid enthusiasts. The somewhat misshapen mouth adds an almost comical nature to the fish. Some have even described it as a Valentine’s heart with fins. It has a large body and a basically round shape, making it unmistakable. This bright fish seems to glow with an incredibly deep red color, though individuals that range from orange to nearly purple do appear. One of the most eye-catching freshwater fish in most aquarium stores is the parrotfish. Some call these hybrid cichlids deformed mutants, while others love them for their comical looks and easygoing habits.

There is perhaps no fish more controversial than the parrotfish.

Parrot fish