Cac's lateral line is kinked

[curviceps]

Hello!

One of my cac fries has coloured up nicely but there is a kink on its lateral line (since birth). Please see the pic below... is it a deformity? When viewed from above, its spine does not look bent sideways.

Thanks!

 

[ed seeley]

It does look like a spinal abberation, just in a vertical plane. I have to say I wouldn't use that fish for breeding personally, but the cause of the deformity may not be genetic - the problem is you can never know. Do other fish in the brood show any problems?

NB the lateral line is a series of sensory pores on the side of the fish. In cichlids this is actually two disjointed lines, but in most fish it's one continuous series of holes.
What I think you're referring to is the dark lateral stripe that your cac is showing in the picture.

 

[Refael Hdr.]

Ed is right, it is called the lateral band. I can see from the picture that his body shape is a little deformed too, am I right?
Does the dorsal fin spreads straightly or is it a bit wavy?...

 

[curviceps]

Hey guys, thanks for your comments.

The picture is not that great. The dorsal fins look quite normal when they spread out.

To be safe, I will not use it for breeding. Its siblings do not have this problem, so I wondered whether this is a genetic deformity.

Cheers
TM

 

[Mike Wise]

It is difficult to guess. It could be due to damage at a very young age or be a genetic defect. I would not breed him.