Ciclids - color change

Question
I started a tank with three honey bee cichlids and 2 very blue cichlids. Over time the honey bees matured and mated and the two blue cichlids disappeared - today there are 9 fish in the tank and it appears the blue cichlids changes to resemble the honey bees - is this possible.  I searched the tank and there are no dead fish.  I know the honey bees darken (at the least the male) when they mate, but I didn't think the blue cichlids could change so dramatically.  

Answer
Hi Dan,
 It is hard for me to say exactly which fish you have because there are hundreds and hundreds of blue cichlids.  However, yes, many cichlids change color dramatically.  For example, some species of African cichlid start out orange and change to blue if they are males. There are lots of other possibilities.  This is one of the things that makes cichlids so interesting.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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