The most common color morphs observed start with a gray body, jet black dorsal and anal fins and a cream colored pelvic fin (Shown upper middle). To this gray and black base, males may possess either solid yellow in the head and tail (Shown upper), or only a yellow tail (Not shown). With the three colors of gray, black and yellow, the Tri-color has really earned his name.
A much rarer color morph has also been found in the population. These males lack the black base and instead possess a pastel blue, which covers the entire body except the yellow tail. Males of this coloration also develop slower then the black-yellow males. In addition, there is a black spot located at the leading edge of the dorsal fin, which is highlighted with yellow speckling. Though the blue coloration is not as pronounced or reflective as that of a C. leptosoma "Utinta" male, the unexpected find of this third color morph adds a hint of diversity to the Chatikan school.
Females of this population also possess a thick jet-black marginal band, which covers half of the dorsal and anal fin. The black fins are much more pronounced in the Chatika population then females found at Kitumba.
Of the fourteen individuals we started with, seven were females and the remaining seven males developed into the following morphs: 2 yellows, 1 gray and 4 blues, all of which are photographed here. This indicates that our colony possess a high percentage of the rare blue phenotype which many other colonies lack.
