Below is a sub-dominant male Astatotilapia nubila:

Astatotilapia nubila is an insectivore from the Lake Victoria basin also known as Haplochromis nubilus. This is probably the most common victorian in the wild since it has a wide distribution throughout the satellite lakes and the rivers in the victorian basin. The dominant male is jet black with brilliant red on the fins. This cichlid can undergo drastic color changes very quickly. If the dominant male is not one of the more dominant fish in the tank, he will not show very good color at all. And if the male doesn't have any females, he will not show very good color. My nubila male was very aggressive toward all the other nubila in the tank. Unfortunately the sub-dominant males and the females are an ugly dull grey. My males grew to about 4 inches (11 cm) and the females to about 3 inches long.

I kept the nubila for only about 2 years. The male killed the females, and then would no longer color up so I decided to move on to another species. This is one of the few species that I have no desire to ever keep again. Too much aggression, too much hiding and not enough color to make it worth the tank space. As you can see, I didn't own the digital camera while I owned the nubila long enough to get any good pictures.

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