He's an Electric Yellow Labidochromis Caerelus Cichlid. He's well over a year old and tiny as compared to his siblings who have all long since gone to the LFS for sale.

Stumpy was born grossly deformed and we really didn't think he would last out that same week. He looks sort of like a fish head who is missing most of his body.

You might think his gnarled little body is grotesque or disgusting, but to us he's absolutely precious and we just love him to death.

We're a couple of major saps and always root for the underdog. Most aquarists immediately destroy deformed or undesirable fry, but we believe they have just as much a right to live as any other creature and we'll give them that chance. Stumpy's a trooper and he's beaten all the odds.

He not only didn't expire that first week, but he learned to swim using only his pecs and while he might do a couple of somersaults along the way, he manages to get where he's going just fine thank you. He did well enough to fight for his share of food with 21 perfect siblings zipping all around him.