Cape mountain zebra
The Cape mountain zebra differs slightly from the Hartmann's subspecies, being stockier and having longer ears and a larger dewlap. Adults have a shoulder height of 116 to 128  cm, making them the most lightly built subspecies of zebra. There is slight sexual dimorphism with mares having a mass of around 234  kg and stallions weighing around 250–260  kg.
Zebra mbuna
The zebra mbuna has a single dorsal fin with sixteen to nineteen spines and seven to ten soft rays. The anal fin has three to four spines and six to nine soft rays. It grows to a maximum length of SL. The male fish varies in colour in different parts of its range, in some locations having a dark head, throat and belly and in others a blue head, whitish throat and grey/blue belly. In both cases the body is bright blue with up to eight grey/black bars, the dorsal fin is blue and the anal fin is blue to grey, with one to five orange to yellow spots. The female zebra mbuna is polymorphic, that is to say it occurs in two different colour forms. In one morph the head and body colour is pale brownish-grey, with similar coloured dorsal, anal and caudal fins, the pectoral fins have grey rays and clear membranes, and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges. In the other colour morph the throat is brown and the head and body are dark brown to black, the body having blue highlights. The dorsal and caudal fins are a similar brown/black colour and so are the anal fins, but on them, the trailing edges have a number of yellow spots. The pectorals have brown rays and clear membranes, and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges.