Results for “species”

A bizarre and very recent addition to the genus, O. exodon is infrequently imported to the hobby, but has been seen occasionally. It has specially adapted mouthparts whereby it has greatly enlarged teeth. An extra set of teeth can also be seen growing in concentric bands on the outer lips! These are used in nature to literally 'pick' fruit from overhanging branches, with the fish often leaping from the water to grab a particularly juicy fig or other fruit. When the mouth of the fish is...

There are currently 34 described species of Osteochilus although none can be considered popular in the aquarium hobby. According to Rainboth's 'Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong' members of the genus are characterised by lack of aspine, presence of 11-18rays, large rostral and maxillary barbels, papillae on both upper and lower lips, darkened but not black median fins and the fact that the lower lip is not separated from the isthmus by a deep post-labial groove. O. hasseltii can be f...

Given its eventual size and natural behaviour this species is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term. Unfortunately juveniles are readily available in the trade, although the scarcity of privately-maintained adults would suggest that most fail to reach their potential.

This is one of the commoner "otos" seen in the hobby, and is an ideal species for the planted aquarium. Unfortunately it can be quite delicate when first imported, and losses are not uncommon. This is usually down to lack of food, as it's a small fish and needs to feed almost constantly, so it's easily starved during transportation. As almost all otos are wild caught, they can be quite sensitive to water quality, too. Many hobbyists report fewer problems if the fish are added...

O. lithobates is a true rock dweller and is hardly ever seen in open water, even in aquaria. In fact, the scientific name lithobates literally translates as "rock dweller". Breeding males of this species rank among the most stunning of Lake Malawi Haplochromine cichlids. The three characteristic spots on the flanks disappear and are masked by a stunning neon blue patterning. Almost the entireand top of the head turn a deep yellow-orange colour. The most colourful variant is the "...

One of the largest goby species in the world, O. marmoratus is unsuitable for the vast majority of aquaria, but is an interesting oddball for the true enthusiast with the facilities to house it properly. It is a nocturnal ambush predator and generally remains motionless during daylight hours unless striking at food. It is a popular food fish in some of its native countries, where it is known as soon hock....

Type locality is given simply as 'Seychelles' and this species was originally endemic to the Granitic Seychelles, i.e., those islands in the centre of the group composed chiefly of granite rock. A translocated population now exists on Zanzibar while in the Seychelles it's known from the islands of Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette and La Digue.

The majority of original populations have already been extirpated due to introduction of invasive species such as Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia reticulata, ongoing deforestation of the Ambohitra Massif, and physical diversion of the source of the Sakaramy River for domestic use by locals. An additional population may exist in a stream on the southern slope of the Ambohitra Massif on the road between Bobasokoa and Anivorano, near the village of Andranotohiliny, but this requires verification.

In size and weight terms Pangasius sanitwongsei is second only to the giant Mekong catfish, Pangasianodon gigas in the family Pangasiidae, easily qualifying it as one of the largest freshwater fish species in the world. Alarmingly it's been exported for the trade in quite large numbers in recent years. It's usually seen for sale as a cute silvery 2-3" youngster, most often without adequate information regarding its long term care requirements and potential size. Unfortunately ...

Infrequently encountered in the aquarium trade, most often as bycatch among shipments of similar-looking congeners. It's included in the P. kuhlii group of closely-related species within the genus, and can be distinguished from other members by...

It's included in the P. kuhlii-oblonga group of closely-related species within the genus as per Bohlen et al. (2011) and can be...

This species is among the most frequently-misidentified in the hobby, almost always being traded as P. kuhlii. However the latter is currently considered endemic to Java, from where commercial collections are almost unheard of, and has possibly never been seen in aquaria.

Patterning is highly variable depending both within and between populations and the species may comprise an assemblage containing a number of taxa (Kottelat and Lim, 1993; Tan and Kottelat, 2009). For example, those from Singapore and Johor possessing intricate mottling on the dorsal surface while individuals from Terengganu have a series of saddle-like markings either alternating or connecting with the midlateral markings.

Pangio species are often generically referred to as 'kuhli' or 'coolie' loaches in the aquarium hobby, the latter a variation of the former which was itself derived from the surname of German naturalist Heinrich Kuhl (1797-1821). Ichthyo...

The common name of this surface-dwelling species is derived from it's appearance when viewed from above, the large pectoral fins giving it the appearance of a butterfly. In reality, these fins serve a dual purpose. They help to camouflage the fish, making it look like a dead leaf floating on the surface, and along with the caudal fin, power the incredible jumps that it is capable of making. The fish jumps from the water to catch flying insects or to escape potential predators and it can mak...

P. fasciata is rarely seen in the trade and is typically available only as bycatch among shipments of Sinibotia spp., particularly S. robusta. According to current classification numerous species from several genera are considered synonymous with it.

Traded under various names including 'mottled', 'eyepot', 'sand' and 'striped' loach. It's perhaps one of the better choices for those new to keeping nemacheilids being relatively hardy, peaceful and exhibiting some quirky behavioural traits. The characteristic ocellus, a dark marking at the top of the caudal peduncle that resembles an eye, is thought to have some function in predator distraction and is normally more intense in younger specimens.

This species is still considered a member of the genus Nemacheilus by some sources, but it was reclassified and placed in Acanthocobitis by Grant (2008). Acanthocobitis sinuata, generally considered a junior synonym of A. mooreh (Kottelat, 2012b), also appears distinct and differs in geographical distribution plus number of dorsal-fin rays (2-3/9-10 in A. mooreh vs. 2/8-9 in A. sinuata) and some aspects of colour pattern.

One of the most popular and instantly recognisable fishes in the aquarium hobby, this species has been selectively-bred to produce a number of additional strains including albino, 'golden' (leucistic), short-bodied, long-finned and 'diamond' (in which the dorsal surface is covered in reflective scales). Unfortunately years of commercial breeding have somewhat affected the genetic vigour of the ornamental strain meaning morphological defects an...

For aquarists perhaps more useful are the subtle differences in colour pattern with P. simulans differing from both P. innesi and P. axelrodi in possessing a greener (vs. bluer) lateral stripe which covers more (vs. less) of the eye/head and extends to the caudal-fin base (vs. terminating anterior to caudal-fin base), a lesser (vs. greater) amount of relatively duller (vs. brighter) red pigmentation on the flanks. The taxonomic history of all three species is complicated with earlier authors such as Géry (1960, 1977) ten...