Results for “melanism”

At present there are 5 sub-species, Sarotherodon melanotheron melanotheron, S. m. heudelotii, S. m. leonensis, S. m. nigripinnis and S. m. paludinosus. Confusingly, some of these are maternal mouthbrooders. It has been introduced into several countries for aquaculture purposes and thriving populations now exist in areas of Asia, Europe and the USA....

The majority of Lobocheilos species are endemic to the Greater Sunda Islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, and are uncommon in the aquarium trade, but the widespread Indochinese taxa L. melanotaenia and L. rhabdoura are available on a sporadic basis. L. melanotaenia can be distinguished from L. rhabdoura by the following comb...

Hyphessobrycon melanostichos shares a number of similarities with Hyphessobrycon sp. Blue Ribbon. The former can be differentiated from the latter by a lighter set, more streamlined body , smaller humeral spot and also red colouring, which is not present on the Blue Ribbon tetra. Care and maintenance of the two species is however, virtually the same.

This species was originally classified in the genus Limia before this was made a sub-genus of Poecilia. Confusingly they have been reclassified once more into Limia, but are still referred to as members of Poecilia in much of the available literature. L. melanogaster is endemic to Jamaica. It is not often seen for sale in the hobby....

Despite its ready availability, M. auratus is not recommended for the beginner due to its intolerant nature. Do not keep it with other Melanochromis species as they may hybridise. Male fish can revert to the golden colouration when stressed, and older females often darken with age until they superficially resemble males....

This species belongs to the group of Melanochromis often called "Pike Auratus". These species predate on the fry of other species, although M. chipokae will also eat crustaceans and algae. Female and juvenile male M. chipokae are easily confused with M. auratus. However, it can be distinguished by its noticeably more pointed mouth, denoting the predatory nature of this species (auratus has a rounded mouth which is designed for feeding on algae). The striped patterning in the also exten...

M. cyaneorhabdos was formerly known as M. "maingano", after a village located on the shore off which it is found. It can be distinguished from the similar M. johanni by the overall blueish colouration of dominant males, as opposed to the more black patterning of johanni. It is sometimes incorrectly sold as "electric blue" johanni. Do not keep it with other Melanochromis species as they may hybridise....

This species can be distinguished from the similar M. cyaneorhabdos by the overall black colouration of dominant males, as opposed to the more blueish patterning of cyaneorhabdos. It is sometimes sold as "electric blue johanni". Do not keep it with other Melanochromis species as they may hybridise....

This species was originally sold as M. fuscus and then M. sp. "lepidophage. The name refers to the act of lepidophagy, which is the act of a fish eating the scales of another fish. In nature M. lepidiadaptes apparently lives an opportunistic lifestyle, feeding almost solely on the scales of other species, although interestingly not other mbuna. However in aquaria this behaviour has never been witnessed. Do not keep it with other Melanochromis species as they may hybridise....

This species was formerly classified as part of the Melanotaenia splendida complex, but more recent research into the genetics of the species has shown that not only is M. australis genetically dissimilar to the splendida group, but also that there are 2 clear lineages within australis This may yet result in another official member of the genus. M. australis exhibits a wide variation in colour and patterning depending on locality, and is probably the commonest rainbowfish species in Australi...

There are currently 4 described subspecies of Melanotaenia splendida. The principle differences are generally in colour, pattern and fin counts, although even these vary depending on the locality of the fish. The different forms and subspecies should not be mixed in the aquarium, as they may hybridise. Adult specimens are rarely seen for sale, and it's the much drabber juvenile fish that are almost always offered in dealers tanks. However, exercise some patience (even on a good diet, full c...

There are currently 4 described subspecies of Melanotaenia splendida, of which this species is one of the most colourful. The principle differences are generally in colour, pattern and fin counts, although even these vary depending on the locality of the fish. The different forms and subspecies should not be mixed in the aquarium, as they may hybridise. Adult specimens are rarely seen for sale, and it's the much drabber juvenile fish that are almost always offered in dealers tanks. However,...

There are currently 4 described subspecies of Melanotaenia splendida. The principle differences are generally in colour, pattern and fin counts, although even these vary depending on the locality of the fish. M s. splendida in particular also exhibits a wide variation in colour and patterning depending on locality within the subspecies, and the species name is often suffixed with a place name when the fish are seen for sale. The different forms and subspecies should not be mixed in the aquarium,...

M. melanonotus is rarely imported and little information is available regarding its captive care. The shovel-like lower jaw possessed by some individuals of this species has been the cause of some confusion regarding the fishes' true identity. It was originally placed in the genus Platygnathochromis, in which it was the only species. However, Ad Konings observed that amongst wild breeding populations there existed individuals both with and without the modified lower jaw. The specimens witho...

May also be seen on sale under the trade names 'Bala shark' or 'tricolor shark minnow' and perhaps among the most commonly-encountered ornamental fish species. It is unfortunate that the vast majority of those traded are juveniles and tend to come supplied with little to no information provided regarding their potential size and requirements, a fairly ironic situation given the apparently precarious status of wild populations.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

M. affinis was one of the first rainbowfish species to be imported for the hobby in any numbers. There are several geographical variants, three of which can be found in the hobby. The "standard" form has a large natural range and is the most commonly encountered. The "Pagwi" form has a very limited distribution, being known only from a tributary of the Sepik River in New Guinea, while the "Bluewater Creek" form has only been collected from a single location close t...

This uniquely-patterned species is one of the most popular rainbowfish in the hobby and can be found swimming in most dealers' tanks. However, virtually all these fish are mass-produced on fish farms in the Far East and Eastern Europe. M. boesmani is actually quite rare in nature, and is on the IUCN red list of endangered species. Unfortunately this is one species on which the aquarium trade has had a massively detrimental effect, with an estimated one million fish a year being collected to...

Also known as the Murray River or crimson-spotted rainbowfish, this species is not as common in the hobby as some of its relatives, but can still be found from time to time. It is easily confused with the very similar M. duboulayi, indeed these two were once grouped together as a single species. However, there are clear differences in patterning, fin ray counts and the way in which their eggs and fry develop. The range of M. fluviatilis extends further south than any other rainbowfish, and a...