The modified lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known species have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Turkichthys in the past and it is still sometimes listed as a species of Lebias although that generic name has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003. You're unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it ma…

The elongated, slender body profile, angular lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known subspecies have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Kosswigichthys in the past and it's still inexplicably listed as a species of Lebias by some sources (for the record Lebias has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003). You're unlikely to find i…

A. anatoliae is the most widely-distributed of the Anatolian Aphanius species although like most of its congeners is not easy to come by in the hobby. You are unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it may be available via specialist breeders or associations from time-to-time. While Aphanius spp. are certainly not as colourful as some of their relatives their interesting behaviour and continuous activity make them fascinating aquarium subjects and well worth a try if you possess the de…

It’s also been collected in more open areas but wherever it is found the substrate is composed of boulders, smaller stones, sand and/or gravel along with decomposing plant material. From images we’ve seen typical habitats are composed of short sections of rocky rapids interspersed by deeper pools with exposed bedrock.

Rainboth describes how he collected a large group of…

This species does not appear to be in the aquarium hobby at time of writing though it may have been in the past, when exports of wild Epalzeorhynchos spp. still took place.

Most members of the genus were formerly regarded as Labeo spp. and are thus referred to as such in older literature. According to Rainboth (1996) they’re characterised by absence of a dorsal spine, possession of 10-13 branched dorsal fin rays, a thin membrane…

Typically inhabits slow-moving, shallow, shady rainforest streams and swamps with dense submerged and marginal vegetation. The conditions are often rather turbid and the substrate composed of mud or fallen leaves, twigs and branches. Such environments characteristically contain soft, weakly acidic water and are often dimly-lit due to the rainforest canopy above. The fish are found sheltering among overhanging tree roots and aquatic vegetation.

The hill streams in which this fish can be found are generally shaded by the forest canopy and dense marginal vegetation. Substrates are typically composed of boulders, smaller stones, sand or gravel with submerged tree roots around the margins and quieter areas in which fallen branches and leaf litter collect.

Other fish species occurring in the Tunga…

The genus Puntius is currently viewed as something of a catch-all for well over 100 species of small to mid-sized cyprinid. Most experts agree that a full revision is required with the likely outcome that many species will be placed into new or different genera since it is clearly polyphyletic.

When describing the grouping in 1822 Hamilton identified the defining characteristics as: presence or absence o…

B. burdigala is exceptionally rare in the hobby with many fishes traded or pictured as such being B. uberis or other congener. It’s included in the Betta coccina group/complex of closely-related species within the genus. This assemblage mostly comprises small, red-coloured fishes with the exceptions of B. persephone and B. miniopinna which are darkish. Identifying some of the red ones correctly is not always easy as the patterning in them can be both similar and confusingly variable.

The genus Betta is the most speciose within the family Osphronemidae with almost 70 recognised members and looks set to grow further with new ones continuing to be described on a regular basis since the turn of the century. Member species have successfully adapted to inhabit a variety of ecological niches from stagnant ditches to flowing hill streams including some extreme environments such as highly acidic peat swamp forests.