A couple of new acquisitions from the Amazon 2011

[Tom C]

Apistogramma sp. "kosho-kosho"

A "new" Apistogramma form, collected near Puerto Maldonado, Peru, in September 2011. It seems to be close related to A. urteagai.
It was named after a pet name a fisherman uses for his youngest son

Apistogramma sp. "Tahuayo" (A 79)

As far as I know, this species hasn't been exported since 2000, so there are probably not many of them around.

I was lucky and found and collected this beautiful member of the A.-eunotus-Subcomplex in the Río Tahuayo-drainage in October 2011.

Apistogramma sp. "Matses"

This species might be the same as listed as Apistogramma sp. "Nijsseni-New". Although the latter species never showed any rows of blue spots in the caudal fins.

I collected this amazing new member of the A.-nijsseni-Group in the Río Galvez-drainage, in an area belonging to the Matses indians, in October 2011.

 

[Algae Beater]

beautiful animals! stunning acquisitions

 

[regani]

beautiful fish, indeed. I especially like the A. sp "Matses".
You wouldn't happen to travel to to Australia in the near future with some of those in your bags??

 

[G.Caso]

wow beautiful fish
I wonder how and where you purchased?
thank you very much

 

[Tom C]

.....You wouldn't happen to travel to to Australia in the near future with some of those in your bags??

Haha, I wouldn't even dream of trying to bring live biological material into Australia, risking many years in prison!
But just drop in when you are in Norway, and I'll be happy to donate you some of them!

.....I wonder how and where you purchased?

Purchased? I've been 4 weeks in the Amazon documenting Apistogramma-habitats and different forms of Apistogramma species. Except for the first one; I collected them myself!


Ready for more? Yes, I thought so...

Apistogramma rubrolineata from the Puerto Maldonado-area:

Apistogramma sp. Papagei from a new location; many hours (of walking) from Pebas. With an unusual very blue appearance:

Apistogramma sp. Papagei from a location 3 hours closer to Pebas than the first one:

Apistogramma sp. Pebas (Morado) from Oran:

Apistogramma sp. Pebas (Morado) from Oran, with an unusual hint of green, especially in the face. The locals sort these out and sell them under the name Apistogramma Esmeralda (or Emerald):

Apistogramma panduro was found and collected in the Río Tahuayo-drainage:

where there also were some nice A. (cf.) agassizii:

and what so far seems to be A. cf. eunotus Orangeschwanz:

Apistogramma panduro was also found and collected in the Río Tamshiyacu-drainage:

And Apistogramma nijsseni was found and collected "near" Jenaro Herrera:

together with an A. (cf.) agassizii and what seems to be Moenkhausia agnesae(?):

Of course some Characins, who lived sympatrically with the Apistos, also were documented and followed me home.

Almost 11 months to the next trip......

 

[Mike Wise]

Is the urteagai-like species the same as the fish that Jeff Cardwell & Vin Kutty collected last year? It sure looks similar. OK, where do you want to go next year?

 

[Cichlid Junkie]

I must be an amazing feeling to go and collect these beautiful fish where they originate from. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Very nice! Any pics of the fish after they have acclimated in to your home aquariums? Any pics of the characins you mentioned?

 

[Tom C]

Is the urteagai-like species the same as the fish that Jeff Cardwell & Vin Kutty collected last year? It sure looks similar. OK, where do you want to go next year?

I sent you the pictures earlier, you said that although the dorsal fin is quite high on this A. urteagai-like fish, it is noticeable lower than in the Cardwell/Kutty-fish. It isn't collected far from where they found theirs, however....
Next year I think it's time to finally have a look at the A. (cf.) payaminonis, and also to examine the Río Curaray while I'm in that area.
And I know where to find an "A. cacatuoides" with red/orange markings on both the upper AND the lower part of the caudal fin! Whatever it is....
I also know where to find the PINK A. (cf.) eunotus, which might be more similar to the original A. eunotus than most others?
I didn't go to the Río Putumayo this year, as I wanted to do it next year. There is a quite cheap local flight from Iquitos to (San Antonio del) Estrecho, just north of the Río Algodon.
The A. cf. huascar with a dorsal fin reminding of this fin in the A.sp. Breitbinden, in the Río Alemãn, would be nice to document and collect. This could be combined with a visit to a totally new lodge in the lower Río Tapiche, which has asked for my assistance in finding out what cichlids (and other fish) they have in their (very interesting) area.
The rumor of a new nijsseni-group(?) fish in the upper Río Mazan is interesting.
And there are of course thousands of other options.....unfortunately the Río Huallaga-area is far too dangerous these days.....

...Any pics of the fish after they have acclimated in to your home aquariums? Any pics of the characins you mentioned?

I'm sorry, not yet.

But I forgot to show you the A. norberti I found and collected in the Río Tahuayo.
I had totally forgot that this species lives there, and it was nice to find it, in beautiful blackwater:

 

[Ttw]

Tom
I also collected A. norberti in that same drainage. Soon after I got the fish home they gradually lost the red lips and none of the offspring ever developed the red lips. Also outside of Jenaro Herrera you may have passed an agricultural station. We collected in that station and found several color morphs of A agassizi, some nearly entirely yellow as well as red and blue fish. To catch the nijsseni, we had a long hot hike. A very fruitful trip.
Tom W

 

[regani]

Haha, I wouldn't even dream of trying to bring live biological material into Australia, risking many years in prison!
But just drop in when you are in Norway, and I'll be happy to donate you some of them!

hehe. not so keen on getting into strife with the Australian customs either.
may take you up on your offer the next time I am Europe, though, at least to stop by and say hello

 

[Apistomaster]

Tom,

The first pair of Apistogramma nissenji shown in the first shot in your first post was like my first and only wild pair I ever had. Mine spawned several times but I wasn't used to working with fish in nearly neat RO at a pH of about 4.5 and never did get any eggs to hatch. I was buying RO water from a reef fish shop back then. I was improvising all the way with them at the time. That was in Seattle around 1997. They are one of the most beautiful of the Apistos IMO.

 

[tompoz]

Beautiful fish! I am looking forward to a long photo-story from this trip on your website.

 

[halmiris]

I like very much Apistogramma sp. "kosho-kosho". Beatifull colors and very nice form.

 

[tjudy]

Very cool! THanks for sharing, Tom.

 

[Tom C]

I also collected A. norberti in that same drainage. Soon after I got the fish home they gradually lost the red lips and none of the offspring ever developed the red lips. Also outside of Jenaro Herrera you may have passed an agricultural station. We collected in that station and found several color morphs of A agassizi, some nearly entirely yellow as well as red and blue fish. To catch the nijsseni, we had a long hot hike. A very fruitful trip.

Hi Tom,
Some of my earlier males of A. norberti have actually kept a significant part of the red lips, while the red color of others have faded. Strange, isn't it? I'll keep an eye on these new ones.....
I found several color forms of A. agassizii too, and walked in the jungle for 11 hot hours when collecting the A. nijsseni! I know this species is found much closer to the village too, but the locals obviously don't want to reveal these locations.....

Just an update on the A. sp. "Matses"

A sp. "Matses", wild male in aquarium:

The caudal fin seems to develop double or triple tips?

A sp. "Matses", wild female in aquarium:

 

[Mike Wise]

Just an update on the A. sp. "Matses"

The caudal fin seems to develop double or triple tips?

Do you mean that the caudal fin develops top, middle, and bottom fin extensions? That is unusual!

 

[Tom C]

Do you mean that the caudal fin develops top, middle, and bottom fin extensions?....

Well, I'm unsure what to think, seeing this caudal fin:

 

[Mike Wise]

Somewhat similar to some specimens of A. norberi, which develop a single short extension on the upper lobed of the caudal fin.

 

[Tom C]

Somewhat similar to some specimens of A. norberi, which develop a single short extension on the upper lobed of the caudal fin.

What about the short extension in the middle...isn't it long enough to "count"?

An update on the A.sp. "Matses":

Less than 5 weeks after been collected in the wild, one of the relative small females has brought out fry:

She really shows her aggression potensial, against another female in the tank (the latter gets a h.... of a beating when not hiding), while the male is more or less tolerated.