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New name for old friend: A. unipectomaculata

Rolo

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
415
Location
Bremen, Germany
Hi,

Some interesting scientific news about the old problem with A. macmasteri and A. viejita.
Unfortunately I guess it takes 30 years again to find its way into peoples minds. ;-)

Taxonomical revision of two colombian species of Apistogramma (Teleostei: Perciformes) with redescription of Apistogramma viejita Kullander, 1979 as Apistogramma unipectomaculata sp. nov.

Orlando Volquete & Franco Avessi

Abstract
Because of the unacceptable taxonomic situation that has developed over the last twenty years in regard to some species of the Apistogramma macmasteri complex, a revision of the colombian species Apistogramma macmasteri Kullander, 1979 from the Rio Meta system and a redescription of the likewise colombian species Apistogramma viejita Kullander, 1979 from the Rio Yucao system are provided. Due to the ongoing misidentifications in nearly all relevant publications (e.g. Staeck 2003; Roemer 1998, 2004; Kullander 1980, 1980a; Koslowski 1985; Mayland & Bork 1989a; Haseman & Meinken 1956 and Hoedeman 1947a) in which A. viejita sensu strictu has erroneously been used as a synonym of A. macmasteri, the use of the taxon A. viejita for the species A. macmasteri has been established itself as a popular and scientific fact. Therefore the taxon A. viejita becomes a nomen nudum and is no longer available as a valid species name. Nomenclaturically the taxon is transduced to a junior synonym of A. macmasteri according to the rules of ICZN.
Thus the taxon A. viejita is given the status of a valid (permitted for use) synonym of A. macmasteri. The species, so far defined as Apistogramma viejita sensu Kullander, 1979, is redescribed as the 88th taxon of the genus, Apistogramma unipectomaculata sp. nov., based on 27 specimen, which include the two inadequately preserved specimen from the type series of A. viejita. The former holotype of A. viejita (NRM 11231, ♂30.1 mm SL) now achieves the status of a neoparatype and a new holotype is defined (MZUB 42124, gend. unk., 18.2 mm SL).

Here's the link to PDF

regards,
Rolo
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
I didn't know a scientific name could become a "junior synonym" simply because mis-informed people have mis-applied it to other taxa. If the original description was badly done, then it makes sense to rename or at least redescribe it, but is that the case here?
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
No mention of either journal, or authors, on Google Scholar.

No Google page for "The Journal of Advanced Ichthyology" or "Institudo Ichthiologico des Pesces Aguasucia de San José" although the "Universita‘ degli Studi di Napoli Federico II" certainly does exist.

cheers Darrel
 

Rolo

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
415
Location
Bremen, Germany
Gerald, obviously it IS a redescription. And of course, the original description of A. viejita is pretty bad, which is one of the reasons, why so many people misidentified it. For years it was not clear, which fish it is. Due to the insufficient diagnostic characteristics in Kullander 1979 there were the the possibility to call fishes A. viejita, which has been just macmasteris with longer anal and dorsal fins. I hope, there's a clear diagnosis and separation from A. macmasteri in this paper now.

And as I already heard from Mark, the forms, called Viejita II (=Rotflecken) and Viejita III (=Schwarzkehl) in Linke/Staeck are NOT included in A. unipectomaculata.

regards,
Rolo
 

Tph

New Member
Messages
10
Thanks Darrel, I also searched the net (starting with the web of science, then google scholar ...) for the journal. Is it a peer-reviewed journal ? :)) I am not saying that we should read only from ISI master journal list, but this situation is not ok.

There are no signs of those researchers on web of science, either. Their names could be invented. Volquete is a truck, avessi is a verb in Italian.

btw, a small list of ichthyology journals: http://journalseek.net/cgi-bin/journalseek/journalsearch.cgi?field=category&query=bio.ichthyology
Teo
 

Frank Hättich

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
563
Location
Germany
I got the complete paper now and it seems they incuded A. macmasteri/viejita A122 into A. unipectomaculata - imo a good decision!
 

Tom C

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
582
Location
Norway
WOW! Now this is really getting interesting! They included the "natural hybrid" A 122 in the description?
Can't wait to get the full paper...
 

Microman

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
387
Location
Shropshire,England.
The species we know as Staecks Viejita II (A.sp.Rotflecken) and Viejita III (A.sp.Schwarzkehl) are not mentioned in the revision... When you see the geographical distribution for Apistogramma unipectomaculata it doesnt include that of Rotflecken and Schwarzkehl so they have most likely separated them which I think is good work...
 

Rod

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
196
Location
Brisbane,Australia
Personally....don't see the logic
lots of people are incorrectly identify a fish....therefore we will change the name
Isn't the better solution to educate the ignorant?
If they can't be educated....the New name won't Help them???
 

Rolo

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
415
Location
Bremen, Germany
Hi all,

I hope you had a nice April Fools' Day? ;-)

Of course, this paper is a fake, made by Frank_H and me!
Thanks for support to Mike Wise, Mark Breeze and TomC ;-)


Did you enjoy it?

best regards,
Rolo
 
Last edited:

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
I hope you sent it to Sven Kullander too. |;>)
I was suspicious from the start, and more so when Darrel failed to find any evidence of the authors or journal
BTW what would have happened if I'd clicked that link to buy a full PDF copy? I didnt dare try it !
 

Frank Hättich

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
563
Location
Germany
Hi Gerald,

no, we didn't sent it to Kullander, but that's a good idea for next year! We also forgot to submit the new 18.2mm large Holotype of unknown gender to some scientific collection ;) When you click the link, you don't get the full paper, but only two pages with abstracts in english and german, etymology of the name "unipectomaculata" and an explanation of how you can buy the full version - just click it!
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Good Lord! I was just thinking. Have we made the name unipectomaculatus a nomen nudem, never usable again???:eek::D
It is a good one.

Having a bit of a jaundiced view of taxonomic splitters, the abstract seemed plausible, and it was really the "specific epithet" (unipectomaculatus) that initially made me suspicious.

Once I found that the Journal didn't exist anywhere on the internet, or the authors, or one of the Institutions, the only type of fish possible was "poisson d'avril" or "Clupea rubra".

cheers Darrel
 

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