A. agassizii crossbreeding

[guppy*]

Well I have a A. agassizii "Alenquer" male looks sorta like this one http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=118&Itemid=44
I am wondering would it be alright it cross it with a Red or Double red female what would the result be as in the color of the fry? Has anyone done this before or is this not a good idea?

 

[Mike Wise]

Dr. Staeck's new book shows a specimen that looks like a cross between A. cf. agassizii Nets (Alenqer) and a red morph of A. agassizii. He has it labeled as a red/yellow domestic morph. It's not a bad looking fish! I would imagine, however, that by crossing the 2 forms that you will get a lot of different looking fish. Probably very few will look like the fish you want.

 

[guppy*]

Im not looking for any thing in paticular i am just trying to breed the A. agassizi in general, do you have pictures of the cross?

 

[Mike Wise]

Since the photo isn't mine, I cannot put it on the web. You can find it on the bottom of page 16 of Staeck's book (Cichliden Lexicon Teil 3: Südamerikanische Zwergbuntbarsche). Basically the fish has the net-like black scale edges, blue flanks, & yellow breast of A. cf. agassizii Net (Alenquer), but has a very long red caudal fin. Realize that there is a possibility that the Alenquer fish is not a true A. agassizii. This shouldn't be a problem since you are making domestic strains similar to 'A. viejita' CF II Super Red & 'A. hongsloi' II - both probably crosses of several closely related species. But once you do this please don't sell them as Alenquers since they are not.

A fish that I find more potentially interesting is A. cf. agassizii BBCE (Broad Black Caudal Edge) 'Santarém Rotrucken/Red-back'. In the wild this fish has a lot of red along the back, but Staeck shows a domestic fish that has more extensive red on the back as well as red patches on the belly and gill covers. I wouldn't be surprised to see an entirely red aggie in a few years.