A. Cacatuoides female?

[Mason]

I was sold what I was told is a Cacatuoides female but it doesn't have the characteristic 'stripe' down the middle. It is still quite young (about 1 inch)and has three distinct black dots on each side of it's body, one of which is located just above the gill area has considerable irridescent colouration(blue, yellow,orange,red!). Just wondering if anyone know's if the female can look like this or if it is possibly a different appisto?

 

[Mike Wise]

It does not sound like any cacatuoides that I've ever seen. Any chance of a photo?

 

[Mason]

Ive been shammed

Sorry I don't have a digi cam yet so I can't get any pictures. It totally isn't a cacatuoides. I've been looking at as many pics as I could find on the web and I cant ID it at all. What ticks me off even more is that I originally bought a pair of what I now know to be 2 triple red male cacatuoides. When I bought these two little guys I didn't even know a thing about appistogrammas and was led to believe that one of them was female because it had shorter fins. Not the case. I now have 2 dueling male cacatuoides ( well not really duelling, as one has been confined to 1 foot of the tank and the other with an entire 3 feet) and 1 lonely female appisto( it's fins are actually short,rather than shorter which is how I am basing my hypothesis that it is a female of some sort)that constantly swims against the glass.

P.S. If it is a female appisto, can I breed it with my cacatuoides?

 

[Greg PL]

Mason,
A. cacatuoides is arguably the most available fish in the hobby. you should have no problem with finding females for your males. don't bother with the "double-red", "orange" flesh or anything, just bring them 4-5 females and enjoy the show

 

[Mike Wise]

If it is a female appisto, can I breed it with my cacatuoides?

Closely related apisto are known to interbreed, buy why would you want a hybrid fish???

 

[Mason]

hybrid shmybrid

Doesn't really matter to me. I just want to see the miracle of birth within my tank as I have never witnessed this before. I'm still relatively new to owning fish as I have had a tank for just a little over a year now. Is a hybrid fish such a bad thing? Wouldn't it be unique because nobody else has it. Or is there health issues with hybrid's?

 

[Mike Wise]

Everyone has an opinion on hybrid fish. The American Cichlid Association, for example, will not permit showing or selling hybrid cichlids in any sanctioned show or their "Trading Post". Most apisto crosses lead to fish with deformed scales and fins. Take a look at the following web site: http://www.schmettkamp.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=147 This cross was made by Dr. Römer to see how readily two very closely related species would interbreed. Fig 31 (Abb. 31) is a photo of a male A. nijsseni (Abb. 19) X A. baenschi (Abb. 4). Obviously it is not a desirable fish. Usually such crosses are deformed and weak (so much for 'hybrid vigor' in this genus!) and not worth keeping, if any survive. There are many hobbyist who hate hybrids so much that they will never buy from anyone who even attempts to cross fish - for fear of getting hybridized fish.

A. cacatuoides are so common in the hobby that it is not worth even thinking of crossing it with unknown fish.

 

[Mason]

Update

The mystery fish has more marking's now: the spots have turned in to 6 vertical stripes but the 3 spots are still visible in 3 of the stripes; also on the tip of the dorsal fin there is a thin horizontal red followed by blue stripe.

 

[Mason]

Another update

It's eyes are red. I've looked through stacks of photos of apistogramma's on the web and the closest to it is a steindachneri, but the colouration seems off. I know I'm being a pest but the fish store stands by it's word that it is a cacuatoides, yah right!

 

[tigerbarb]

Hi
im a new member but have you looked at the (inka) apistogramma baenschi the femails seem to be like that as i have some wild wones try them good hunting.