"A" numbers

[mummymonkey]

The new Datz book is using A-Numbers for apistogramma and apistogrammoides.

Will this be used for all new fish into the hobby?
Will new fish still be given those long German combinations?
Is anybody else using them yet?

 

[Mike Wise]

Back in the late 1970s the Apistogramma Study Group originally used "ASG-#" for apistos. This was because there was so little scientific information on the genus & so many fish that didn't match any of the described species were entering the hobby. This turned out to be a problem when color morphs & populations of the same species were given very different names. DATZ is giving all the apistos A-#s similar to L-#s for loricarids & C-#s for chalichthyds. This is to eliminate the number of confusing common names for apistos. Whether it will work or not depends on how many people use the A-#s. Like the reference numbers for fish in the Aqualog books, they are useful for describing a specific fish. I doubt that A. taeniata (A-1) (& other commonly known fish) will be called by their A-#.

 

[Rolo]

Hi,

I think, the A-numbers can make some things more consitent, e.g. different names used by different experts. First of all, you have to keep in mind, that these numbers are NOT only describing different species, but only different forms. So it can be useful to separate these forms and keep them separate, but otherwise it is much more difficult the other way around...to identify a fish and assign it to a A-number. That means, it's easier to identify a fish as A. taeniata, but it's hard to say (or sometimes impossible) which one of the 10 A-numbers, if you don't have the locality. ...so we will see, how useful these numbers will be in the hobby (where people always want to have an exact assignment to a number) ;-)

So, like the L-numbers at Loricariidae, there will be some confusing difficulties and these numbers won't solve all problems, that's for sure. But nevertheless, the L-numbers has been an advancement to the many different names.

As Mike said, it depends on, how many people will use it, especially the experts. But it will be a hard way to learn them and to use them and it will take a while. As long as nobody use these numbers , nobody else will learn them. But the internet is a good place to force the usage of these numbers. So let's do it... ;-)

To make this easier, I proudly can tell you, that we are working on an online-version of the A-number-list of the Datz-publication on our homepage (www.apistogramma.net). We got all the the original (!) pictures from Ingo Koslowski and have also the permission of Volker Bohnet, Wolfgang Staeck and Dieter Bork to use their ones. So you will have a reference even without having the Datz-publication (but nonetheless you should have it ;-) ).

But it will take a while to include it all, because it's a lot of work and I have to do this alone. So don't hurry and don't worry, you'll get it soon ;-) ...but unfortunately (for most of you), it's all in german, so you have to pass on the explanations. But anyhow, I think it helps, if you can read the numbers and see the pictures ;-)

best regards,
Rolo

 

[blueblue]

Hello Rolo: What a piece of good news and i am sure that we are all
looking forward to it. ^.^
I have got just a suggestion: why don't you and your
fellow colleagues also include the english names (just the names)
of the fish (as what Datz has included currently) in the online publication?
I think it won't involve a lot of work while it can allow more
people from all around the globe to use this online tool for
identification purpose more conveniently. It will definitely encourage
more people to adopt the A-numbering system, too. ^_^

 

[Rolo]

Hi Blueblue,

why don't you and your
fellow colleagues also include the english names (just the names)
of the fish (as what Datz has included currently) in the online publication?

Well... I will think about it.

As you see, the names-list is already pretty long in german, but maybe it's possible, to make a separate list of english names. But this would be a little bit more work and this will take some time.
But I like the idea....

best regards,
Rolo

 

[blueblue]

Thanks Rolo and I am sure everybody will thank you
for your kind consideration and effort ^.^

Hi Blueblue,



Well... I will think about it.

As you see, the names-list is already pretty long in german, but maybe it's possible, to make a separate list of english names. But this would be a little bit more work and this will take some time.
But I like the idea....

best regards,
Rolo