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A. rupununi vs. A. hippolytae

Sharpfish

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5 Year Member
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87
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Carnegie, Pa 15106
I have aquired a group of each, from separate sources. The books and internet photos are apparently unreliable. I can not tell where one fish begins and one ends. I swear they are using the same fish to describe both species. What subtle differences should I look for? Wally
 

Mike Wise

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Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
They are similar, but do have noticable differences in their dark markings. Since you have both, you can compare them quite easily:

Caudal spot: larger, covers ¾ of the height of the caudal peduncle on A. hippolytae; smaller, covers about ½ the height of the caudal peduncle on A. rupununi.

Flank spot: large & round on A. hippolytae; smaller and more oval on A. rupununi.

Cheek stripe: narrower at the eye than at the bottom of the gill cover - doubles in width at the base and forms an 'eye spot' on displaying male A. hippolytae; narrow at the eye and barely widening at the bottom on A. rupununi.

Caudal fin (male): round to oval on mature male A. hippolytae; round to truncate (squared off) on A. rupununi.

If you can't see a distinct difference, then you might have only 1 species. Photos will help verify the species.
 

Sharpfish

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
87
Location
Carnegie, Pa 15106
I do actually have both species. The caudal punduncle spot is the easiest trait to tell apart. But once I got a chance to look at the males side by side I could definitely tell them apart once I knew what to look for.
 

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