Apisto id ... once more

[Gamelle]

Hello,

I need your help once more to identify this juvenile... hope the following photos will be enough.

http://gamelle28.free.fr/apisto_to_id_1.jpg
http://gamelle28.free.fr/apisto_to_id_2.jpg

Thanks in advance

--
Stephane

 

[Mike Wise]

It is hard to say. It is a member of the nijsseni-group, probably male. The long lower jaw says it is not A. nijsseni. The lateral band is more distinct than on species of the nijsseni-complex, so I imagine it is a member of the payaminonis-complex. The only payaminonis-complex fish presently in the hobby is A. sp. aff. payaminonis Zwilling/Twin. This is only a guess.

 

[Gamelle]

Thank you Mike, I will investigate in this direction. I received this fish with A.eremopyge F1 ... I don't really understand what happened, the breeder doesn't have other species.

 

[Mike Wise]

Are you sure your fish are domestic bred? Contaminants (bi-catches) frequently come in with wild caught fish.

 

[Gamelle]

Yes Mike, the eremnopyge are domestic bred, I think you know the breeder : Herve Coeugnet. But the story of this "intruder" is mysterious ....

Just to be sure, here is a picture of one of the other juveniles, they're very shy, so quite difficult to observe :

http://gamelle28.free.fr/eremnopyge_perhaps.jpg

 

[Mike Wise]

This fish is most likely A. eremnopyge. At least it is a species of the agassizii-lineage, which includes A. eremnopyge, because it has the metallic blue patch at the corner of the mouth. Herve has many different species of Apistogramma. Perhaps this fish was in one of his tanks & he did not know it was there. Then he added the eremnopyge. This has happened to me, too. I once ordered A. piauiensis from a respected US breeder & received an A. borellii in the order.

 

[Gamelle]

That's why I'm looking for the name of this specie, just to know if I have a chance to find at least another one...

If you plan a trip to France, I have some piauiensis available here ;-)

http://gamelle.9online.fr/piauiensis_F2_male_1.jpg
http://gamelle.9online.fr/piauiensis_F2_male_2.jpg

Thanks for your answers

 

[Mike Wise]

The photos are spectacular! The are the best that I have seen of A. piauiensis.