Apisto what?

[peterK]

So? They are normal A. hongsloi?

 

[tjudy]

No problems here Chris... They are beautiful fish, I am happy to have them and the mystery is part of the fun! Thank you.

Peter... At this point I really do think that the fish are a wild-type A. hongsloi; which is really exciting to me since we see the tank-strains so often a wild form really stands out... and causes confusion. Comparing this fish to the images in DATZ, what stands out to me is the lack of red in the caudal fin. The tank-strain hongsloi have it, but teh images of the wild-types (most of them anyway) do not. I know that is going to vary a bit, and that there is potential for hongsloi to have red in their tails. However, the images of the wild-type macmasteri, veijita and hoignei pretty much all have some red in their caudals.

We will probably never know which Columbian population it is, but comparing to DATZ and Romer #1 the closest in my opinion is Maripa, but without the red caudal spot (as the DATZ image has, but the Romer image does not).

 

[Mike Wise]

"A. hongsloi", as pictured in publications, seem to include several different closely related species. The Rotstrich-Apistogramma seems to be a highly colorful form of the type A. hongsloi. If you read the original description, you will note that the life colors of the type material had no red on the body. Over the years other forms/species & populations of the hongsloi-complex fish have been pictured. Other than A. hongsloi, many of the other members of the hongsloi-complex are undescribed species.

 

[chris1932]

I am glad you arent dissapointed in the fish. I have taken almost every opportunity to "trade up to wild" when it arises. I figured when the list said Viejita worst come to worst I would end up with a nice wild columbian apisto. I was caught off guard on the packing fish day and was pressed for time. I had ALOT of stuff that got donated to auctions just to free up some tank space. My bad.