Apistogramma sp. Apayaco

[Drayden Farci]

Is this a form of A. barlowi? A. sp. Maulbruter? (Are they the same now?)

Stressed coloration is very dark with green iridescence on the top of all scales, rust colored dorsal. Normal coloration is seen in the big male in the video. Tail has a small blue streak at the bottom, and the bottom half appears yellow in some individuals. The lateral band extends deep into the caudal, and when fighting, the jaw and throat turn very dark black. Wild caught from Apayaco in Peru. Very colorful, and I wish they kept their stress color permanently.

 

[Mike Wise]

Again, I find it hard to ID fish from videos. That being said, the Río Apayacu (the fish name is a corruption of this) is a tributary of the Amazon west of Pebas on the Río Ampiyacu. A. barlowi is only known from the the Ampiyacu northwest of Pebas. There is another barlowi-like species that occurs just downstream from the mouth of the Río Napo near Oran. So I wouldn't be surprised to see other barlowi-complex species in the area.