baloon hongsloi?

[Boleslaw Gawel]

When I look at this (subdominant) hongsloi male it resembles me an aberration of Rams called baloon Rams. Do others have same impression? Has anyone seen a honsloi male like this before?

You can compare this male with the one in the topic


http://forum.apistogramma.com/viewtopic.php?t=2544

 

[Mike Wise]

Your A. hongsloi is of the typical Rotstrich form. There are at least 6 forms (species??) of A. hongsloi presently known. The Rotstrich form is a very deep bodied fish (see photo of A. hongsloi in Linke & Staeck's book!). Your fish is not deformed. The spine does not apper to be bent. It looks very healthy to me.

 

[Boleslaw Gawel]

Mike,
thank you for your answer. In fact, the spine of this fish is not bent at all. However, his spine looks shorter than the spines of his sibblings. For example, here is the picture of one of his (typically looking) brothers from the same fry:

I noticed the difference when the fishes were very young, almost since the very beginning.

I am just curious, what is your opinion, which one should I use for reproduction? Being me, which one would you use?

As fas as the coloration is concerned they both are very similiar. The first one looks less colorfull at the picture, but this is basically because he is dominated (by a macmasteri male). The two hongsloi males are curently in differrent tanks.


Unfortunately, I do not have Linke & Staeck's book, so I am not able to compare. What do you mean by 6 forms (_species_). Are different hongsloi forms condidered as possibly different species? Could you give some more info on that? I am asking because while cross-breeding ofdifferent forms of the same species is OK for me, cross breeding of different species is something I never tried before and I would rather try to avoid it.

Bolek
www.apisto.pl

 

[Mike Wise]

I am just curious, what is your opinion, which one should I use for reproduction? Being me, which one would you use?

Bolek,

I would use the male that you like best (or use both at different times!).

Unfortunately, I do not have Linke & Staeck's book, so I am not able to compare.

Since I do not have copyrights for the photo, I will not publish it on this forum. I will send a scan in a private email.

What do you mean by 6 forms (_species_). Are different hongsloi forms condidered as possibly different species? Could you give some more info on that? I am asking because while cross-breeding ofdifferent forms of the same species is OK for me, cross breeding of different species is something I never tried before and I would rather try to avoid it.

Koslowsk (2002) recognizes 6 different populations that show differences in body depth, finnage, & coloration. These populations are different enough that they can be separated from each other. These include: A. hongsloi (including the colorful Rotstrich & domestic red color morphs), A. cf. hongsloi Orangegelb (Orange-yellow), A. cf. hongsloi Grau (Gray), A. cf. hongsloi Cataniapo, A. cf. hongsloi Maripa (my favorite) & A. cf. hongsloi Capanaparo. Whether or not they are all 1 species or different will require more research. Until then I personally would not cross known populations.

The type A. hongsloi is not in the hobby, to my knowledge. According to the original description of the life colors, this is a fish that has no red color on the body (a photo of a similar fish is found in Schaefer (1994, p.43 bottom). In all other respects it has the same features as the Rotstrich Apisto.

p.s. Anyone collecting A. hongsloi in the lower Rio Caura around Maripa, Venezuela, please send some my way!