I.d. Help

[Special Ed]

Hello I bought these labeled as Borellii but after doing some research I believe they are steel blue. Just looking for some confirmation and maybe sexing if possible, thanks.

 

[Frank Hättich]

Yes it's A. sp. Steel-blue and all pictures show males.

 

[KenL]

Steel blue apistos have been around a very long time in the hobby, 30 plus years.
Are they a species or a hybrid?

 

[MacZ]

Hybrid. They have never been found in the wild, and their species diagnostic attributes do not fit any known species group. And they originally only came from asian fishfarms.

 

[Mike Wise]

Actually no one knows for certain. The original Asian-sourced Steel-blue were a domestic strain. We don't know if they were originally bred from a single species or, like many strains of A. hongsloi and A. agassizii, they are a mix of species. European Steel-blue are most likely a hybrid between Asian Steel-blue males and females of one of the wild forms of A. caetei-complex (per Römer).