ID Please, Eunotus group???

[ste12000]

Hi Mike, Tom or anyone else that can help.

At a recent auction a bag of aprox 40 F1 juveniles came up for sale labeled simply as "New species" Apistogramma 'Nine stripe' from Columbia.. Three of us bought the bag and split it three ways, ive brought my young fish home and now need to ID them..

They are a Eunotus type fish, still small but settled and well fed! They show lots of variation in the patterning and in certain moods show definate abdominal stripes. Ive took a few pics to show the fish, not brilliant but if you need any more i can get them. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike Wise]

I don't think it is an eunotus-complex species. The bright area in front of the caudal spot screams "regani-complex" to me. At first I thought that it might be the same color morph of A. sp. Masken as Römer's "A. sp. Peru-regani. Your fish, however, don't seem to show any markings on the caudal fin. It looks more like A. sp. Gelbwangen/Yellow-cheeks, but I haven't heard of it coming from so far up the Amazon although it is possible. If I didn't know for sure where it came from, I would call it A. cf. "sp. Gelbwangen".

 

[Mike Wise]

If I didn't know for sure where it came from, I would call it A. cf. "sp. Gelbwangen".

No, if I didn't know for sure where it came from, I would call it A. sp. Gelbwangen. Since there is a possibility that it comes from Colombia, THEN I'd call it A. cf. "sp. Gelbwangen".

 

[ste12000]

Many thanks Mike, i had looked at A62 in the Datz but shrugged it off because of the location..BUT the seller was not the collector and just because they were sold as a Columbian species does not mean its 100%accurate.
Ill label it in my fishroom as A cf sp 'Glebwangen' and will post some more pics when they mature and hopefully spawn.. Thanks again, Ste.

 

[Microman]

Now these fish have grown a little ive taken a few pics of mine.
Do you still think they are A. cf. sp. Gelbwangen Mike? Cracking facial and throat markings....
Cheers,
Mark...

 

[Mike Wise]

Well, Mark, they do look like something close to A. sp. Gelbwangen/Yellow-cheeks to me. There are very (very!) few forms of the regani-complex that have clear, unpatterned caudal fins. On the other hand, I've never seen pictures of Gelbwangen with so much red on the face. Kathy & Eric Olsen collected a fish (Gelbwangen) that looks very similar to yours from around Manacapuru in Brazil. Their fish had less red and yellow-cheeks. When they breed (probably while you're in Peru) it would be nice to see the female in brood dress. For now, I think I will stay with my original ID - A. cf. sp. Gelbwangen.

 

[Microman]

Thankyou Mike...
I thought id show you the pics as the red on the face and particularly the throat area really made me scratch my head.
I have a female with eggs at the moment so pics ASAP....
Mark...

 

[ste12000]

Mark, cracking photos of your male..I lost mine just after they spawned, didnt notice these great markings but he was only just mature when they spawned. The female is shown below.