identifying apistos...need help...

[cmoreash]

Hello, I have good news for myself.

I was shopping for plants at my LFS, and I was looking into a tank full of onion bulbs. Guess what I saw in the back? Some apistos! These were the only apistogrammas I had seen in the store in months. I asked the guy if they were for sale, and he said they came in with the feeder fish, so I could have all 3 of them for 99 cents apiece!

One is around 1 inch, one is around 1.5 inches, and one is around 2 inches. I am not sure what type they are. They aren't very colorful right now, as they were in an unheated tank with plants for sale, and I am sure they didn't get much to eat.

Here is what they look like: A greyish body (SLIGHTEST hint of blue). with thick, vertical grey lines that almost reach the bottom of their body. The back fin is pale orange in color. Near their gills, and on the edges of all other fins but the back one are light blue speckles, like the color of the ones on a blue ram. They have rounded fins, and no extensions as of yet. These are my guesses at to what they are: hongsloi, cruzi, borelli.

I really think it is the cruzi, but I am not sure. any thought?

 

[Neil]

Your description covers a pretty large group of fish. It could be cruzi, but it would be helpful to have a pic. Any chance?

 

[cmoreash]

not yet, I will get a picture of them sometime this weekend. I am really leaning towards cruzi or hongsloi.

 

[cmoreash]

well, the large one, i think a male, has colored up a bit. he is bluee all over, like the blue on this site's borders. A dark stripe runs across the body. faint vertical bars still exist. His back fin is bright orange, and the others are a creamy orange now, except for the dorsal, which is more of a transparent orangish. He has gotten aggressive, and chases the other two around. I will get some pics ASAP.

 

[cmoreash]

OK, I have pictures now!

http://www.members.cox.net/cmoreash/apistogrammas.html

Can you guys please help me identify them? Thanks for your help!

 

[Neil]

It is difficult to make out the pictures of the largest specimen, and that would be the most instructive, but it might be cruzi or moae. I don't think they are hongsloi.
Is that a blotch on the cheek of the largest?

 

[cmoreash]

well, I guess you could call it a blotch, just coloring, no ailment. He has fairly bright blue "cheeks" now, and the rest of his body is getting more blue by the day. The orange on the fins of him and the medium one is getting brighter.

I think this could be them! http://www.thekrib.com/Apisto/A-piauiensis.html

 

[Neil]

I don't think so. I have had piauiensis before and I don't recall their lips being that large.
That blotch on the cheek makes me kind of think that you have a nijsenni complex fish of some sort, but I don't think that's right either, because the smaller fish are showing distinct vertical banding that nijsenni wouldn't. You never know, you might have 2 different species in the 3 fish you got.
Neil

 

[cmoreash]

Yes, I realized the lips are too big for cruzi or piauiensis...hmm...this is tough...the fish are all the same, the small guy is just a youngster, and the medium is like a teenager.

These aren't nijsennis i don't think, because the tails are all orange, not tipped. the the face just doesn't look the same. could it be an eunotus? The big guy sure is moody, chases the others a lot when they come near his caves.

 

[Neil]

Same deal. I don't think eunotus has lips like that. There have been quite a few new species coming out of Peru, in the cacatuoides group/ nijsenni complex. This may be one. But the pics are not clear enough to give a lot of important details of the largest individual.
Neil

 

[cmoreash]

Really? I was thinking they slightly resembled cacatuoides, but the color is way different. As for the pictures, I am gonna take some new ones by the end of the week, when I am not busy.

 

[cmoreash]

after closer observation, i discovered something interesting. My apistogrammas have blue and red speckles on their cheeks, very similar to the Apistogramma Morado. I think that rules out the cacatuoides and the nijsseni.

I think this is it now: Papagei. these look really similar to my fish, even if the pictures suggest otherwise. My fish are lighter, and a lot more colorful since those pictures.

 

[Neil]

That is possible. I will wait for the new pics, but papagei is one of many new species out of the area.

 

[cmoreash]

Neal, and everyone else interested: I got some very good pics of them now: http://www.members.cox.net/cmoreash/apistogrammas.html

NOW, I bet you guys can ID them for me...

Thanks!

 

[cmoreash]

Well I am 99% positive I know what I have now, so please correct me if I am wrong: Apistogramma Gossei. Here are the pics again: http://www.members.cox.net/cmoreash/apistogrammas.html

Thanks for the time, everyone!

Oh yes, the medium on is yellowish today with dark black, and is aggressive towards the small one.