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Interesting and disturbing at the same time

tjudy

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I came across this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfPqDTYUIk

Interesting because I have never seen any Pelvicachromis lock lips like this pair does. Very odd.

Disturbing because the male is a Nigerian form (the captions says the Nigerian red, which is a tank strain... and i concur that is accurate). But the female is a Cameroon form, most likely Moliwe or a derivative. Most likely the owner of the fish bought them as a pair, and did not know that they are very different kribs. In fact, it is likely that after the revision of the genus they will turn out to be different species.

Regardless... they are pretty fish.
 

dconnors

New Member
Messages
29
Location
Central Michigan
So the 'Nigerian reds' aren't really from Nigeria? Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question, but I am a bit of a newbie to the world of westies. Could you explain this to me? Thanks,
Dave
 

Rod

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5 Year Member
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196
Location
Brisbane,Australia
I'd suggest this happens regularly.....

Saw a tank of taeniatus recently in a lfs.....dehane

Then noticed a very nice male Nigerian red in another tank....but no price
I asked if they were the same price and he said Yes but those were a trio put aside by one of the shop assistants for his own tank....he had selected them from the tank of dehane

I then explained that the male was from a different locality...
Apparently they had Nigerian reds....sold all but one male then got more in....dehane

The shop assistant had no idea he had a male from one locality and females from another.....

These are a rare fish in Australia

I'd suggest most hobbyists....even professionals don't know the differences between localities....particularly the females

If people selling the fish don't know the difference....poor old "newby" has no chance!
 

peterK

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5 Year Member
Messages
460
Location
Poland
Ted,
My Wouri pair did lock lips, not very often but they did. I was surprised by that fact, too.
 

tjudy

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Stoughton, WI
I have seen kribs lock lips... but the pair in the video seem to have a fetish!

Nigeria Red P. taeniatus is a tank strain that is derived from selective breeding from captive strains of fish originally from Nigeria. There are are a few locations in Nigeria with P. taeniatus that have some red. The most common P. taeniatus imported wild (rarely) are either yellow or green.

The Nigerian color forms are very distinct from the Cameroon locations. When the genus revision comes out, they will be divided (as they originally were). If I can get around to it I will rebuild the Pelvicachromis photo library on my website... no small task. I may not be able to get to it until later this Spring.... unless I just git 'er done this weekend. I will try.

Rod... I agree that it can be hard to distinguish specific locations, but I am very confident in being able to at least separate the major geographic regions: Nigeria/Benin, northern Cameroon, Wouri, and southern Cameroon. When you see the fish, or images, side by side the differences are there. That being said, I would not try to split hairs between females from Kienke and Dehane (southern Cameroon).
 

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