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Jewel Cichlid type locality question

madrededios

New Member
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20
Dear all,

After a discussion with Dr. Paul Loiselle last week, I have been searching Antons's book and the web, for information on H. bimaculatus, the Jewel Cichlid. Paul asked me to locate "12 juveniles of the original H. bimaculatus from their Type locality, we haven't seen on this side of the pond" in Sierra Leone when we are there collecting next year. However, I can't seem to find any information on the coordinates of this locality. Can someone steer me in the right direction as to specifics on this?

Thanks,
Brian Perkins
www.wildperu.net
 

Randall

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New Jersey, USA
Hi Brian,

I don't envy your task because the type locality of Hemichromis bimaculatus is not known. To my knowledge the species has never been exported to the US, and the identity of the putative H. bimaculatus in the European hobby has never been established. Gill, of the Academy of Science in Philadelphia, described the species from a single female specimen of unknown origin in 1862. Although the label on the jar in which the type specimen was poorly preserved reads, "West Africa," in his paper Gill cites the type locality as "probably Liberia." Lamboj's assertion that the type locality is "possibly Liberia" is incorrect. In my opinion, usage of the specific epithet, "bimaculatus," should be restricted to the preserved specimen at the Academy of Science. Over the years the name has been erroneously used to refer to several Hemichromis species.

Your best bet may be to look up the type locality of Hemichromis fugax Payne & Trewavas, 1976. Although the species was synonymized in 1979, it very well may be the fish you're looking for.
 

tjudy

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Stoughton, WI
Randall!! Great to see you on Apistogramma.com!

A part of the problem is that so many wild collections have been misidentified as H. bimaculatus. Here is a link to the FishBase list of occurrences for the species. An occurence is any time someone publishes a list of species encountered on a collecting expedition. it is pretty common for someone not really interested in one group of fish to misidentify something in a list and then forget about it. http://www.fishbase.org/museum/OccurrencesList.php?genus=Hemichromis&species=bimaculatus If that list is to be believed, then H. bimaculatus is the most widely spread jewel in Africa.

Your best bet is going to be to try to find someone in Sierra Leone who knows the fauna and can point you in the right direction. I suggest trying to connect with someone through World Fish. Most of the offices in west Africa have been compiling species lists for their countries.

A species I hope you can locate is the Anomalachromis thomasi from Sierra Leone. It used to be the most common (only?) A. thomasi in the hobby. Rumor has it that there are still some being produced in Florida or Asia, but Ihave not run them down yet. The form from Guinea tha is around now is most likely a different species. Hopefully you will run across a Pelvicachromis or two. P. humilis and P. roloffi are listed as being found there. I would love to see some of either species to compare with what is coming out of Guinea. The 'holy grail' P. humilis has been the Liberian form that is very red... I wonder if the Sierra Leone forms are red also.
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Gents,

Thanks, Randall and Ted, you've given me some good leads to run down. The more I dig into the murk surrounding this whole genus, the more confused I get!

We'll be fishing along the Liberian border, so I will double check the Liberian occurrences for P. humilis to see if it's any where near to where we'll be. That would be a worthwhile find if we can locate it in SL as well. And, yes, the Anomalachromis thomasi will be high on the list. Are any of the Tilapine fishes or the Tylochromis types worth importing? Others? (including non-cichlids ! :O) ) All input is welcome.

Thanks,

Brian Perkins
www.wildperu.net
 

tjudy

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If you are willing to collect small distochodontines, the whole Neolebias genus is of interest to me. Nanocharax also. Small Barbus species would be nice to see as well. I am not sure is there are any B. jae types in that area, but as we learned in Gabon, just because the fish are not listed as being there does not mean they are not.
 

viejo

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
330
Location
La Verkin, UT
Second what Ted said re: SL Thomasi. They seem to have dried up completely, at least on this side of the pond. I had them coming out out my ears around 10 years ago.
As an aside on the hemichromis type locality question. I would love to see a specimen of H. cristatus from the original collection site :rolleyes:...
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Gents,

All of the small barbs, tetras and so on are also of interest. Dwarf catfish (ie Mochokiella paynei) and a red form of Ladigesia rolffi ( I guess Rosario Lacorte has/d them at one time). What else?

One of things I want to try there is a fine meshed seine, similar to the one I made and am starting to use in Peru, to go with our dip and cast nets. It's made of window screen. It is somewhat cumbersome, but what I am trying to do is sample for all of the tiniest fishes that would ordinarily find their way through the net. My hypothesis is that we're missing a lot of the bio-diversity, simply because our nets are too coarse.

I have a few leads to follow up on with regards to finding H bimaculatus. Now, it appears I need to chase down the type locality info. for H. cristatus as well! What else?

ANd Thanks,

Regards,
 

tjudy

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Stoughton, WI
You are not likely to find any kind of seine or collecting equipment over there. Even in Gabon, the wealthiest country in WA, we had a tough time locating broom sticks or shovel handles to attach to dip nets. Plan to take it all with you.
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Thanks Ted,

I'll bring my seine from Peru, or have another made there for me, then.

P. signatus is found in what part of Guinea? (near to Kolente according to Anton's book) So I will make an effort to see if it's also in SL as well. We were planning to be in that area anyway. We'll keep our "radar" on for that as well. Now I am hearing that there might be a Steatacranus spp. from there. (Rumors)

Hmmm, It gets more interesting every day....

Cheers,

Brian Perkins
www.wildperu.net
 

tjudy

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Steatocranus, except for irvinei which is probably going back into its orginal genus Gobiochromis when the Tilapini are revised, are Congo basin fish. There is a P. humilis, P. rubrolabiatus, P. roloffi and P. signatus all exported from the Kolente Forest region of Guinea. I do not know if they are found in SL or not.
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Steatocranus, except for irvinei which is probably going back into its orginal genus Gobiochromis when the Tilapini are revised, are Congo basin fish. There is a P. humilis, P. rubrolabiatus, P. roloffi and P. signatus all exported from the Kolente Forest region of Guinea. I do not know if they are found in SL or not.

Yeah, rumors are generally just that.... I am thinking to plot out the significant location info. for the Guinean fish then locate myself across the border from those places and have a go....

Brina Perkins
www.wildperu.net
 

Mike Wise

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I'm surprised that I couldn't find a photo of a rapiche on the web! Basically it's 2 U-shaped pieces of wood or metal that are attached together at the open ends of the U's, at a 90° angle from each other. This is covered by netting. It forms a half cylinder/cone. The open end is forced through the shoreline debris and fish are caught in the back end of the net. They have a limited collecting area, but don't get snagged as badly as dip or seign nets. I'll try to find a photo of one in my library.
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
I'm surprised that I couldn't find a photo of a rapiche on the web! Basically it's 2 U-shaped pieces of wood or metal that are attached together at the open ends of the U's, at a 90° angle from each other. This is covered by netting. It forms a half cylinder/cone. The open end is forced through the shoreline debris and fish are caught in the back end of the net. They have a limited collecting area, but don't get snagged as badly as dip or seign nets. I'll try to find a photo of one in my library.

I couldn't either, for some reason. Thanks for looking! Are you going to be at the April RMCA meeting? I'll be there as speaker and would enjoy meeting you, Mike. Hope you can make it!

Best,

Brian Perkins
 

Mike Wise

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I was planning to be at the January meeting which was canceled, so yes I plan to be at the April meeting. Tom is still trying to talk me into going back to Peru this year with him. If I do, it would be great to collect with you, too.
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Mike,
That sounds like fun! I will look forward to it. Also in April, I will be just back from SL, so the chances of me having WC fishes is enhanced somewhat! Haha! :O)

Best Wishes,

Brian Perkins
www.wildperu,net
 

madrededios

New Member
Messages
20
Many thanks go out to the Embassy of Sierra Leone for processing and returning my Passport with the one year visa IN THREE DAYS! Just like they said they would. OK, so now I'm REALLY getting excited.... ;o0

Regards,

Brian Perkins
www.wildperu.net
 

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