Megaptera or Breitbnden

[Champ_17]

I need to know what difference between Megaptera or breitbinden?
This is my Apistogramma Breitbinden.

 

[Champ_17]

and this one below is my friend's Breitbinden. He bought it from Apistoworld Hongkong. this one was labeled with the name Red-cheek breibinden and my friend said to me the one is apistogramma Megaptera.
If anyone here know the difference, please help me to identify.

 

[Mike Wise]

You ask a good question. The type specimens of A. megaptera are fish that shows highly extended front dorsal fin spines and lower only moderately serrated spines behind them. The original or 'traditional' A. sp. Breitbinden develops highly extended dorsal spines with high and highly serrated dorsal spines behind them. Your fish appears to be similar to the A. megaptera holotype form while I think your friend's fish is a population of A. sp. Breitbinden (hard to tell from the photo). Many aquarists don't notice the difference and claim both are the same species, A. megaptera.

 

[Champ_17]

Thx Mike I always wonder how can I identify because both of them look much like.
If it's true as you said.
the fish in this link should be Breitbinden not megaptera. http://www.aquarium-glaser.de/en/archiv.php?news_id=532

 

[Mike Wise]

Yes, the Aquarium Glaser site considers all Breitbinden-like fish to be A. megaptera - and all A. sp. Rotpunkt forms to be A. alacrina. They aren't the only ones who do this. Some people are 'lumpers' and some are 'splitters' - and some don't care as long as it makes them money!

 

[Rolo]

You ask a good question. The type specimens of A. megaptera are fish that shows highly extended front dorsal fin spines and lower only moderately serrated spines behind them. The original or 'traditional' A. sp. Breitbinden develops highly extended dorsal spines with high and highly serrated dorsal spines behind them. Your fish appears to be similar to the A. megaptera holotype form while I think your friend's fish is a population of A. sp. Breitbinden (hard to tell from the photo). Many aquarists don't notice the difference and claim both are the same species, A. megaptera.

Hi Mike,

as you explained, A. megaptera shows highly extended front dorsal fin spines and lower only moderately serrated spines behind them. According to Staeck (article in the new special issue of the german dwarf cichlid association (AKZ) magazine) there's no doubt that A. sp. Breitbinden / A. sp. Cano Morrocoy, which shows highly extended first dorsal spines with high and highly serrated dorsal spines behind them is identical with A. piaroa. Even in the decription is mentioned, that it is the same species as A. sp. Cano Morrocoy and Staeck caught these High-Fin Breitbinden at the type locality of A. piaroa.

So that means:
A. sp. "Kurzlappen-Breitbinden" = A. megaptera
A. sp. "Breitbinden" = A. sp. "Cano Morrocoy" = A. piaroa

regards,
Rolo

 

[Mike Wise]

Hi Rolo,

Thank for the update. Yes, it looks like A. piaroa actually is the same as A. sp. Breitbinden. I originally reported it as being the same as A. cf. pertensis (Orangeflossen/Orange-finned). I guess I was wrong. I think it was the description of the dorsal fin that confused me:


"D. XV.7 (5). Pliegues de la aleta dorsal cortos y redondeados, los de la segunda y tercera espinas están libres; los radios
blandos terminan puntiagudos alcanzando alrededor de 1/3 de la aleta caudal cuando se pliegan sobre su base y en ocasiones
el tercer radio como un filamento puede alcanzar la mitad de esta aleta."

(D. XV.7 (5). Dorsal fin membranes short and rounded (non-serrated), those of the second and third spines are free, the (posterior)
soft rays pointy, reaching about one third of the caudal fin when folded on its base and sometimes the third ray can extend as a filament to half of this fin. - my translation)


Obviously his specimens were not fully developed; holotype, a male < 30 mm / 1-1/8 in. SL. Still, the shape and pattern of the caudal fin matches A. sp. Breitbinden better than it does A. cf. pertensis (Orangeflossen/Orange-finned):


"Aleta caudal truncada, con el extremo dorsal y ventral levemente convexo y con prolongaciones filamentosas muy cortas en cada uno de los lóbulos; en machos pueden estar más desarrolladas, aún así son cortas y de igual ancho y longitud."

(Caudal fin truncate, with dorsal and ventral ends slightly convex with very short filamentous extensions on each of the lobes, in males can be further developed, they are still short and of equal width and length. - my translation) and:

"Aleta caudal con barras transversales relativamente delgadas y no rectas (generalmente de siete a diez), que tiñen el margen pero no atraviesan los tres o cuatro primeros radios del lóbulo superior, aunque si el resto de la aleta. La porción basal de esta aleta presenta una tonalidad similar a la del cuerpo aunque levemente más oscura, al parecer el ancho del pigmento en este sector incluye dos barras transversales que están lejos de ser una mancha caudal. La aleta caudal presenta pigmentación marginal negra distribuida uniformemente desde la porción distal hacia los costados."

(Caudal fin with relatively thin and straight (usually seven to ten) crossbars, which color the margin except not through the first three or four rays of the upper lobe, just the rest of the fin. The basal portion of this fin shows a tone similar to, but slightly darker than the body, apparently the width of the pigment in this sector includes two crossbars that are far from a caudal spot. The caudal fin has black marginal pigmentation evenly distributed from the distal to the sides. - my translation)


I need to change it in my species lists.

 

[Tom C]

Thank you, Rolo!

Any chance the Staeck-article in the AKZ magazine could be found online?

 

[Rolo]

Thank you, Rolo!

Any chance the Staeck-article in the AKZ magazine could be found online?

No, unfortunately not online... but I will send you a copy.
(but be patient, it could take a while, it's holiday time) ;-)

regards,
Rolo