Nanochromis splendens WC

[dwarfpike]

I will admit to being a closet Anabantoid fan ... so perhaps Mark is right.

 

[viejo]

So am I but only have (virus-free ) dwarfs @ present.

 

[Ekona]

Hello, everyone, I have been working with licorice gouramis, as Darrel said, and have not been working with Westies or apistos due to space requirements ( I miss them though!). In regard to figuring out the identity of this splendens-like fish, what I have learned from the parosphromenus project is: without knowing the collecting location of the fish, and going solely by photos, it is very difficult to say what the fish may or may not be with any certainty The taxonomy of fishes collected sparsely from remote regions is incomplete to begin with, and there may be fishes related to, but not exactly the same as, the fish originally described, collected from regions nearby or who knows where? Because these fish came in from commercial imports - it is almost impossible to say what they are with absolute certainty, barring characteristics that clearly and unmistakably identify them. We can observe as many characteristicas as possible from photos, and make an educated guess, but that is about it, without a good collecting location or genetic studies.

The fish Gerald has appears to be thicker bodied, than the more recent imports of "N. splendens" - and these recent fish appear to be more closely similar to the photos of N. splendens I've seen on the internet. So what is the fish Gerald has? It' is anyone's (educated) guess. It seems to me that there are many forms, sub-forms and similar looking, but not exactly the same looking, fishes of the Nanochromis genus being imported recently, and it appears to be some uncertainty if these various populations are parulus, teugelsi or splendens. This just fits with the nature of things. As Gerald knows, you can collect minnows of the same species from the same general area, but from different creeks and there will be significant variations in coloration. If you exported those minnows to another country without supplying collection locations or other validating taxonomic information, it would be difficult for the buyers to make a definite call on what species they were, base solely on photos. Add in the fact that further taxonomic studies may render current descriptions as invalid or subject to complete change, and the matter becomes even more uncertain. The best solution, in the case of uncertain identification, seems to be to note the importer and date of importation as the identifying label and hope for some other information that would yield a more definite clue to species, etc. Otherwise keep the fish from interbreeding with other populations and enjoy their beauty. I think this is not news here, as it is often the case with apistos as well. I think our need to give wild fishes a definite label as a certain specific species just cannot be met due to the nature of things.

Great to see this forum still active and thriving!

Dave

 

[gerald]

Agree totally ... what we currently call splendens/ parilus/ teugelsi could be just the tip of a whole complex of "species", or a wide-ranging variable "species" with some geographic or behavioral isolating mechanisms, but also some limited inter-breeding between popualtions (like N. American milksnakes and ratsnakes). I wonder do those classic slim-bodied splendens stay slim after a year or two in captivity? The thicker shape may be an artifact of age or captivity.

My buddy Mike Sandel said (soon after becoming a dad): "Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages"

 

[philip wood]

Hi. where you ever successful in breeding your pair of N.Splendens. If so would love to see some pics please. Nanochromis are my favorite species. Phil.

 

[Ekona]

Hi. where you ever successful in breeding your pair of N.Splendens. If so would love to see some pics please. Nanochromis are my favorite species. Phil.

Nope. I sold to Gerald. They were to aggressive for my taste. Not sure if Gerald had any luck with them. WC are available from Wetspot in Oregon, I believe at this time.

 

[gerald]

Nope. The male attacked the female relentlessly every time I tried putting them together, even after she actively courted him through the glass in her adjacent tank. Female died first -- no obvious symptoms -- then the male a year later, with the typical West African cichlid bloat symptoms.

 

[philip wood]

Yeah sometimes you get that in nano’s. it’s a shame you didn’t have much luck with them. Because when you have cracked the aggression side. And it dissipates you usually find that they are good parents and will keep on spawning. I hope to purchase some one day. If I do i’ll Let you know how I get on.

 

[Ekona]

Yep. I've never had luck with getting a docile pair of Nano's. I've managed to get other initially aggressive Pelv. species to eventually spawn, but not nanos. I know it can be done, but not I..

Hi Gerald

 

[gerald]

I've had N. parilus, teugelsi, and transvestitus (decades ago) that got along well enough to spawn in 20 -30 gal tanks.

 

[Ekona]

I've had N. parilus, teugelsi, and transvestitus (decades ago) that got along well enough to spawn in 20 -30 gal tanks.

That reminds me, I also had a pair of N. transvestitus that was one of the most harmonious pairs if ever had. Almost forget!
N. teugelsi and splendens just could not get along.