Pelvicachromis pulcher

[coltiger]

Are there any other varieties other than the aquarium strains? I noticed alot of other Pelvicachromis species have different colour varieties but what about pulcher?

 

[tjudy]

There are several wild populations of P. pulcher. They are even available occasionally. If you know a store that is willling to tranship fish, they can usually buy a box or 1/2 box of wild P. pulcher from Nigeria. THe best part is that there will almost laways be contaminant P. sacrimontis and occasionally a P. sp. aff. subocellatus in the mix too.

 

[Andre]

Hi Ted

Any chance you have contact details for some of the guys shipping from Nigeria? I am from South Africa I would love to get some wild Pelvicachromis sp. if possible.

 

[tjudy]

I do not... sorry. If you search for 'tropical fish export' there is a site out there that lists exporters from many countries, including some in africa.

 

[coltiger]

THe best part is that there will almost laways be contaminant P. sacrimontis and occasionally a P. sp. aff. subocellatus in the mix too.

It's funny you say that, when I bought these so called wild caught pulchers(meaning they didn't look much different than tank raised) there was a subocellatus female in the same tank so I bought her to go with my male. Odd thing about that fish was when her partner died she tried to pair up with a pulcher male but his female was having none of it. She was odd in the fact that she tried to steal the pulchers babies as well. I did get a male for her and she spawned a few times for me before I gave the pair away.

I know of a store that can import fish, is there a particular area where the pulcher colours varies? I mean is there differences between the wild caught fish and tank raised?

 

[tjudy]

Yes... there are a few different wild populations. The last wild pair I had came from Ndonga, Camaroon. When I got them (before Anton Lamboj's book came out), I woudl have sworn I had gotten sacrimontis. The two are very similar. Another odd looking pulcher comes from Isokpo, NIgeria. The most common wild krib, and the one that is most likely the origins of the captive strains, or most of the genes in teh captive strains anyway, comes from the Lagos, Nigeria area.

An interesting note... I have not seen a pisture of a wild male pulcher, or had a wild male pulcher, with caudal ocelli. There are many captive strain males with caudal ocelli. I suspect that it si an uncommon trait in the wild that has been selected for in captivity.

 

[coltiger]

Iam in Montreal visiting my parents, I saw baby sacrimontis for sale. I was told someone had bred them and brought in the babies. $2.99 cdn each not a bad deal, I think I'll buy a few.

 

[tjudy]

That is a good deal. Hopefully they are the red form. I also like the green form.

 

[coltiger]

They look like the green form which is the only one I've seen...in the red form does the red extend to the face of the fish?

 

[coltiger]

The baby sacrimontis are all female the looks of it and I could not tell if the smaller ones were males. Iam making space for them, I will buy a few so at least I have some. When I see males I will buy them then.