The hunt for the TRUE Apistogramma cruzi

[Mike Wise]

The "A. cruzi" that TwoFishGuyz pictures looks like A. sp. Putumayo to me. It is the Colombian paratype form that Kullander mentions in his description of of A. cruzi. There is another paratype form from Ecuador, too. According to people who have seen the series, both now appear to be distinct species in their own right.

 

[Tom C]

…. When you were in Lagunas did you go much in that one side blackwater river just past the park? …...

No, we went through the park down to the beach, then to the right almost out of the park, and collected from the shore. Unfortunately I didn’t know there is a blackwater river near by :-(

.... May I ask how you get your fish home? .....

The fish are not fed the last 24 hours before the trip. I get help from a fish exporting company with the packing. I participate in the first part of the process, making sure the species and fish from different locations are not mixed, and that all the bags are marked with species and location.

Most of the apistos are packed only one fish in each (very small) bag.
The bags are filled with a small amount of water, and are filled up with pure oxygen.
All the small bags with the same species / fish from the same location are put in a bigger bag together. (In case there is a leak)
Some Characins /Lebiasinidae, and small apistos, are packed several fish in each bag.

I put all the fish/bags into a special box, and since it could be quite cold in Europe in November, I put a Heat-pack on top of it.

This way I usually have a DOA of around 2-3%, although the fish are in the bags for at least 55 hours. One year I brought 218 fish home, and lost 4.

.... We collected a lot of different Eunotus complex fish, along with other apistos, which we carefully cataloged as to water conditions and locale. However we had a local exporter ship our fish to us and he threw all the eunotus types together. In addition he carelessly bagged and shipped the fish so that fully half the fish died. Luckily some interesting and beautiful species did survive.....

I'm very sorry you lost so many! And unfortunately, it's a fact that quite few people working in the fish export business understand the importance of keeping fish from different locations separated, although the fish look quite similar to them.
Your collection is very interesting. I guess you collected A. bitaeniata and the very nice A. agassizii "Flamenco" with the red upper part of the dorsal fin? The most interesting would definitely be to see pictures of the different A.-eunotus-complex fish!

 

[Ttw]

We did collect some striking agassizii as well as cacatuoides and several different eunotus types. I will try to post some pictures.

 

[Ttw]

These are pictures of some of the fish we collected on our recent trip up the Rio Tigre. The pictures were taken at the time of collection by Devon Graham.

This is eunotus caught at Buenos Aires near mouth of Rio Tigre.

This is eunotus from Soterio on road between Iquitos and Nauta.

This is Eunotus fron Santa Anna on Rio Tahuayo.

This is a Cacatuoides from Rio Tigre Quebrada Pucacuna.

This is an Agassizi from Rio Tigre 11 de Agosto creek.

Another agassizi from 11 de Agosto creek.

 

[Tom C]

Thank you for sharing these interesting pictures!

…eunotus from Soterio on road between Iquitos and Nautaâ€

A. cf. eunotus has a light area between the caudal spot and the lateral band. Your fish has a caudal spot that, to me, seems to not be separated from the lateral band.
I think this is a A. cacatuoides.

Eunotus fron Santa Anna on Rio Tahuayo

Not only have you been at the same place as Wallach was in 1997/98, you seem to have collected fish from the same population too!
Koslowski gave Wallach’s fish the name A. cf. eunotus “Santa Ana†(A 74) in his book "Cichlids of the Americas, Volume 2: Apistogramma & Co."

Agassizi from Rio Tigre 11 de Agosto creek

Nice to see that you found and collected the beautiful A. agassizii called “Flamencoâ€!

In just some hours I will leave for the Amazon.....most of the packing is done...but did I remember everything...

 

[Microman]

Most important thing is the nets Tom.... Hope you remembered to replace these after the rats ate your last lot.
Good luck to both Tom and Mike...
Mark...

 

[Alex.]

Wow, those agassizii are amazing compared to what you see in the shops! :biggrin:

 

[Tom C]

I have to correct myself (and Mike!):
We have checked with the fishermen where they collected the A. cruzi that were sent to TwoFishGuyz:
The fish were collected in exactly the same location as I found mine (the fishermen went back there after I left), so the fish should be the same.

P.S. We have a great time in the Amazon !