Apisto sp "Branco".

[Microman]

Very lucky pickup...Identified as A sp"Branco", came into the UK labelled as "Boa Vista".
Unluckily all 6 juveniles turned out to be males....
Mark...

 

[blueblue]

very nice specimen!! Well, you may use pulchra's female to pair up with them ^.^

 

[peterK]

Nice ones
So they are the same species as showed in CA2 Apistogramma sp. 'Branco-Pulchra'?

 

[Mike Wise]

Nice ones
So they are the same species as showed in CA2 Apistogramma sp. 'Branco-Pulchra'?

Yes, it is the same fish under 2 different names. I would not mix it with A. pulchra. They are 2 different, but related species.

 

[Microman]

Yes, it is the same fish under 2 different names. I would not mix it with A. pulchra. They are 2 different, but related species.

Yes i agree Mike.... Got my feelers and begging letters out for Branco females as we speak.
Mark...

 

[blueblue]

Yes, it is the same fish under 2 different names. I would not mix it with A. pulchra. They are 2 different, but related species.

Frankly speaking, i do not quite agree that they are different species. If you just show the picture to others, the fish is nothing more than an A. pulchra... I would say that it is just a naming issue/trick... the same applies to A. sp. Forkband and A. mendezi... and a huge variety of apistos from Peru...

 

[peterK]

Frankly speaking, i do not quite agree that they are different species. If you just show the picture to others, the fish is nothing more than an A. pulchra... I would say that it is just a naming issue/trick... the same applies to A. sp. Forkband and A. mendezi... and a huge variety of apistos from Peru...

The similar question is with differences between A. sp. Vielflecken and A. sp. Peixoto - for me they look identically.

 

[Mike Wise]

The similar question is with differences between A. sp. Vielflecken and A. sp. Peixoto - for me they look identically.

The original A. sp. Peixoto is very different from Vielfleck. A. sp. aff. Peixoto is, in my opinion, a geographic population of A. sp. Xingu-Vielfleck. I cannot believe the collecting source for sp. aff. Peixoto. It is completely outside of the range of the Xingu-complex fish.

 

[Mike Wise]

Frankly speaking, i do not quite agree that they are different species. If you just show the picture to others, the fish is nothing more than an A. pulchra... I would say that it is just a naming issue/trick... the same applies to A. sp. Forkband and A. mendezi... and a huge variety of apistos from Peru...

They are similar, but do show different flank markings.

 

[blueblue]

They are similar, but do show different flank markings.

Thanks, i understand that Mike, while i do think some differences in features are a bit too superficial...

 

[Mike Wise]

Thanks, i understand that Mike, while i do think some differences in features are a bit too superficial...

I understand why you say this. There are differences that, although subtle on live specimens, are diagnostic for the 2 different species:

A. pulchra: deeper body; vertical bars (when visible) slightly broader than the lighter interstitial areas (forms a lighter colored body); scales on abdomen (depending on mood) will show dark front edges that do not usually merge with the dark edges of scale above and below; lateral band expands continuously and evenly into the base of the caudal fin.

A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra): body more slender (looks like a thin, newly imported A. agassizii); vertical bars (when visible) broad with narrow light interstial areas (darker colored body); scales on abdomen (depending on mood) will show dark front edges that often merge with the dark edges of scales above and below & form wavy diagonal stripes; lateral band expands continuously and evenly to the base of the caudal fin, then (depending on mood) shows a thin (pinched) band that expands again in the base of the caudal fin - sometimes even appearing as a separate caudal spot.

The 2 species have separate ranges that are split by the Amazon River. A. pulchra is restricted to the Rio Madeira system. A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra) is found exclusively in the upper Rio Branco of the Rio Negro system. There is another form (A. cf. pulchra (Uatumã) "Fire Red") (see: http://rva.jp/apisto/agassizii_pulchra_uatuma.html) that looks much like A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra). It comes from the Rio Uatumã, a small river that enters the Amazon from the north, lying east of Manaus.

 

[blueblue]

Thanks Mike for the details. ..

I understand why you say this. There are differences that, although subtle on live specimens, are diagnostic for the 2 different species:

A. pulchra: deeper body; vertical bars (when visible) slightly broader than the lighter interstitial areas (forms a lighter colored body); scales on abdomen (depending on mood) will show dark front edges that do not usually merge with the dark edges of scale above and below; lateral band expands continuously and evenly into the base of the caudal fin.

A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra): body more slender (looks like a thin, newly imported A. agassizii); vertical bars (when visible) broad with narrow light interstial areas (darker colored body); scales on abdomen (depending on mood) will show dark front edges that often merge with the dark edges of scales above and below & form wavy diagonal stripes; lateral band expands continuously and evenly to the base of the caudal fin, then (depending on mood) shows a thin (pinched) band that expands again in the base of the caudal fin - sometimes even appearing as a separate caudal spot.

The 2 species have separate ranges that are split by the Amazon River. A. pulchra is restricted to the Rio Madeira system. A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra) is found exclusively in the upper Rio Branco of the Rio Negro system. There is another form (A. cf. pulchra (Uatumã) "Fire Red") (see: http://rva.jp/apisto/agassizii_pulchra_uatuma.html) that looks much like A. sp. Branco(-Pulchra). It comes from the Rio Uatumã, a small river that enters the Amazon from the north, lying east of Manaus.