Splashing Tetra ID

[dwarfpike]

Got these guys to go with my dwarf pikes since they are larger and less snackable. They were listed as Copella guttuta, a name I couldn't find even as a jr. synonym on fish base. They look closest to C. metae, which would make sense given all the Colombian fish at the LFS (the dwarf pikes, Apistogramma iniridae, ect). Any ideas? I know these aren't the best shots, still learning this new fangled part of the hobby.

 

[Mike Wise]

It is one of the many species belonging to the Pyrrhulina brevis-group. I think that they are nice fish, usually don't grow larger than 3"/7.5cm.

 

[dwarfpike]

Thanks Mike. I always wanted a splashing type ever since I read about them in a National Geographic back in middle school. I'm really enjoying them already, though I'm not sure I can call them a proper dither fish. They are a little spastic. In a good kind of way.

 

[Mike Wise]

This species doesn't breed out of the water like the true Splash Tetra (Pyrrhulina arnoldi). They breed on the leaves of submerged plants where the male guards the eggs until they hatch.

 

[dwarfpike]

I'm guessing on firm, broad leaf plants like swords and anubias?

 

[Mike Wise]

I'm guessing on firm, broad leaf plants like swords and anubias?

Yes, on the top of horizontal broad leaf plants.

 

[Apistomaster]

I have bred Pyrrhulina brevis and they were stockier fish than the one in the photo. It looks like a Copella species to me but there is too little detail to make out just which species it may be.
My P. brevis spawned on an Hygrophila polysperma leaf. In all, I have bred 3 species of Copella/Pyrrhulina. I used to cruise all the fish shops in Metro-Seattle trying to pick up these fish which would often be mixed in with Pencilfish. Great fish and although few are brightly colored they are greatly overlooked by the hobby.I have kept Copella arnoldi but it one of the species I haven't bred. I once raised 85 Pyrrhulina nigrofasciata or possibly P. eigenmanni as I know they were probably Colombian/Peruvian in origin. They always struck me as a fish which blended Tetra, Apistogramma and Killiefish traits into a subtly attractive little package. Great Apistogramma tank mates.
I have kept Copella guttata and they are a very large fish compared to the others and typically spawn in pits they fan in the substrate. Haven't seen any more since I had them about 45 years ago. I always get some Copella/Pyrrhulina species of whenever I can.
They produce really small fry and they can be difficult to get to a size where they can easily take BBS. They grow quickly after that.

 

[dwarfpike]

I'll try for better pics, but they seem to be a bit twitchy and I'm definitely not the best when it comes to taking pics.

I am enjoying their behavior a lot, they kind of remind me of a more active emperor tetra. They don't exactly school, but do stay somewhat close to each other and display quite a bit. I hope that is normal at least. They do seem to still be rather shy though when I appear in front of the tank to feed or stick a camera in their faces.

 

[Mike Wise]

I have bred Pyrrhulina brevis and they were stockier fish than the one in the photo. It looks like a Copella species to me but there is too little detail to make out just which species it may be.

I'm not certain which species this is, but it is one of the dozen or so species that belong to the P. brevis group. The species in this group occur throughout the Amazon Basin and also into the Rio Paraguay/Paraná. There is variation in body depth, lateral scale counts, and arch of the jaw bone which distinguish the different species.

 

[dwarfpike]

Oh well, if you are going to use science ... :biggrin:

These pics are for Apistomaster since Mike seems pretty darn sure. Best of about 50 I took over two cameras and a camcorder. Wow I am horrible at this new aspect of the hobby. They are a closer than the first two pics, but appear to bit not quite as in focus.

 

[Apistomaster]

There are many species which look much alike in this group.
P. brevis males have red un-paired fins.

 

[dwarfpike]

I guess it might have helped if I posted two different pics huh?

I'll check for red after the WC today, right now the water is too brown to notice subtle color differences.

 

[Chromedome]

They are not brevis group, they are filamentosus group. The first and third photos have males with extended dorsals, which brevis males do not get. The caudal shape is also wrong for brevis, too long on upper lobe. P. filamentosus group are the ones I see most often as "Splash Tetras", though none are all that common. If you want to be sure, contact Marilyn Weitzman, she's still the ultimate expert on these fish.

I've bred Copella arnoldi, been trying to find them again for over 20 years. (Lost my F1 breeders and F2 young when I moved into a house with bad water.) Pyrrhulina filamentosa is one of the species often mistaken for them, but the body is stockier, they don't have as much color, and they get much larger, around 4.5". I've also bred an undescribed P. brevis type species, and Copella nattereri, though I failed to raise fry on that last. I've kept a dozen or so species of Pyrrhulina and Copella. I have yet to see the real Copeina guttata live, and it is one of my highest objectives to obtain and breed this species.

 

[Apistomaster]

Chromedome, it is nice to meet another fan of these fish.
I bought 25 Copeina guttata when I had a fish shop circa 1969 and that was the first and only time I have seen them.
They were not all that attractive and they were rather large and plain even for a Lebiasinidae.

 

[Apistomaster]

I received six of these Pyrrhulina species which I think are from Peru or possibly Colombian.
They show a row of spots along their flanks but when the males get into spawning colors their spots virtually disappear but the females retain theirs. When not in spawning or in stress both sexes have the spots along the flanks. I will try my best to breed these. The photo is not very good, greatly over exposed and reflections obscured details but I will add better ones as they become available.
A male is on the left, female on the right. Males are about 1-3/4 inches and females are 1-1/2 inches TL. I think they will only reach about two inches. I gave them a well planted 20 long by themselves.

 

[dwarfpike]

Apistomaster - I really like the hint of blue on the tails of your new guys. The ones I have are quickly becoming a favorite, they taught my wild dwarf pike to eat flakes in only a few weeks as well as kind of a bonus. I'll have to keep an eye out now of different species when I get more tanks going.

 

[Julio Melgar]

That is most likely Pyrrhulina spilota. It is often found in black water so if you plan to breed them prepare your water for a pH between 5 and 6. There is another spotted Pyrrhulina in the upper Rio Tigre but shows a few more spots than the ones in your picture.

Julio

 

[Apistomaster]

I have been calling them Pyrrulina cf. spilota because these came from Peru while P. spilota are found near Manaus much further east. I have them in a mix of 80% RO water and 20% tap water which produces water with a TDS of about 50 ppm and a KH of 3. The pH drops to about 5.0. I am also using some T. cattapa leaves to get simulated black water. They look very nice but since they are small and the six specimens are in a 20 Long it is difficult to take a good photo.
The males loose their spots as they get into breeding condition. I have a good supply of live mosquito larvae which they really like.

 

[Chromedome]

Hey, Jota, long time! Haven't seen you since before Fishnet died!

Apistomaster, where did you find a reference that puts spilota near Manaus? While vitttata has location references, I can find none for spilota. Characoids of the World labeled it as being "of unknown origin", as did Baensch.

 

[Apistomaster]

Hi Chromedome,
I think I found the location info for P. spilota on fishbase.
My Pyrrhulina are more slender than photos of true P. spilota although they are still young so that could change.