Apistogramma sp. Gigas????

[a.d.wood]

For those of you not familiar with the Petfrd forum (Singapore based forum), a link was posted (by a respected icthyologist) to a Brazilian project:

http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/field/Pipe_Expedition/Home.html

Browsing through the non catfish/cyprinid images, the first 2 on the page are listed as Apistogramma sp. Gigas???

http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/field/Pipe_Expedition/other fishes 2.html

Can anyone shed any light on the fish in question, whatever it is, the facial markings are impressive.

Ta

Andrew

 

[HaakonH]

I was just about to post a link to this myself, I'm almost a littled shocked by these pics! Can't wait to hear what people will say about this It's almost hard to believe this is even an Apisto...the head is really big and the whole fish just looks more "bulky" than the average Apisto...whatever they are, this is surely a new sensation. Beautiful fish.

-Haakon

 

[viejo]

Your right, it doesn't appear very 'apistogramish' but it does look very interesting. Hopefully it will make it's way into the hobby. Of course, it is Brazilian & I don't suspect that Heiko will be bringing any out in the forseeable future :wink: .

 

[Mike Wise]

I don't think that "Gigas" is an apisto species. I can't say what genus it belongs to, but it doesn't look like an Apistogramma to me.

Apistogramma rio Teles-Perez is the same species as A. sp. Peixoto - the real form, not the same as A. sp. aff. Peixoto.

 

[HaakonH]

I can't stop pondering about the "gigas". It will be nice to see some pics of a male in water, displaying fins and all...They almost look like a link between Ivanacara and Geophagus. But the color differences between the sexes are typical for Apistogramma, and to a certain extent Nannacara. Exciting stuff!

 

[HaakonH]

I have been given the following information about the habitat:

"The habitat was a blackwater creek leading into a big pool with some floating and rooted macrophytes around the edges. The Apistogrammas were collected by dragging a net through vegetation in the pool. Other fish in the habitat included two undescribed species of Lebiasina and Aequidens cf. rondoni. I think we collected a couple dozen of the Apistogramma during about 1.5 hr of effort. However, we were going after the Lebiasina not the cichlids so we probably could have collected more, more quickly, if we had targeted them".

If I find out anything else, I'll let you guys know

-Haakon

 

[HaakonH]

A short update:

The fish has been confirmed as a new species of Apistogramma by ichthyologists in Sao Paulo, and is being described by them based on specimens collected during The Pipe Expedition.

-Haakon

 

[Mike Wise]

Please let us know when the description is published.

 

[apistodave]

mike

I'm with Mike on this one

 

[Rolo]

Hi,

hmm, very interesting.
I never had thought, that it is an Apistogramma.
(and honestly, I still don't believe, but I only know these few pictures from the link above.)

regards,
Rolo

 

[HaakonH]

I'll try to be as up to date as possible on the development here I'm sure we'll have some debatable information to sink our teeth into when this one is released...

-Haakon

 

[RAF]

A few months ago I heard about this "Apisto" species and did hear a brazilian say that he was 90% sure it would be classified as an Apistogramma, though the fish could hardly fit in the dwarf cichlid category.

Never heard of it again until now and only now I saw a photo of the species...
if it is an Apistogramma, I would like to see where will it be placed amongst it's congeners.

 

[HaakonH]

Gigas incoming...it seems the first specimens have been collected and reached Japan. Although, these are labeled "Gigas II", so perhaps they're viewed as a different species by the collectors/importers...? It says they're from Rio Teles Pires, A.sp."Gigas" was caught in Rio Curuá, but judging by the map it seems these rivers may well be connected.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.an-aquarium.com%2FAn%2Fnews.html&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

...or could it be that it's in fact this one that's been imported? The more I look at the pics the more it seems that's the case. That should fit the collection site of the depicted specimen below too.

-Haakon

 

[Mike Wise]

...or could it be that it's in fact this one that's been imported? The more I look at the pics the more it seems that's the case. That should fit the collection site of the depicted specimen below too.

-Haakon

Haakon, I think that you are correct. It looks more like A. sp. Peixoto (A 39) [not the same as A. sp. aff. Peixoto, which is a population of A. sp. Xingu/Veilfleck]. The photo of the female seems to match Peixoto more than Gigas. We will have to wait for better photos.

 

[Mimbon]

Apistogramma gigas in Japan

Ap.gigas seems to be availabel now in Japan.Quite unusual looking fish

http://aquafin.web.infoseek.co.jp/apisto-minima/New-apisto-top.html

Check it!

Rgeards

Roland


www.mimbon.de

 

[Mark]

As I see the picture on the Japanese site I say it is the other species (sp. Teles Pires) and not the real gigas. This one is not as shocking as the real Gigas. Wonder wenn the real Gigas will come to us....

Mark

 

[HaakonH]

If you translate the text it says "Jamin thin", more than likely referring to Rio Jamanxim where the Ap.sp.Peixoto were caught during the same expedition. This backs up Mark's suggestion. It's still a pretty cool looking fish though Seems the Japanese have decided to call this one "Gigas II".

Does anyone have pics of other Ap.sp.Peixoto to compare them?

-Haakon

 

[Mike Wise]

There are photos of the original A. sp. Peixoto in Koslowski (2002), and the DATZ book. I believe it is also in Cichlid Atlas 1 or 2. I don't have the atlases at had, so I am not sure. This species if different from A. sp. aff. Peixoto, which is a population of A. sp. Xingu/Vielfleck. I don't know why Römer gave it this name, since it comes from nowhere near the Rio Piexoto Acevedo where the original A. sp. Peixoto was found.

 

[blueblue]

What an interesting species... while the original "gigas" looks more impressive...

 

[peterK]

What an interesting species... while the original "gigas" looks more impressive...

Cos it had to be another species... Hope they'll appear in the hobby soon.