Author Archives: Frank Schäfer

Hoplarchus psittacus

25. July 2025

Hoplarchus psittacus is one of the very rarely available large cichlids from South America, which is called “Acara paragua” – parrot cichlid – by the indigenous population because of its red breast, which is reminiscent of the colors of some parrots in the Amazon region. Hoplarchus psittacus is the only species of the genus. It comes from the Rio Negro and the upper drainage of the Orinoco (Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela) and can reach a length of up to 40 cm. Most of our imports come from Colombia.

The animals are very quarrelsome with each other if they are not given sufficient individual space. Once they have this, they can be classified as peaceful, at least once the hierarchy has been established. This behavior is known from many large cichlids. The parrot cichlid is an omnivore and therefore vegetarian food should not be missing from the diet.

Unfortunately, the sexes are difficult to distinguish: Females remain smaller, have a flatter forehead and shorter ventral fins. But while dominant males are always easy to recognize, you can unfortunately only be sure about animals that look like females when they are spawning. Weaker males disguise themselves as females, thus avoiding aggression from the boss.

Breeding has only rarely been reported to date, which is probably due to the rare imports and the difficulty in distinguishing the sexes. While the water values for maintenance are of secondary importance, the water for breeding must be soft and acidic. The animals form a parental family. The pair digs a large and deep pit in the ground and spawns on the solid ground. Other breeders report spawning on flat stone slabs. Apparently the species is flexible in this respect or there are different spawning patterns depending on the population. The water temperature for maintenance should be between 24 and 28°C, for breeding 2-3°C more.

This species is relatively susceptible to hole-in-the-head disease and therefore hygiene in the aquarium should be a top priority.

For our customers: the animals have code 683023 (6-8 cm) to 683028 (18-22 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank schäfer

Danio kyathit and D. quagga

25. July 2025

From time to time we have beautiful wild catches of these two Danio species from Burma in stock, which are often characterized by particularly intense red tones in the fins. D. kyathit and D. quagga replace D. rerio, the zebrafish from India, in Burma. Apart from the coloration, the three species are absolutely identical, also in terms of care and breeding in the aquarium.

When the independence of the Burmese from D. rerio was discovered, it was initially believed that the spotted and striped animals from Burma were of the same species and merely color variants, which were grouped together under the species D. kyathit. Later it was decided to describe the striped Burmese as a separate species, D. quagga. However, there are always individual animals in the wild that represent intermediate forms – so-called intergrades – that are neither clearly D. kyathit nor clearly D. quagga. Nature is somewhat more complex than we would like it to be with our pigeonhole thinking.

Burmese zebrafish are beautiful, problem-free aquarium fish that are ideal for unheated indoor aquariums. The temperature requirements are 14-28°C, depending on the time of year, for breeding it may even be a little warmer, but if the animals are kept too warm permanently, they lose color and become susceptible to disease. The chemical composition of the water does not matter, any drinking water is suitable for keeping them. Any commercially available fish food is eaten, plants are ignored and zebrafish, which incidentally reach a size of 4-5 cm, are completely peaceful towards other fish.

For our customers: the spotted Danio kyathit has code 413613, the striped D. quagga code 413603 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Tetraodon schoutedeni

25. July 2025

In the 1960s Tetraodon schoutedeni was one of the most common freshwater puffers in the trade. Also the breeding of the animals succeeded regularly. The fish are free spawners without brood care. But the civil war in Congo changed the situation drastically and even nowadays catchers are reluctant to go to the occurrence areas of the species.

We are happy that now once again we succeeded in importing some animals. The fish are about 4-6 cm long, fully grown they are 7-10 cm. Males often remain smaller, seem to be more contrastingly colored and have longer snouts, but overall the sex differences are not particularly distinct. Tetraodon schoutedeni, also known as the Leopard Pufferfish, is considered one of the most peaceful pufferfishes, but one must always keep in mind with pufferfishes that they are individualists. Leopard Pufferfish are pure freshwater dwellers.

For our customers: the animals have code 191603 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. 

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis and Baryancistrus demantoides

25. July 2025

L-numbers were never intended as a substitute for scientific species designations, but rather to illustrate the diversity of imported loricariids and simplify communication. This is why it happened more frequently that the same zoological species was given several L-numbers, e.g. L18, L81 and L177. They look different, but belong to the same species, namely Baryancistrus xanthellus. The reverse case – i.e. two different species being given the same L number – has hardly ever occurred. One exception is L200. Behind the L number 200 are two species that imitate each other and even belong to different genera. One L200 has been described as Hemiancistrus subviridis. It has a clear gap between the end of the dorsal fin and the beginning of the adipose fin. The second species, on the other hand, known commercially as “L200 Highfin” or “L200a”, has been described as Baryancistrus demantoides. Here the dorsal fin is connected to the adipose fin. The height of the dorsal fin is variable in both species and is not a species criterion. The two L200s are often imported together, as they occur in the same biotope at least in some places and are also caught together. Export countries for both L200s are Colombia and Venezuela, where they are found in the Orinoco, Ventuari and Casiquiare. Both species can interbreed, at least in the aquarium, and even in wildcaughts it is not always easy to classify them.

In individual cases, it is therefore not easy to decide which of the two catfishes is present. There are many L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis with high and long dorsal fins, so it’s easy to get it wrong. If you want to know exactly, you have to look at the mouth. In L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis the mouth appears horizontal-oval, the number of teeth is reduced and the tips of the teeth are wider. The latter makes the tips of the teeth look like bright dots in flashed images. The mouth of L200a Baryancistrus demantoides is vertically oval, the teeth are small and numerous, without widened tips. The coloration of the dorsal fin, which is usually (!) without markings in L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis, but usually (!) shows bright dots in L200a Baryancistrus demantoides, also often provides an indication. However, there are also L200 with dots and L200a without dots in the dorsal fin. It will probably never be possible to completely avoid having some L200a between L200 and vice versa.

Except for breeding experiments (they are typical cave breeders with a father family), it is not really important which of the two L200s you have. Both are very beautiful fish and good algae eaters, both have the same life requirements and grow to a similar size (20-25 cm). The hardness and pH value are of secondary importance for keeping them, although soft and slightly acidic water is usually less contaminated with bacteria, which is pleasant for the catfish. The temperature should be in the range of 26-30°C, so they are warm water fish. Both have a high food requirement, which must be taken into account, and the food should mainly be vegetarian. It appears that L200a Baryancistrus demantoides is somewhat more territorial towards conspecifics than L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis, but that is the whole difference from a maintenance point of view.

For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 200 (Hemiancistrus subviridis) and 26480-L 200A (Baryancistrus demantoides) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chrosomus erythrogaster

18. July 2025

Unfortunately, only very few small fish species from the USA are represented in the hobby. One of the species occasionally offered is the very pretty minnow species Chrosomus erythrogaster. This species is widespread in the wild and common in suitable habitats. It is usually found in small mountain streams from Minnesota and western Pennsylvania, south to Arkansas and Alabama; there are also several isolated occurrences. We currently have German offspring of this peaceful schooling fish on offer.

The species reaches a maximum size of 10-12 cm, they usually grow to 5-7 cm long. The fish do not require heating, but still feel very comfortable at temperatures above 24°C. The chemical composition of the water (hardness, pH) is not important for keeping them; any drinking water is suitable. Any common ornamental fish food is readily accepted, plants are not bothered.

They are gravel spawners. Usually several males compete for one female. These fish do not practice brood care.

For our customers: the fish have code 411043 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Cichla sp. Royal Silk

18. July 2025

People with large aquariums often also want large fish. It’s amazing how many people with large or even very large aquariums there are nowadays; otherwise it’s hard to explain why the Tucunaré or peacock cichlids of the genus Cichla, which used to be considered specialist fish and only develop their most beautiful coloration from around 30 cm in length and can grow up to the metre mark, are now enjoying growing popularity not only among gourmets and anglers, but also among ornamental fish enthusiasts. The 16 currently recognized species have one thing in common: as juveniles, they are rather colourless and give little indication of what they will become.

Due to the fact that the aquaristic demand for cichlids has increased so much, there are now also a number of breeders who are involved in the breeding of species, especially those from remote areas. This almost inevitably results in color variants and mutants. After all, Cichla clutches contain thousands of eggs (9,000 to 15,000 eggs have been counted in Cichla ocellaris!), of which only a few survive in the wild, but the majority survive under aquarium conditions. In Cichla kelberi, for example, the breeding form “Spider” was created (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/cichla-kelberi-spider-2/).

The breeding form “Royal Silk” has recently appeared on the ornamental fish market and is still traded as a top rarity. The animal photographed is only 8-10 cm long and already looks fantastic! Apart from the frightfulness typical of the genus, we can’t say anything else specific about the fish; the usual rules for keeping Cichla species in the aquarium apply.

For our customers: Cichla sp. Royal Silk has code 637053 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Caridina mariae Deep Blue Tiger Yellow Eyes ( = Neocaridina sp. Tiger)

18. July 2025

Tiger shrimps were among the first dwarf shrimp species to enter the hobby around 30 years ago. At that time, they were still simply numbered, the “Tiger” was Caridina or Neocaridina sp. V. Only specialists can clarify the genus affiliation of dwarf shrimps, there are no recognizable characteristics on live animals. In 2015, Klotz & von Rintelen finally gave the Tiger Shrimp its current scientific name, Caridina mariae. The original home of the animals, which are up to 3 cm long (males remain smaller), is Guangdong province in China.

The wild form is gray-brown transparent with the characteristic black tiger stripes. The first mutants soon appeared in the aquarium, and today the wild form is hardly ever seen in the hobby. Colorful cultivated forms have replaced them. These include a blue-colored mutant with yellow eyes. Under aquarium conditions, many species of dwarf shrimp cross, resulting in a constant stream of new color varieties. If you attach importance to pure breeding, you should therefore only keep one shrimp species per aquarium.

In nature, the water is extremely soft, but under aquarium conditions a certain hardness (3-4° KH) is more favorable, as otherwise the pH value becomes unstable. In addition, the water temperature should not rise above 25°C, at least not permanently. At room temperature (18-22°C) the animals are lively and reproduce abundantly. 20-40 eggs per litter are normal, the hatchlings are not bothered by the parents and immediately live as miniature versions of mom and dad. Tiger shrimps are growth eaters, but are happy to eat pretty much any common ornamental fish food. However, care should be taken to ensure that the protein content is not too high. Dead leaves (beech, oak, cattapa etc.) should always be available as a food source in every aquarium for dwarf shrimps.

For our customers: the animals have code 485442 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Klotz, W.; von Rintelen, T. (2014). To “bee” or not to be—on some ornamental shrimp from Guangdong Province, Southern China and Hong Kong SAR, with descriptions of three new species. Zootaxa. 3889(2): 151-184

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brycon cf. pesu1

18. July 2025

The genus Brycon comprises around 45 species, which are distributed across large parts of South and Central America. They hardly play a role in aquaristics, but are very important as food fish. They are medium-sized to large fish. The smallest species belong to the B. pesu complex (approx. 16 cm standard length, i.e. without caudal fin), while the largest – whose impressive appearance captivates the eye in underwater photographs and shapes our perception of Brycon species in general – can reach a standard length of over 70 cm.

The species Brycon pesu was scientifically described as early as 1845. Since then, all smaller Brycon species with a black caudal fin band and/or black adipose fin from Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela have been called “Brycon pesu”. It has been firmly assumed for decades that this is not a single species, but a species complex. The actual Brycon pesu would then probably only occur in the Guyana Shield. We have now received Brycon from the complex around B. pesu from the Araguaia/Tocantins basin in Brazil for the first time. The B. cf. pesu occurring there were only recently examined in a scientific paper (Panarari-Antunes et al, 2008). It was found that the two different color types of “Brycon pesu” from this water system are actually two different, genetically clearly representable species. One species has a red stripe in the anal fin as a clear external distinguishing mark, the other does not.

Unfortunately, we received the species without red stripes (the other one would certainly be even more attractive). We named it Brycon cf. pesu1 according to the suggestion in Panarari-Antunes et al. This Brycon may not have particularly striking colors, but in our opinion it is still an enrichment for the hobby. Tetras of this medium size class, which enliven an aquarium with medium-sized cichlids and catfish, are rather rare. There is not too much to say about the care requirements of Brycon cf. pesu1. They are lively schooling fish, playful and peaceful. As this is a first import, we are not yet able to provide any long-term experience. Our animals willingly accept any common ornamental fish food, the water temperature can be between 22 and 25°C, probably a little higher is also possible. Other fish species from the Araguaia/Tocantins have shown good adaptability to different water parameters (pH and hardness). In nature, the water there is soft and slightly acidic. The aquarium for Brycon species must be well covered, as they are excellent jumpers.

For our customers: the animals have code 212713 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Panarari-Antunes, R. S., Prioli, A. J., Prioli, S. M. A. P., Júlio Jr, H. F., Agostinho, C. S., & L. M. Prioli (2008): Molecular variability in Brycon cf. pesu Müller and Troschel, 1845 (Characiformes: Characidae) from the Araguaia-Tocantins basin. Genetics and Molecular Research, 7(1), 95-106.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Panaqolus sp. L374

11. July 2025

There are several tiger plecos of the genus Panaqolus. First L2 was imported from the Rio Tocantins and introduced in 1988 in the very first “L-catfish article” in the Datz. In 1992, LDA1 from the Rio Negro was added, which was given the additional L number 169 in 1994. The tiger pleco presented in 2001 as LDA64 and a little later (2002) again as L306 comes from the Takutu River in the border region of Guyana and Brazil; this species is the only one that has been scientifically studied to date. It has been named Panaqolus claustellifer in 2016. Tiger plecos from the Rio Anapu in Brazil received two L-numbers. L374 comes from its upper reaches and L403 from its lower reaches. They received their L-numbers in 2004 and 2006. We received animals that were visually indistinguishable from L374 in 2014 with the locality designation “Alto Nhamunda” (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10b-catfishes-suckermouths-plecos-and-l-numbers/panaqolus_sp_alto_nhamunda_en/). The Rio Nhamunda forms the border between the states of Amazonas and Pará. Almost all known localities of tiger plecos are therefore in the state of Pará in Brazil, the only exception being P. claustellifer.

There are two established aquarium strains of L374; the species is hardly ever imported as a wild catch. The first aquarium strain originates from animals imported by Jens Gottwald in 2003, the second from a strain imported by Transfish at the end of 2003. The two strains differ slightly in color in that the so-called Gottwald strain has more orange in its coloration, while the Transfish strain is somewhat more greyish. Both retain their contrasting coloration even in old age. The animals reach a length of 13-15 cm.

We can currently offer very nice offspring of L374 of the “Gottwald strain”. All tiger plecos are easy to care for. They require clean, low-germ water, which should not be too hard and slightly acidic. The water temperature can range from 25-29°C. All Panaqolus need soft wood as a basic food source and can be additionally fed all kinds of vegetables. Any common ornamental fish food is also accepted, but you just have to be careful that the specialized wood-eaters with their very long intestines do not get too much of it, otherwise there may be severe digestive problems. Only one species of tiger catfish should be kept per aquarium, otherwise they may cross-breed. They are typical cave breeders with a father family.

For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 374X-2 (5-7 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sewellia sp. Spotted (SEW01)

11. July 2025

The genus Sewellia includes the most popular and probably most beautiful of all hillstream loaches: Sewellia lineolata (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/sewellia-lineolata-2/). Enthusiasm for this fish continues to this day. Scientifically, considerably more species of Sewellia are known; a total of 18 species have been described to date, but the status of some species from Vietnam, which were named in a book on the fishes of Vietnam in 2006, is unclear, as the descriptions are not very informative and are accompanied by very poor pictures.

For example, it is not yet clear whether the Sewellia sp. Spotted from Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam, which is popular in the hobby, belongs to a scientifically new species or whether it is possibly identical to one of the three species named in the above-mentioned book, S. monolobata, S. polylobata or S. tetralobata. Maurice Kottelat, probably the best loach expert of our time, assumes that S. monolobata and S. polylobata are the same species. As a “first reviser”, he selects S. monolobata as the valid name for this case. Kottelat considers S. tetralobata to be a synonym (a more recent second description) of Sewellia albisuera.

We cannot decide or clarify these matters here; what is interesting is that among our currently imported S. sp. spotted is a specimen that corresponds very well with S. albisuera. It should also be noted that S. albisuera lives in the same river as the well-known S. lineolata. However, these two species are ecologically distinct. S. albisuera is adapted to very strong currents, S. lineolata is not.

So let’s just stick with the name Sewellia sp. Spotted or Sewellia sp. SEW01, as the species is also known among loach enthusiasts. This species, which grows up to around 6-8 cm long, is just as easy to keep in the aquarium and reproduces just as readily as S. lineolata. What the animals need is oxygen-rich, clear and low-germ water, a good current, regular partial water changes, water temperatures in the range 22-26°C and an aquarium richly decorated with stones. The water hardness and pH value are of secondary importance, extreme values should be avoided. The animals are uncomplicated omnivores and will accept all common live, frozen and granulated foods of a suitable size in addition to aufwuchs. They prefer to spawn in coarse gravel, but in our fishhouse they also make do with the coarse-pored filter sponge. And so one day the cute, black and white ringed young of this species appeared among their parents, uncles and aunts, who completely ignore these pretty little creatures.

For our customers: Sewellia sp. Spotted has code 455072 (md) to 455075 (xlg-sh) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Xiphophorus hellerii black

11. July 2025

The black breeding form of the swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii is also known as the Hamburg breeding form because the aquaristic tradition that is often cited states that it was first bred in Hamburg in 1912 by a breeder named W. Hoffmann. However, it is also undisputed that other black strains were created somewhat later independently of this. Black swordtails do not exist in nature. It is also not a cross between a black molly and a swordtail. The black coloration is the result of crossing wild platies (Xiphophorus maculatus) with green swordtails (X. hellerii).

Hamburgers are black swordtails whose scales usually have a green or blue sheen (“mirror”). The black coloration can extend to the fins, but most specimens have red, yellow or transparent fins. Black swordtails are not homozygous, at least to our knowledge there have never been any reports of homozygous black swordtails. Even after 18 generations of strict inbreeding, in which only black animals were mated, there are still red and green fish among the young of a black pair (D. Gentzsch in Das Aquarium, 1995, issue 309: 13-16).

Because it used to be believed that inbreeding was harmful in general and especially in the case of black swordtails, the doctrine that hamburgers should always be bred by crossing a black animal with other color forms applied until the end of the last millennium. Today’s black swordtails are correspondingly inconsistent in terms of coloration. Today, however, it has been proven that inbreeding in fish is generally harmless. Of course, there are also hereditary diseases in fish that can be exacerbated by inbreeding, but a good breeder can avoid such pitfalls by making the right breeding choices.

From an aquarium point of view, black swordtails are not only special in terms of color. They are relatively large swordtails, which should be kept in the largest possible aquarium in order to breed magnificent animals. Their preferred temperature is somewhat lower than that of many other X. hellerii; experienced breeders recommend 18-22°C. In addition, the late males of the black swordtails only become sexually mature really late (often only at around one year of age) (early males at around 3-4 months). Before that, they largely look like females, which has led to the myth of the sex change in swordtails. The sex ratio in litters is approx. 50:50. Black swordtails are not as fertile as many other X. hellerii, in which litters of large females can easily produce 150 young or more. Black swordtail females only produce a third of this number or less and do not become so bulky when they are about to spawn.

For our customers: black swordtails have code 420401 (small) to 420405 (show size) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hypostomus boulengeri

11. July 2025

Every aquarist probably knows the genus Hypostomus by name, to which 154 species are currently assigned (including Cochliodon, which is sometimes seen as an independent genus and sometimes as a synonym of Hypostomus). Of this huge variety, however, only one species is regularly found in the trade, namely Cochliodon basilisko, also known as Red Bruno. Hypostomus luteus is a popular aquarium fish among specialists. Another species is repeatedly mentioned, but is practically never found in the trade: H. plecostomus. The animals referred to as such in the trade are actually Glyptoperichthys (formerly: Liposarcus) pardalis.

Hypostomus boulengeri is also a real rarity in the hobby. However, it is frequently found in the wild. This explains why it repeatedly appears as by-catch among ornamental fish from Paraguay. This time there was a larger number of these suckermouth catfish among the “Red Bruno”, so we sorted them out. As we have pictures of various sizes between 3 and about 20 cm in length – the maximum achievable size is given as 24.5 cm standard length, i.e. without caudal fin, which corresponds to a total length of about 30 cm – we take the opportunity to document the change in coloration from small juvenile fish to adult animals and also the various individual and mood-dependent colorations.

Keeping these animals is very simple. H. boulengeri are generally peaceful with each other and with other fish, and fights between conspecifics are always harmless. Of course, the aquarium must not be too small in view of the expected final size. H. boulengeri are good algae eaters, but will happily accept any food in the aquarium. The water temperature should vary seasonally and be cooler (18-20°C) for a few months and warmer (24-28°C) the rest of the time. We have no information about breeding in an aquarium and it has probably never been attempted.

Incidentally, there is a second, very similar sibling species in the Rio Paraguay, namely Hypostomus formosae. The main external difference between H. boulengeri and H. formosae is the tip of the snout, which is naked in H. boulengeri and has normal shields in H. formosae. All the animals that we then looked at more closely had a naked snout tip, so they are H. boulengeri.

For our customers: H. boulengeri has code 262483 (4-7 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brochis bifasciata ( = Corydoras bifasciatus)

4. July 2025

Given the current (June 2025) 159 C-numbers and 216 CW-numbers, you would think that all 203 scientifically accepted species of the subfamily Corydoradinae (i.e. Aspidoras, Brochis, Corydoras, Gastrodermus, Hoplisoma, Osteogaster and Scleromystax) would be appearing more or less regularly in the hobby. But this is not the case. Two longnosed species from the Rio Tapajós catchment, scientifically described in 1972 and 1976, are still a mystery: Brochis bifasciata and B. ornata (both originally described as Corydoras species). While it has still not been possible to import specimens of Brochis ornata that correspond exactly to the original description (there are, of course, all kinds of very, very similar-looking species), B. bifasciata has finally been imported recently.

Why is this beautiful long-snouted fish so rare? Nobody knows; the first scientific description was made, as already mentioned, in 1972. The type locality is given as follows: Creek at left bank of Rio Cururu, tributary of upper River Tapajós near Maloca do Conzale, about 7°45’S, 58°00’W, Pará State, Brazil.

Brochis bifasciata is the long-snouted version of the equally very, very beautiful Hoplisoma sp. CW127 (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/corydoras-sp-aff-parallelus-cw127-4/), which is also very difficult to obtain. According to the exporter, both species come from the Rio Jamanxim, a tributary of the Tapajós. Hoplisoma sp. C133 (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10a-catfishes-corydoras-co/corydoras_from_the_rio_jamanxim_c_bifasciatus__en/), which is very similar to CW127 and lacks the black zone in the dorsal fin, which merges into a shoulder band running towards the belly, was also occasionally imported with the indication of origin “Tapajós”. This pattern is very typical for Hoplisoma sp. CW127 and is also found in B. bifasciata. For Hoplisoma sp. C133 there is an identically marked Brochis species, i.e. a long-snouted species, which to our knowledge has not yet been assigned a C or CW number. However, there is another CW number for a fish that is very similar to B. bifasciata and is also imported together with it: Brochis sp. CW135. These animals have a slightly different dorsal pattern. In our opinion, this falls within the variance of B. bifasciata, but who knows? Since the phenotype CW135 has so far only appeared in single specimens, we do not offer it separately from B. bifasciata. It should also be mentioned that in the type specimen of B. bifasciata the lower of the two longitudinal bands runs along the midline, i.e. where the two rows of lateral bone plates meet. In our current import, there are also specimens in which the second longitudinal band runs clearly below the midline. All in all, B. bifasciata appears to be as variable as B. pulcher, for example.

One thing is for sure: the Corydoras-like armored catfishes still offer enough exciting questions to keep generations of scientists and aquarists busy!

For our customers: Brochis bifasciata have code 224204 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Garra panitvongi ( = sp. Red Tail)

4. July 2025

This beautiful sucking barb was scientifically described in 2023 in honor of the meritorious naturalist Nonn Panitvong. Nonn found the animals together with other members of siamensis.org in 2006, so the location (the Kasat River in western Thailand) is well documented. For the history of the discovery of this species, please see https://www.aqualog.de/blog/garra-sp-rotschwanz-godzilla-kommt-vom-kasat-river/

The article also documents the impressive fighting behavior of this species, in which the males open their frontal processes (scientifically: proboscis) like horns and then wrestle with each other like bulls.

The closest related species in Thailand is certainly Garra fuliginosa Fowler, 1934, from which Garra panitvongi is, however, clearly different in color.

Of course, this Garra species is also a good algae eater, but it is more likely to be kept for its own sake and to promote algae growth for the benefit of the fish than to degrade it to a stone cleaner.

For our customers: the animals have code 416481 (3-4 cm) to 416484 (7-9 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brachygobius mekongensis

4. July 2025

In the genus Brachygobius we find some of the smallest freshwater goby species. One of these dwarfs is B. mekongensis, a species that was only scientifically described in 2000. The late scientific recording of this species, which is widely distributed in the Mekong River basin in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, is due to the fact that it was previously regarded either as a juvenile of another species or as an eastern population of the Indian dwarf species B. nunus.

At less than 2 cm in length, B. mekongensis is fully grown. The females are somewhat larger and fuller than the males. There is even a breeding report on the animals from 1990, although H. Horsthemke incorrectly identified them as B. aggregatus – forgivable, as the species B. mekongensis had not yet been described at the time. According to him, B. mekongensis spawns on hard substrate (i.e. not in caves, like many other Brachygobius species). The approx. 30 eggs are guarded by the male until hatching.

B. mekongensis is a pure freshwater species, there are no reports from brackish water. In the wild, it prefers waters with abundant underwater vegetation, e.g. Vallisneria. The water depth is usually 0.3-1.5 m. The dwarf fish species Boraras micros and Indostomus spinosus, which are also occasionally encountered in the hobby, live together with it.

In the aquarium, the dwarf gobies are best fed with small live food. If the rain barrel or pond does not provide enough food, grindal worms, chopped tubifex and Artemia nauplii are a good substitute. B. mekongensis are not demanding in terms of hardness and pH value; any drinking water is suitable for maintenance and breeding. The temperature can be between 22 and 28°C.

For our customers: the animals have code 407152 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hypancistrus sp. L260 Queen Arabesque

4. July 2025

It is astonishing that this strikingly colored catfish from the Rio Tapajós in Brazil (state of Para) has not yet been scientifically recorded. Since 1998 it has carried the L-number 260 and since then has also been one of the regularly imported and bred L-catfish.

There are great similarities to L411 from the Rio Jari. Unfortunately, almost all L-catfish interbreed under aquarium conditions (there have even been reports of hybrids between H. zebra L46 and L260). You should therefore pay attention to species purity when putting together breeding groups. Otherwise there is a risk that aquarium strains – i.e. breeding forms – will be created and the original species will die out in the hobby. In view of the dramatic worldwide extinction of species (private animal husbandry is not responsible at all for this, just as an aside), we should try to avoid this.

Keeping L260 is easy. This omnivorous fish grows up to approx. 12 cm long and is considered to be relatively tolerant, both of each other and of other species. On the whole, the care of this species can be equated with that of the well-known Aquarium-Ancistrus, although L260 is less tolerant of poor water conditions. However, there are two important differences: L260 likes it warmer (26-30°C) and L260 hardly eats algae or other plant material. However, experienced keepers swear by raw potato pieces as supplementary food. This food can remain in the aquarium all day and is eaten with pleasure. This food has proved to be very effective, especially with somewhat lean wild-caught fish, in order to replenish them quickly.

For our customers: the animals have 26480-L 260-2 (6-8 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Rasbora daniconius

2. July 2025

From India we were able to import Rasbora daniconius, This minnow usually grows to 6-8 cm in length, the largest specimen ever measured supposedly measured 15 cm. The species is found in Bengal together with such well-known and popular ornamental fishes as zebra danio (Danio rerio), rosy barb (Pethia conchonius), dwarf gourami (Colisa lalius) and chameleon fish (Badis badis). Rasbora daniconius is a wonderful contrast fish to the above species in the community aquarium.

The animals are completely peaceful omnivores, plants are ignored. Like the majority of minnows, this species appreciates the company of its conspecifics and should be kept in a group of at least five, preferably 10-15 specimens. The water temperature can be between 18 and 28°C, any tap water suitable as drinking water is suitable for the care. R. daniconius are free spawners without brood care.

For our customers: the fish have code 451703 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia sp. “Kali Tawa”

27. June 2025

This new dwarf rainbowfish, which has obviously not yet been scientifically described, was only introduced to the aquarium hobby in 2019. As is so often the case with rainbowfishes, it was found during a privately funded and conducted research trip. Its provisional name Melanotaenia sp. “Kali Tawa” refers to the place where it was found in Papua New Guinea.

With a total length of normally 7 cm (several years old specimens are said to be able to reach 10 cm), this species is one of the smaller representatives of the genus. The combination of snow-white dorsal and anal fins and red caudal fin, plus an orange front ridge and blue tones on the flank, makes them highly attractive in terms of color. In the trade we have juvenile offspring about 4 cm long, which are of course not yet fully colored, but even these are already quite pretty!

For our customers: the fish have code 428803 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Trigonostigma espei

27. June 2025

Of the five species currently assigned to the genus Trigonostigma (harlequin barbs) – the well-known common harlequin barb T. heteromorpha, the most recently described T. truncatus, the dwarf T. somphongsi, T. hengeli and T. espei – the last two are often confused; unfortunately, this also happens to us from time to time if we are not very careful.

The reason for this is that both species look pretty darn similar in the juvenile stage, i.e. at 1-2 cm in length. When fully grown up, they can hardly be confused; both species remain about one centimeter smaller than the common harlequin barb at a total length of 3 – 3.5 cm. Adult T. hengeli have a zone between the edge of the gill cover and the colored, orange-pink band that accompanies the wedge spot, which is colored light brown-grayish beige like the back, while in T. espei the entire body, including the front body, is colored bright orange (females) to purple (dominant males) without any gaps. Only the wedge spot is naturally black. You can find pictures of T. hengeli here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/08-carp-like-fishes-2-barbs-minnows-carps-goldfish-etc/trigonostigma-hengeli-4/

If the origin is known, identification is also easy. T. hengeli is only found on the Greater Sunda Islands of Sumatra and Borneo, T. espei only in southern Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. But as I said, juveniles cannot be identified without knowing their origin. And at the beginning of the season (May/June) it is mainly juveniles that are on the market. T. hengeli are always sent from Indonesia as T. espei with a certain persistence. And so it is easy to explain how the misnomer sometimes reaches private aquarists and causes ongoing confusion.

All harlequin barbs are beautiful fish and highly recommended. T. espei require soft and acidic water for breeding. Like its well-known cousin, it usually spawns with its belly upwards on the underside of broad leaves of aquatic plants (e.g. Cryptocorynes), but is not quite as strict about this. Occasionally, spawn is also deposited on the upper side of the leaves in a normal posture. All ornamental fish food of a suitable size is eaten. The completely peaceful animals do not damage plants. The water temperature should be in the range of 24-28°C.

For our customers: T. espei has code 451951 (sm) to 451954 (lg-xlg) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Glyptothorax buchanani

27. June 2025

The mountain catfish (Glyptothorax) are virtually unknown in aquaristics. It is a very species-rich group (almost 120 accepted plus presumably numerous undescribed species) of mostly small, current-loving catfish. The extremely limited experience of keeping these catfish shows that (as with many stream fish) they are sensitive animals that do not tolerate heavy organic pollution or the associated bacterial load. In other words: aquaria that are as large as possible, well run-in, well-filtered and sparsely stocked are the basic prerequisite for keeping these fish successfully in the long term.

In terms of compatibility, it should be noted that most species are peaceful towards other fish and conspecifics. However, the latter in particular still needs to be researched. It appears that Glyptothorax buchanani stress each other. In any case, the breathing frequency of two animals that were initially kept together and then separated was considerably reduced when only one specimen was kept per aquarium.

As flowing water inhabitants, Glyptothorax are adapted to sandy substrate (in which they sometimes burrow) with larger stones. The chemical composition of the water is of secondary importance, but bear in mind that hard, alkaline water offers many bacteria more favorable living conditions than soft, acidic water. Due to their sensitivity to bacterial infections, we therefore recommend soft to medium-hard water and a pH between 6 and 7. These fish are also demanding in terms of diet. Dry food and granules are hardly accepted, at least not during acclimatization. Live food is preferable (white mosquito larvae and adult Artemia are ideal for hygienic reasons, but the animals also like to eat Tubifex and red mosquito larvae, as well as mayfly larvae and various small crustaceans), later the animals will also take frozen food.

We received Glyptothorax buchanani from Thailand. This species, which was described in 1945, is endemic to Thailand and therefore only occurs there. It colonizes the river systems of the Mae Klong and Chao Phraya. It becomes about 6 cm long (without caudal fin). Almost nothing is known about the reproductive behavior of Glyptothorax species, except that they undertake spawning migrations.

For our customers: the animals have code 417792 (4-6 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Piaractus brachypomus

27. June 2025

Internationally, the largest serrasalmid species are called “pacu”: the red bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus, formerly Colossoma brachypomus or C. bidens) from the Amazon system, its twin species P. orinoquensis, which has only been differentiated from it since 2019, the yellow pacu (P. mesopotamicus) from the Parana-Paraguay system and the black pacu or cachama (Colossoma macropomum) from the Amazon. They all grow to around 80 cm in length and weigh over 20 kg. They are kept in aquaculture as excellent food fish and one species – the red bellied pacu – is probably now widespread in the tropics worldwide. In their native countries, however, these pacus are called Pirapitinga and the silver dollars of the genus Myletes & Co are referred to as pacus.

Anyway, red pacus are a must in any display aquarium as they are impressive creatures. However, we do not import them as large fish, but as small fish just a few centimetres long. They are usually bred ones from South-East Asia. As juveniles, red bellied pacus imitate a notorious cousin, the Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri). In fact, they are almost indistinguishable from each other in terms of color. It is called Batesian mimicry when a harmless species imitates a defensive species and thus benefits from the fact that potential predators tend to be cautious.

Aquaristically, of course, it is known that piranhas represent the carnivorous branch of serrasalmids, while pacus are mainly vegetarians. Large animals love to eat fruit and nuts that fall from trees into the water. As this food is very rich in nutrients, the water under such trees is often heavily polluted with putrefactive substances and very low in oxygen. Pacus can withstand this and some species even develop an auxiliary respiratory organ at certain times in the form of a greatly enlarged, very well supplied with blood lip, through which additional oxygen enters the organism when the fish swims on the water surface.

Piaractus brachypomus is relatively unspecialized. It is also found in clean waters and as an opportunist it also eats small fish, shrimps etc., so it is not a pure vegetarian.

Keeping Pacus is easy, but only recommended for people who have huge aquaria. Piaractus brachypomus get on well with each other, but small fish are regarded as food supplements.

For our customers: the animals have code 218501 (4-6 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pygocentrus cariba ( = P. notatus)

25. June 2025

Pygocentrus are the most famous and aquaristically most important piranhas. In contrast to all other piranhas, Pygocentrus are always schooling fish. They are less keen on fin pieces of other fish than Serrasalmus and Pristorycon species and with their particularly sharp teeth they can bite whole pieces out of a body. However, the Pygocentrus species are by no means bloodthirsty monsters either, but opportunists that use any food – often of plant origin – that is available.

Pygocentrus cariba is a beautiful species that is regularly found in the trade and represents the shoaling piranhas in the Orinoco. The large humeral spot (= shoulder spot) is typical of the species and is most pronounced in adolescent and young adult fish. Very small animals (under approx. 4 cm in length) do not yet show the humeral spot. Very old animals, like all Pygocentrus species, tend to be very darkly colored, in which case the species can hardly be distinguished. The species name cariba is only available via a caption (which authors before 1993 usually considered insufficient); Fink (1993) revised the genus Pygocentrus and established cariba as the correct species name for the shoal piranha with shoulder spot (principle of the “first reviser”), whereby the name P. notatus, which was previously considered valid, became a synonym.

This piranha usually grows to a maximum length of approx. 25 cm, the largest length stated in the scientific literature is 27.9 cm total length (including caudal fin).

For our customers: P. cariba has the code numbers 292600 (2-4 cm) to 292607 (18-22 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hyphessobrycon peugeotorum ( = H. peugeoti)

20. June 2025

It’s amazing how many new, attractive tetra species have been discovered recently! Among them is Hyphessobrycon peugeotorum, which was only scientifically described in 2013 under the name H. peugeoti. It originates from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso (middle drainage of the Rio Juruena, upper basin of the Rio Tapajós). The unusual species name does not refer to the French car builders, but (quotation): “Hyphessobrycon peugeoti is patronymic to the Peugeot family, who invented the Peugeot pepper mill mechanism in 1842 and whose manufacturing business led to the establishment of a carbon sink reforestation project in the fazenda São Nicolau, in central Brazil, and eventually to the discovery of this new species.” According to the rules of zoological naming, in this case (naming after several individuals, not after a single individual) the Latin plural genitive must be chosen for the species name – i.e. the word ending -orum – and not, as happened, the Latin singular genitive ending in -i.

Apart from that, Hyphessobrycon peugeotorum is a beautiful fish that we can offer as offspring. The species grows to a length of 4-5 cm and is completely peaceful. An experience in the photo tank indicates how the animal should be cared for in order to achieve optimum coloration. In our fishhouse, a male showed mating coloration and developed a black caudal fin (in normal coloration, the caudal fin is transparent and colorless). We caught the animal and some conspecifics, put them in the photo tank and waited. It shouldn’t normally take long for the now decolored animal to show mating colors again. Not so! Nine days passed and nothing happened. We warmed the water, added humic substances, fed live food, changed the water – everything you do to get tetras going. Nothing. Then we darkened the tank considerably! And now it worked. Apparently Hyphessobrycon peugeotorum likes it a bit dim. To each his own!

For our customers: the animals have code 261499 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos. Frank Schäfer

PS: As we have learned, an objection was raised against the change of the species name peugeoti to peugeotorum, so that the species is currently more frequently referred to as H. peugeoti again.

Nematobrycon lacortei

20. June 2025

The Rainbow Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon lacortei) is certainly one of the most attractive tetras in South America. Its home is in western Colombia where it is caught in the catchment area of the Rio San Juan. Males and females can be easily distinguished by the color of the iris. Already in small juveniles the males have a red, the females a blue iris.

To the same genus belongs the usually better known emperor tetra Nematobrycon palmeri. Nematobrycon can only be described as schooling fish to a limited extent, since the males at least occasionally defend territories against conspecifics – and this can happen quite violently. Your aquarium should therefore contain structure-forming elements such as roots and large plants.

Emperor tetras can be kept in medium hard water, but for breeding it should be soft and acidic. They will eat almost all offered foods, for a good spawning it is recommended to feed black mosquito larvae (Culex) regularly.

For our customers: the fish have code 272504 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

Photos F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl

Tocantinsia piresi

20. June 2025

We just received one of the very rare imports of a very peculiar representative of the Auchenipteridae (driftwood catfish): Tocantinsia piresi. These catfish were first discovered in 1974 in the Rio Tocantins near Porto National in the state of Goiás in Brazil. Because they did not fit into any known genus, Mees described them as a new genus – Tocantinsia – and the species as the new species T. depressa. 10 years later, Mees discovered that he had produced a double description. As early as 1920, Miranda Ribeiro had described and illustrated a catfish from the Rio São Manoel (today better known as Rio Teles Pires, one of the two headwaters of the Rio Tapajós), Mato Grosso (also Brazil) as Glanidium piresi, which corresponds to T. depressa in all recognizable details. It is now known that the species is relatively widespread. In addition to the river systems already mentioned, the catfish is also found in the Rio Xingu, for example, where ecological studies have even been carried out on its reproductive biology.

At around 50 cm in length, Tocantinsia piresi is one of the large driftwood catfish. In the Rio Xingu, females reach sexual maturity at a slightly smaller body size (33.76 cm) than the males at 34.84 cm. The maturity of the gonads (testes and ovaries) was during the period of lowest water in the dry season. Stomach examinations of animals from the Rio Tocantins revealed that the fish are omnivores that eat both plant material (fruits, seeds, flowers) and animal material (frogs, insects, spiders, millipedes). However, almost all of their food was of terrestrial origin, i.e. it came from the land into the water.

In the aquarium, T. piresi are above all very fond of hiding. This must be taken into account when keeping them. The animals are best kept in a dimly lit aquarium with lots of larger stones between which they seek shelter. The stiff pectoral fins with their thick spines make the animals relatively immobile, and a dense tangle of plants in which they become entangled is the last thing they need. Our animals are peaceful with each other. The coloration is quite variable, we chose the darkest and the lightest individual of our import for the photo session. As the fish are currently approx. 10 – 12 cm long and not yet sexually mature, the sex difference that is usual for the catfish – an anal fin that has been converted into a mating organ in the male – is not yet recognizable. We therefore do not know whether the coloration is related to the sex.

For our customers: the animals have code 297233 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos. Frank Schäfer

Ancistrus sp. “Gold Albino”

20. June 2025

Albinism is a mutation that can occur in almost any animal species, including humans. The word is derived from the Latin “albus” = white. The expression of the mutation is admittedly different. In some forms of albinism, some melanin (the black cell pigment) is still produced, in other forms hardly any or none at all. A conspicuous feature of albinos are the red eyes, which come from the fact that the blood vessels in the back of the eyes shine through. In addition, albinos are lighter colored on the body up to a complete white animals. But there is also the paradoxical case of black colored albinos with red eyes. This can happen when the genes for melanin production in different parts of the body are located in different genetic regions and are only partially affected by the mutation.

The Ancistrus Gold Albino is an albino breeding form, in which all black is missing, but the red color cells in the body are strongly developed. This is the reason for the intense golden-orange coloration. The eyes are always red in this breeding form. The fish enjoy great popularity because of their pretty color. Normally such fish are traded only in relatively small specimens, most often in sizes of 3-6 cm. They reach this size relatively quickly. Fully grown animals, however, become about 15-16 cm long. By then they are often many years old, so actually priceless, if you count care costs and labor. But sometimes – even if very rarely – such chunks come to us!

For our customers: the fish have code 204061 (2-3 cm) to 204068 (12-15 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Tetraodon lineatus “bred”

13. June 2025

The up to 40 cm long Nile pufferfish (Tetraodon lineatus) is a magnificent freshwater species from Africa. We have presented it in detail here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/tetraodon-lineatus-15-20-cm/

For some time now, we have also bred specimens of this species from Indonesia in stock. In Nigeria – the home of these fish – fewer and fewer people want to earn a living as fishermen. There too, the so-called work-life balance plays a major role and an air-conditioned office seems more attractive to many than a job in the wild. Although ornamental fish catchers earn significantly more than their colleagues who catch fish for food, there are now supply bottlenecks for some species for the reasons mentioned, which are then filled by bred fish.

We have noticed that the offspring are considerably more tolerant towards conspecifics than individuals from wild waters. We can keep these fish, which we receive in sizes of around 2 cm, together without any problems. They also get along wonderfully when they have grown to 6 cm. We haven’t had them here for longer than that.

These may already be the first signs of domestication. Because behavior is just as hereditary as external characteristics. When establishing a breeding stock, you will always select individuals that get along particularly well. Later, animals that have shown themselves to be peaceful during rearing will be used for further breeding, as only then is stress-free rearing possible on a larger scale.

For our customers: the offspring have code 190310 (2 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Oxyeleotris marmorata

13. June 2025

Most gobies live in the sea. And most gobies stay small, usually less than 10 cm. So Oxyeleotris marmorata, the Marbled Sleepergoby, is an exception in more than only one respect. The species is a giant among the gobies and becomes more than 50 cm long. And usually it lives in pure freshwater; only occasionally it is found in brackish water.

Oxyeleotris marmorata is a predator. A short look in the open mouth of the fish says more than thousand words. The species can swallow fish that have about have of the length of the goby itself. However, when kept in an aquarium this creature becomes very tame and can be easily fed via a forceps. Juveniles also feed on earthworms and frozen fish food.

The Marbled Sleepergoby is a calm fish that will not swim if it is not necessary. So the species does not need – compared with the size of the fish – very large aquaria. However, they are kept best alone, only one fish per tank, because they can be pretty pugnacious against conspecifics.

Oxyeleotris is a cave spawner that produces tens of thousands of eggs. The eggs are really tiny. There are no reports of a successful breeding in captivity, but most probably it has never been tried at all. The species has a very wide distribution in South-East Asia and is very common wherever it appears.

We have obtained juveniles from Thailand recently, so fans of predatory fish have now the chance to risk an attempt.

For our customers: the fish have code 440972 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Nomorhamphus ebrardtii

13. June 2025

We imported very nice specimens of the halfbeak Nomorhamphus ebrardtii. This livebearing fish lives endemic (this means: exclusively there) on the island of Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes. Here the species occurs mainly in smaller brooks. Maximum length of N. ebrardtii is around 6-7 cm.

The bright orange-red fins are very striking as well as the orange stripe on the belly is. However, the intensity of the colours depends much on the social postion of the individual fish. These fish have a strict hierarchy in both males and females. Only dominant specimens have the full strength of coloration. One should keep Nomorhamphus either by pair or in groups of 10 specimens upwards.

The fish need clean, oxygen-rich water. The pH should be neutral (around pH 7). They feed almost exclusively from the water surface. In the natural habitat they feed mainly on insects and most probably on pollen, on the aquarium they take readily food flakes (which should be rather small) and freeze-dried food items.

For our customers: the fish have code 438822 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. 

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Ancistrus sp. “Snow White Longfin”

12. June 2025

When asked: “May it be a little more?”, many Ancistrus enthusiasts answer: “Yes, I’d love to!”. The result is Veil Ancistrus, which are now available in pretty much all colors of the popular aquarium Ancistrus. Of course, the “Snow White Longfin” are still quite exclusive and only available from time to time. There are both red-eyed and black-eyed specimens of Ancistrus sp. “Snow White Longfin”. This is not always easy to recognize, which is why no distinction is usually made between the two varieties in the trade.

For our customers: the animals have code 204078 (4-5 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hyphessobrycon montagi

6. June 2025

With over 130 species, the genus Hyphessobrycon has become very confusing. New species are still being discovered. It has long been known that Hyphessobrycon is an artificial collective genus and that the species in it are not necessarily closely related to each other. For this reason, “groups” have been defined within Hyphessobrycon from time to time since the 1970s in order to better structure them.  One of these groups is that of the flag tetras, the so-called Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group. It is characterized by the fact that three different coloured longitudinal bands can be seen in life, namely one red, one black and one white. However, depending on the assessment of the respective researchers, other characteristics are also used to differentiate between groups, such as the presence or absence of spots in the shoulder area ( = humeral spots) or on the tail root.

Hyphessobrycon montagi clearly belongs to the Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group in terms of coloration, although the red longitudinal band is limited to a short piece on the caudal peduncle. However, this species, which was only scientifically described in 2014, has two species-specific unique features: two  humeral spots, which are arranged in a specific way, and an additional caudal root spot. In the most current, DNA-based review of all tetras (Melo et al. 2024), H. montagi is nevertheless placed in the Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group. According to current opinion, it includes H. amapaensis, H. cantoi, H. heterorhabdus, H. ericae, H. montagi, H. sateremawe and H. wosiackii. Externally very similar is the Hyphessobrycon agulha group with Hyphessobrycon agulha, H. clavatus, H. eschwartzae, H. herbertaxelrodi, H. klausanni, H. loretoensis, H. lucenorum, H. margitae, H. metae, H. mutabilis, H. peruvianus, H. wadai and H. zoe. However, both groups do not appear to be monophyletic, i.e. their members must be placed in different genera in the long term despite external similarities.

Some of the tetras in the two groups mentioned are aquarium veterans, others have never been kept and bred alive in the aquarium. We now have H. montagi – originally from Brazil: headwaters of the Rio Arapiuns (Rio Branco and Rio Aruã), the lower Rio Tapajós basin and small, direct tributaries of the Rio Amazonas (Igarapé da Ponte) in the state of Pará – available as German offspring for the first time. The animals differ very strikingly in their behavior from the well-known H. heterorhabdus and H. amapaensis. At least our offspring of H. montagi are much more involved in shoaling behavior. Although tetras are generally referred to as “schooling fish”, this is only true to a very limited extent. In reality, most tetra species prefer a certain degree of individuality in everyday life. They only show true shoaling behavior very rarely, namely when they feel threatened. One of the few exceptions are the rummy noses (Petitella bleheri & Co.), which actually always swim in shoals. And Hyphessobrycon montagi are very similar to these animals in their behavior.

The aquarium care of H. montagi is simple and typical of tetras. There are hardly any external differences between the sexes, the females are just slightly more robust. In the wild, females ready to spawn can be found from March to August. The animals live there in clear streams between 0.8 and 20 m wide, clear water with a moderate current, sandy bottoms with accumulations of leaves and at a relatively high water temperature of around 29°C. Adaptability to other water parameters is good, however. The only thing to watch out for is clean, low-germ water. They will eat any ornamental fish food of a suitable size.

For our customers: H. montagi has code 261373 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Literature:

Melo, B. F., R. P. Ota, R. C. Benine, F. R. Carvalho, F. C. T. Lima, G. M. T. Mattox, C. S. Souza, T. C. Faria, L. Reia, F. F. Roxo, M. Valdez-Moreno, T. J. Near & C. Oliveira (2024): Phylogenomics of Characidae, a hyper-diverse Neotropical freshwater fish lineage, with a phylogenetic classification including four families (Teleostei: Characiformes). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society v. 202 (no. 1): zlae101: 1-37

Ancistrus “Snow White”

6. June 2025

White animals – preferably as pure white full albino with red eyes – exert a special attraction on many people. The white coloration gives them the impression of special purity and innocence. It is therefore no wonder that albinos sooner or later appear in the trade from almost all very frequently kept and bred animal species.

Albinos also exist in nature, because only a single gene is responsible for albinism. If this gene mutates, albinism occurs. Humans can also be born as albinos. In wild animals, albinos have a very low probability of survival as they are too conspicuous to potential predators. In the wild, adult albinos are therefore extremely rare and perhaps this also contributes to many people’s fascination with this color morph.

Overall, however, albinism is a relatively common mutation that occurs spontaneously time and again. In fish farms, where thousands of young animals are reared, it is therefore only a matter of time before albinism occurs. In the common bristlenose or Ancistrus (this species has not yet been clearly assigned to any wild species and is probably a hybrid that only occurs in human care), there are essentially two albino strains. “Normal” albinos in Ancistrus have a yellow body base color and red eyes, while the body color of the “Snow White” is really pure white. There are Snow Whites with black and red eyes; however, no distinction is usually made between the two in the trade. In terms of care and breeding, Snow White-Ancistrus do not differ from their other colored conspecifics, which is why they will not be discussed further here, with one exception: experienced breeders recommend keeping Snow White no warmer than 26°C, as experience has shown them to be more sensitive at higher temperatures.

For our customers: Snow White has code 204073 (4-6 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pareiodon cf. microps

6. June 2025

The parasitic catfish of the subfamily Stegophilinae within the pencil catfish (Trichomycteridae) are famous and notorious as “Candirus”. They often specialize in blood as food and swim like little vampires into the gill cavity of large catfish, where they bite into a blood vessel and pump themselves full of the red elixir of life. Apparently they use the ammonium traces in the breathing water of the large catfish as a guide when hunting. When humans urinate underwater in the habitat of such Candirus, it can therefore happen that a Candiru swims into the urethra. If this happens, it is a death sentence for a human being without the help of a surgeon, as Candirus have spines on their heads with which they attach themselves to the urethra, making it impossible to pull them out. Needless to say, the stray Candirus soon die. A putrefaction process then begins and the infected people die from a severe urinary tract infection.

The genus Pareiodon belongs to these Candiruses. At present, only one species is assigned to the genus Pareiodon, namely P. microps, which is widely distributed in the Amazon basin. The photographed specimen comes from Peru. P. microps is too large for a human urethra. Adults reach a length of 9 cm (without caudal fin) or 11 cm (with caudal fin). P. microps is known to bite pieces out of the skin and gills of large food fish caught in nets.

It goes without saying that such animals only belong in the hands of researching specialists who know exactly what they are doing. The last time we had these catfish in the house was in 2006; they also ate tubifex and small food fish under aquarium conditions. We are now offering them again, but – for the reasons mentioned – only in very small numbers. We are only presenting this animal here because of its extreme rarity in the trade and as a warning, in case it should accidentally end up in a fish shipment.

For our customers: P. microps has code 276414 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Once again: Geophagus mirabilis

6. June 2025

Due to a misunderstanding, we inadvertently posted some wrong pictures last week. Instead of the Geophagus mirabilis described in the text, they were breeding specimens of G. sp. “Jatapu”, a scientifically undescribed species that we will soon be able to offer. Here are the correct pictures of fully grown Geophagus mirabilis.

Our heartfelt thanks to Uwe Werner, who first noticed the mistake and sent us the beautifully correct pictures, and to Andreas Jekel, who also helped to clear up the error. All pictures of the corresponding homepage entry show the real G. mirabilis: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/geophagus-mirabilis-3/

Rubricatochromis guttatus “Yellow Sunshine”

6. June 2025

The red jewel cichlids (Rubricatochromis, formerly Hemichromis) have been appearing in thermal waters in Central Europe for decades and seem to feel very much at home there. The first documented cases date back to the 1970s from the warm streams of Villach (Carinthia, Austria), but in the meantime they have appeared almost everywhere where the water temperature does not fall significantly below 20°C, even in winter. Apparently they are released there by people who have grown tired of the animals in the aquarium. This is – quite rightly – strictly forbidden! The only strange thing is that there have been so many releases of this cichlid species, as a large number of other cichlids are kept in aquaria much more frequently. There is a whole range of species in Rubricatochromis, but it is probably always R. guttatus, originally from coastal rivers in western Africa from Sierra Leone to Cameroon, that establishes itself in thermal waters.

The breeder writes to us about the origin of the “Yellow Sunshine”: “The parents come from a tributary of the Klinkenbach in Saarland (near the municipality of Schiffweiler). Until recently, this tributary was heated to a constant 30 degrees by a mine drainage system. However, the pit drainage was shut down in the autumn of 2024 and all the tropical fish that have established themselves there over the years (Molly, Guppy, Amatitlania nigrofasciata and the Rubricatochromis) have probably disappeared forever.” 

A striking feature of these Rubricatochromis “Yellow Sunshine” is the lemon yellow body color. In principle, Rubricatochromis guttatus is a polychromatic fish species, i.e. there are numerous color variants within one and the same population. In wild-caught specimens you will usually find all the transitions from moss green to deep red and the number of highlights (iriodophores) varies between barely present and starry sky-like. Aquarists usually select animals for breeding that are as red as possible and adorned with as many iriodophores as possible, which led to the breeding form marketed as “R. lifalili”. In the stream in Saarland, however, the undirected breeding choice obviously went in a different direction towards yellow!

As the only known occurrence of this color variant is extinct, it is now up to aquarists to decide whether or not the “Yellow Sunshine” will be preserved in the hobby. In the photo tank, the pair proved quite willing to contribute to the preservation of the species and soon spawned a large clutch of eggs.

For our customers: Rubricatochromis guttatus “Yellow Sunshine” has code 537552 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Geophagus mirabilis

30. May 2025

All Geophagus species are beautiful, but some are more beautiful than others. Since 2009, aquarists have known of a beautiful earth eater that only occurs in the Rio Aripuanã catchment in Brazil. Accordingly, the species was initially referred to as Geophagus sp. “Aripuana”. In January 2015, the beautiful species was scientifically described for the first time. Since then it has been correctly called Geophagus mirabilis. With Geophagus mirabilis, the species name – mirabilis means extraordinary, wonderful, admirable – says it all, because when fully grown, this species from the is one of the most beautiful representatives of its genus.

   

The animals grow to just over 16 cm long (without caudal fin, i.e. with caudal fin about 20 cm).  The species name refers to the pattern of markings: the black pattern, consisting of a series of spots along the flanks, is scientifically significant, as this is a clearly recognizable species characteristic even in preserved animals. On the other hand, describers also cite the beautiful markings on the head of living animals as the reason for the species designation.

One could also think of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale about the ugly gray duckling, because young G. mirabilis are quite inconspicuous. Only when they grow up do they become magnificent swans – sorry – cichlids. A wonderful transformation! We would like to thank our breeder for providing the pictures of the magnificent breeding animals.

From time to time we are able to offer some offspring of this beautiful earth eater. This Geophagus is a biparental, larvophilic mouthbrooder. This means that both parents work together and take turns in caring for the brood, the eggs are laid on stones, roots, etc. and the larvae that hatch from them are cared for in the mouth.

For our customers. The animals have code 678752 (4-5 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text: Frank Schäfer, photos: Frank Schäfer & Uwe Werner 

Metynnis “hypsauchen” ( = M. altidorsalis)

30. May 2025

Silver dollars are the herbivorous counterparts to the carnivorous piranhas. Among them, the genus Metynnis – recognizable by its long, flat adipose fin – is the most important aquaristically, as its members still fit reasonably well into standard aquariums with a final size of 15-20 cm. Representatives of other genera can grow considerably larger. One species in particular has been represented in the hobby for decades as the “silver dollar”, albeit almost always with an inaccurate scientific name.

In fact, this fish, which used to be referred to in the trade as M. schreitmuelleri and M. hypsauchen, is actually M. altidorsalis. Due to the sometimes very confusing nomenclature of these tetras, we will not go into further detail here. The fact is that the “silver dollar” M. altidorsalis is regularly available in the hobby in good numbers as offspring from Southeast Asia and is usually traded under the name M. hypsauchen. The small black spots on the dorsal fin are a fairly good way of recognizing this species. Juveniles are usually silver-colored on the body, but adult specimens often show a black shoulder spot and irregular dark bands on the back. Males and females differ clearly in the shape of the anal fin, which in the female is narrow and evenly straight or slightly convex at the front edge, but in the male is broadly bulging in the front area and has a broad black edge.

Just for the sake of completeness: the species Metynnis hypsauchen really exists, M. schreitmuelleri (and others) are a synonym, the species is widely distributed in the Amazon, Rio Paraguay and northern Guyana Shield systems (Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela), but is rarely encountered in the hobby. The “true” M. hypsauchen can be recognized in adults by the black ventral fins (colourless in M. altidorsalis) and by the fact that in sexually mature males the front of the anal fin is divided into two lobes of unequal size (only a single lobe in M. altidorsalis). Juveniles of many Metynnis species are very similar to each other. As far as we could research, Metynnis hypsauchen has no black dots in the dorsal fin (M. altidorsalis always has).

Originally, M. altidorsalis comes from rivers of the northern and eastern Guyana Shield, i.e. Guyana, French Guiana and Surinam. However, as breeding of this tetra with a maximum length of 14 cm has been successful since the 1950s, the species is rarely imported as a wild catch.

Metynnis are schooling fish and should always be kept in larger groups (from 8 specimens upwards). They are herbivores and, in the long run, even hard plants such as Anubias fall victim to them. A Metynnis aquarium is therefore decorated with root wood, stones, bamboo etc. Even though the fish will generally eat any commercially available ornamental fish food, plant material (leaf lettuce, dandelion etc.) should be a fixed part of the diet. The chemical composition of the water is irrelevant for their care, the temperature can be between 22 and 30°C. Silver dollars are free spawners on fine root tufts etc. and do not practice broodcare.

For our customers: the animals have code 267812 (3-4 cm) and 267814 (5-7 cm, photos) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Micropterus salmoides

30. May 2025

Large mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) originally come from the eastern United States where they inhabit waters from the Canadian border to Mexico. Since the 1880s, they have been introduced to Europe (and elsewhere) as sport and food fish and are now found wild in many areas. They are among the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world. So here is our appeal to common sense once again: please never release any animals or plants from the trade into the wild. This is strictly forbidden and can cause enormous damage, even if they are native species.

Our large mouth bass come from a breeding farm and are intended for owners of large garden ponds or display aquariums.

These animals prefer shallow, low-flow, well-warmed waters with strong vegetation, which they need as protection from predators and cover for stalking.

They can grow up to 100 cm long and weigh 15 kg. However, the normal length that these fish reach is between 40 and 60 cm. As predatory fish, they feed on fish, crayfish, aquatic insects and their larvae. Eggs are laid in spring depending on the water temperature. Spawning takes place in bottom nests built by the male in the form of shallow pits, eggs and larvae are guarded by the male until about a month after swimming free. The differences between the sexes of these fish, which belong to the sunfish family (Centrachidae), are only very slight and hardly recognizable. The females are often somewhat lighter in color.

For our customers: the fish have code 853005 (12-20 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hoplisoma (formerly Corydoras) sp. CW49

29. April 2025

Two beautiful new panda catfish (Hoplisoma) arrived from Colombia in 2010. As these species have not yet been scientifically studied, they have been assigned the code numbers CW49 and CW51. At first there was some confusion as to whether they were different species or just two color forms of the same species. Both have already been bred in the aquarium and have proved to be pure. This strongly suggests that they are two different species.

According to information on Ian Fuller’s website “http://www.corydorasworld.com”, where the CW numbers are also assigned, CW51 originates from the border area between Brazil and Colombia, where it is found in a small creek near the settlement of Villa Bittencourt. The location is close to the point where the Apaporis flows into the Rio Caqueta. This information comes from Heiko Bleher. According to the same source, CW49 comes from Colombia, also from a small creek that flows into the Rio Ica, close to the Indian settlement of Boa Vista.

Basically, the two differ in the shape of the black saddle spot. In CW49 it is about as wide as the dorsal fin, in CW51 it is significantly wider and only ends at the base of the adipose fin. How far this saddle patch extends towards the belly varies somewhat from individual to individual and is less variable in CW49 than in CW51. For pictures of CW51 see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/corydoras-sp-cw-51-2/

There is also a somewhat more long-snouted form of CW49, which is more likely to belong to the genus Brochis in the sense currently used. As far as we know, this form has not yet received its own CW number. It appears to be very rare in the trade.

We can currently offer offspring of round-snouted (i.e. normal) CW49.

For our customers: Wild-caught CW49 have code 240194, offspring 240199 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii

29. April 2025

Sturgeons are fascinating, ancient fish that have lived on earth for around 200 million years. Unfortunately, almost all species are threatened with extinction in the wild; the main reason is – as always – habitat destruction. As sturgeons have a complex migratory behavior and most species live partly in the sea and partly in fresh water, they are particularly vulnerable to environmental disturbance, as they need many different habitats to remain intact. In addition, sturgeon eggs (caviar) are a popular delicacy. As adult females are killed during spawning migration before they have had a chance to reproduce, this type of fishing is particularly destructive. For decades, sturgeons have therefore been kept in aquaculture in order to be independent of the constantly dwindling wild populations for meat and caviar production. As a by-product of this aquaculture, young sturgeon of various species are always sold in the pet trade in spring, during the garden pond season. Their shark-like swimming style and sometimes their beautiful appearance are fascinating and tempt many a fish lover to buy them. It should always be borne in mind that sturgeons grow large. The smallest species available in the trade is the sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), which grows to around 60 cm in length (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/acipenser-ruthenus-2/).

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii is a medium-sized species with a maximum length of 2.3 m and a weight of over 100 kg. It originates from the Black Sea and its tributaries and is popularly known as the Waxdick or Russian sturgeon. However, the latter name often leads to confusion with A. baerii (Siberian sturgeon), which is why Waxdick should be preferred. Even though the Waxdick is usually a migratory fish in nature, it can remain in freshwater for its entire life; there are also stationary freshwater populations of the species in nature. Due to its particularly contrasting coloration, the Waxdick is one of the most beautiful sturgeons. Due to its expected size (around 150 cm is normal), it is only suitable for large ponds. If you want to keep sturgeons, you should read a good book to find out more about these very special animals, which can live for 50 years or more.

Please note that animals and plants sold in pet shops are intended exclusively for stocking aquariums and garden ponds. Under no circumstances should they be released into the wild, even (and even more so) if they are threatened with extinction! This will only cause great harm and will not have a positive effect.

For our customers: the animals have code 800503 (15-20 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Alestopetersius caudalis

29. April 2025

The yellow Congo tetra (Alestopetersius caudalis) is a popular and frequently offered ornamental fish. The species originates from the Congo, where it is at home in the lower reaches of the African river. Wild-caught fish are very rare in the trade. The species was first imported around 1950 and was soon bred. The animals in the trade today are almost without exception captive-bred, mostly from Indonesia, but other professional breeders in Europe and Asia also have the species in their range. 

On the occasion of the presentation of a small video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uXLpgRDoME), the question was raised via the comments function as to whether the animals shown (captive-bred from Indonesia) are not Alestopetersius tumbensis rather than A. caudalis. In fact, the two species are extremely similar and they also occur together – at least in places. From a scientific point of view, the most important difference between the two is the shape of the teeth: five-pointed in caudalis, many-pointed (8-9 points) in tumbensis. The different tooth shape was considered so important that a separate genus Duboisialestes was even established for tumbensis (plus bifasciatus). In addition, preserved specimens can be distinguished by their black markings. In A. caudalis, a broad dark longitudinal band extends from the shoulder patch to the caudal fin, whereas in A. tumbensis the longitudinal band is much narrower and there is a clear gap between the shoulder patch and the longitudinal band. Unfortunately, you can’t see this at all in live specimens, or can only see a hint of it.

The question came as a surprise to us, because although the species A. tumbensis (the genus Duboisialestes was declared a synonym of Alestopetersius by Munene & Stiassny in 2012) was described in 1951 on the basis of specimens imported into the Netherlands for the ornamental fish trade, it has not been mentioned in the hobby since then as far as we know. We do not kill animals for identification purposes, but we were able to recognize the shape of the teeth from a macro photograph of the mouth of one of our fish: clearly five-pointed, i.e. A. caudalis.

The exact species identification of African small tetras is and remains a complex matter. Not only aquarists have difficulties with this, but also professional ichthyologists. The markings given in the scientific papers (especially black bands, stripes etc.) are, as already mentioned, often only vaguely recognizable or not recognizable at all in living animals. The lesson for us from this story is that we will look twice as closely the next time we import wild-caught yellow Congo tetras. Perhaps we will discover A. tumbensis among them and then be able to provide a live photo of the species (as far as we know, none exists so far). Who knows, maybe you can also see differences between the two species in live animals …

By the way: general information on Alestopetersius caudalis can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/alestopetersius-caudalis-2/

For our customers: the animals shown in this post, captive bred from Indonesia, have code 138004 (xlg) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Boulenger, G. A. (1899): Matériaux pour la faune du Congo. Zoologie.–Série I. Poissons nouveaux du Congo. Quatrième Partie. Polyptères, Clupes, Mormyres, Characins. Annales du Musee du Congo (Ser. Zoologie) v. 1 (fasc. 4): 59-96, Pls. 30-39.

Géry, J. (1995): Description of new or poorly known Alestinae (Teleostei: Characiformes: Alestidae) from Africa, with a note on the generic concept in the Alestinae. aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology v. 1 (no. 4): 37-64.

Hoedeman, J. J. (1951): Studies on African characid fishes I. The tribe Alestidi. Beaufortia v. 1 (no. 3): 1-8.

Mbimbi Mayi Munene, J. J. & M. L. J. Stiassny (2012): A new Alestopetersius (Characiformes: Alestidae) from the Kwilu River (Kasai basin) of central Africa; with a phylogeny for the genus and synonymy of Duboisialestes. Zootaxa No. 3166: 59-68.

Poll, M. (1967): Révision des Characidae nains Africans. Annales, Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Série in 8o, Sciences Zoologiques No. 162: 1-158

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sarcocheilichthys parvus

29. April 2025

The genus Sarcocheilichthys from China has the potential to become a new star in the ornamental fish sky. There is a complex of small (6-7 cm) species within the genus in southern China, which are characterized by a broad longitudinal band. The males of all three species develop very pretty vermilion fins at spawning time. The females, on the other hand, develop a long egg-laying tube, as we know from bitterlings. It is not known whether Sarcocheilichthys also spawns in mussels. The fish of this genus inhabit smaller rivers and do not require additional heating if the aquarium is kept indoors. 

One of the three species is Sarcocheilichtys parvus. Even if it is not spawning season, the males give an idea of how pretty they will be. You can find pictures of all three species here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/08-carp-like-fishes-2-barbs-minnows-carps-goldfish-etc/sarcocheilichthys-parvus-2/

Sarcocheilichthys parvus are a pure joy in the aquarium. They are peaceful, sociable animals that adapt well to aquarium life. Any common ornamental fish food is readily accepted, but it should not be too coarse, as the mouth of Sarcocheilichthys parvus is small and made for pecking. From a scientific point of view, Sarcocheilichthys belong to the gudgeon family (Gobioninae) and not to the bitterling family (Acheilognathidae).

For our customers: the animals have code 433753 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature: 

An, C.-T., E Zhang & J.-Z. Shen (2020): Sarcocheilichthys vittatus, a new species of gudgeon (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the Poyang lake basin in Jiangxi Province, South China. Zootaxa 4768 (no. 2): 201-220.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Awaous flavus ( = A. strigatus)

25. April 2025

The butterfly goby (Awaous flavus, formerly known aquaristically under the synonym A. strigatus) has a large distribution area along the Atlantic coast of South America. They are found in the lower reaches of rivers in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia and on islands off the coast. Adults of this species, which is a maximum of 10 cm long, live in fresh water or shallow brackish water (approx. 0.4‰), but the larvae develop in the sea. This also explains why the species is found on islands in the Caribbean. The animals that we are currently able to offer for the first time in a long time come from Brazil.

In the wild, the butterfly goby feeds on small particles that it filters out of the sandy, muddy bottom. In the aquarium, the animals are problem-free feeders, but the food particles must not be too coarse. The males – recognizable by their greatly enlarged mouths, the colourful first dorsal fin and wider dark fringes in the fins, but to be absolutely sure, you have to look at the gential papillae, which are shaped differently in males and females – become territorial when it comes to reproduction. Otherwise these gobies tend to be sociable. However, A. flavus requires a firm substrate for spawning, such as a flat stone, a root or similar. Such substrates are rather rare in the sandy-muddy biotope they inhabit, and the males defend a good spawning site with corresponding intensity. The fight between two males is spectacular: with wide open mouths, they push each other back and forth face to face, not unlike a deer fight.

The numerous eggs are attached to the ceiling of a cave and are tiny; the male guards the clutch. The eggs often hatch after just 13 hours and the larvae are passively drifted into the sea, where they develop in the plankton. As far as we know, rearing in the aquarium has not yet been successful, but has probably not yet been seriously attempted.

The aquarium for butterfly gobies should be sparsely decorated at the bottom and have as large an area as possible. The height is of secondary importance. The bottom should consist of fine sand, at least in some areas, into which these fish occasionally burrow. The water temperature can be in the range of 24-28°C.

We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eiMbj4IoNo

For our customers: the animals have code 209903 (6-8 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Parodon sp. cf. pongoensis

25. April 2025

The Parodontidae are a relatively small group of bottom-dwelling tetras. The family consists of three genera with a total of approx. 32 species. The genera are distinguished from each other by two characteristics: firstly, the number of unbranched rays in the pectoral fin: one each in Parodon and Apareiodon and two in Saccodon; and secondly, the lack of teeth in the lower jaw in Apareiodon and Saccodon, whereas Parodon has teeth there. Unfortunately, the dentition features are not recognizable in living animals, which is why species identification and even genus assignment is often only very vague, as all species have a fairly generalized appearance. The differentiation of species in scientific descriptions is also mainly based on the shape of the teeth. In the hobby, however, the family Parodontidae is only occasionally represented by a single species, namely Apareiodon affinis from Paraguay (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/apareiodon-affinis-2/), which is why they are rarely encountered.

We have now been able to import a member of the Parodontidae from Peru. As all the specimens arrived alive, it was/is not possible to identify them precisely. However, only three species of Parodontidae are known from Peru so far: Parodon buckleyi, P. pongoensis and Saccodon wagneri. So we started by looking at the descriptions of these three species, which fortunately are all illustrated. This enabled us to quickly rule out Saccodon wagneri, which was described in 1863, as in this species the dorsal fin is so far forward that its end is still before the base of the pelvic fins. In our fish, the dorsal fin sits roughly above the pelvic fins. This leaves Parodon buckleyi, described in 1887, and P. pongoensis, described in 1942. Both look very similar; however, P. pongoensis is known in scientific collections with specimens from the vicinity of Pucallpa (drainage of the Rio Ucayali), while P. buckleyi is reported much further north. As the Pucallpa region is an important area for ornamental fish collectors, it is quite likely that our specimens come from there and belong to the species Parodon pongoensis. However, we do not have any final certainty about this, which is why we refer to the species on our stock list as Parodon sp. cf. pongoensis (the “sp. cf.” means “not exactly determined, but very similar to”).

Apart from the occurrence in Peru, which is also the type locality of P. pongoensis (forest brook, foothills at Pongo de Manseriche, Marañón River drainage, Peru), this species is widespread and also occurs in the drainage of the Orinoco in Colombia, adjacent to Peru in Ecuador and further south in Brazil (state of Goiás, Formosa, river Água Quente, tributary of the Paranã, catchment area of the Tocantins). The maximum length is probably around 12 cm. In larger animals, the lower caudal fin lobe turns more and more black; this is not yet visible in our juveniles, which are currently 3-4 cm long.

We have not noticed any special features in terms of care so far. The lively animals like to swim in groups with their own kind. Other fish are hardly noticed. The water temperature can be between 22 and 26°C. The water values are unimportant as long as the water is clean. They feed on aufwuchs and can be used as “algae eaters”. However, they will also eat pretty much any common ornamental fish food that fits in their mouths. P. pongoensis is therefore a diurnal algae eater for South American aquaria, a stylish alternative to the always somewhat secretive suckermouth catfish.

For our customers: the animals have code 275882 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Macrobrachium spinipes

25. April 2025

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is the largest and therefore frequently bred large-armed shrimp in aquaculture for food purposes. We have this impressive species more or less regularly in our program for specialists and show aquariums. For the biology and pictures of this species, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/31-crayfishes-shrimps-crabs-snails-mussels/macrobrachium-rosenbergii-3/

M. spinipes is closely related to M. rosenbergii and has often been confused with it in the past (for the complex name history of the two species, see Shy, Wowor & Ng, 2013). It grows to the same size and reaches a weight of over one kilogram. The natural distribution ranges from Australia to the Philippines. This species has also been in aquaculture in Taiwan, for example, since the 1980s, but for a long time it was not distinguished from M. rosenbergii, although the two species were given different popular names, because breeders, fishermen and traders were well aware of the differences. In 2013, Shy, Wowor and Ng cleared up the confusion. 

Larger specimens (over 5 cm carapax length; the carapax is the head shield in crabs and shrimps) of M. rosenbergii and M. spinipes look very similar. Both are gray-blue in color, M. spinipes has fine yellowish lines on the carapace, which are missing in M. rosenbergii. The easiest way to distinguish between the two species is by the color of the inner antennae, which are bright blue in M. spinipes and reddish or whitish in M. rosenbergii. 

But the juveniles of M. spinipes are spectacularly differently colored, with longitudinal stripes all over the body and a bright red rostrum. We can occasionally import such specimens from Taiwan. They are undoubtedly very desirable, but one must not forget in the initial rapture how large they grow. In addition, large Macrobrachium are real predators that can hardly be kept together with small fish (unless the fish are to be used as food). M. spinipes are also very quarrelsome among themselves. They are best kept individually, otherwise limb losses are inevitable.

The larvae of M. spinipes develop in the sea, just like those of M. rosenbergii, while the adults are pure freshwater inhabitants. The larvae are successfully reared using Artemia nauplii as food. Under aquarium conditions, however, they are unlikely to be bred and reared as they take up a lot of space.

For our customers: the animals have code 485002 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature: 

Shy, J.-Y., Wowor, D. & P. K. L. Ng (2013): A new record of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium spinipes (Schenkel, 1902) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Taiwan, with notes on its taxonomy. Zootaxa 3734 (1): 045-055

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Inlecypris auropurpureus

25. April 2025

Lake Inle in Burma has a high proportion of endemic fish species, i.e. those that are found exclusively there. One of these is Inlecypris auropurpureus, a Danio with vertical stripes on a golden band. The number and shape of the stripes are slightly different in each individual. Inlecypris is closely related to the malabar danio (Devario) and the genus has even been declared a synonym of Devario at times; however, most scientists do not currently agree with this. 

Inlecypris auropurpureus is very undemanding in terms of aquarium care. It is a very peaceful schooling fish that should be kept in aquaria that are not too small so that its swimming abilities can be fully appreciated. The maximum length of the species is 8-10 cm, but animals over 5 cm in length are rarely found in the wild.

The water in Inle Lake is hard and the pH value is slightly alkaline (central part of the lake: pH 7.6 – 8.8, tributary of the lake: pH 7.1 – 7.2). The water temperature during the day is in the range of 21.3 – 28.8°C, the air temperature can fluctuate between 5°C (minimum temperature) and 38°C (maximum temperature) (all data according to: Khaung et al., 2021). Inlecypris can and should therefore be kept in normal tap water; for many species from Inle Lake it has also proven to be a good idea not to heat the aquarium at times, i.e. to keep the animals at room temperature (18-22°C). This has a positive effect on the immune system. 

A good flake food serves as a basic diet; the animals go wild for approach food (e.g. Drosophila) and black mosquito larvae. Such food should be given whenever possible. The animals will thank you with bright colors and liveliness. The sexes of Inlecypris auropurpureus differ mainly in terms of body shape, females are somewhat paler in color and rounder in the abdominal area. They are prolific spawners; spawning takes place on or near fine plants. Inlecypris do not practice brood care.

For our customers: the fish have code 421823 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Khaung, T., Iwai, C. B. & T. Chuasavathi (2021): Water Quality Monitoring in Inle Lake, Myanmar from the floating Garden Activity. Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Vol. 17: 593-608

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

L66 is now Hypancistrus seideli

17. April 2025

The scientific processing of loricariid catfishes with L-numbers is progressing. The confusing variety of forms that some species develop is a problem that is almost impossible to solve, even for ichthyologists, i.e. professional fish experts. In a recent study, a team of scientists looked at two Hypancistrus species from the Rio Xingu, namely L174, which is now called Hypancistrus yudja, and L66, which was named in honor of our well-known and beloved Ingo Seidel.

For the species diagnosis of H. seideli, the scientists decided to use the pattern of markings as the most important diagnostic feature. After examining a large number of specimens from the entire distribution area of the animals (in the entire lower Xingu channel from the outermost downstream part of the Volta Grande do Xingu to the confluence with the Rio Amazonas), they came to the conclusion that all variations (L66, L236, L287, L333, l399, L400, LDA69) can be assigned to this one species. This is largely consistent with the observations of aquarium breeders, who have found that the young of a pair of the same phenotype can exhibit a huge variety of patterns. The researchers also note that H. seideli colonizes a wide variety of habitats and is not nearly as specialized as many other Hypancistrus species. Thus, the diversity of patterning and body shapes is probably an outward expression of different habitats and not a species trait.

The good news is: due to its great adaptability and wide distribution, Hypancistrus seideli can currently be classified as “least concern” under species conservation aspects, in contrast to the highly endangered H. yudja (L174), which we will report on separately later.

For our customers: H. seideli has code 26480-L 066- on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Sousa, L. M. de, E. B. de Sousa, R. R. de Oliveira, M. H. Sabaj Pérez, J. Zuanon & L. Rapp Py-Daniel (2025): Two new species of Hypancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Xingu, Amazon, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology v. 23 (no. 1): e240080: 1-25.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chanda nama

17. April 2025

Until the 1950s, all aquaristically known species of glass perch were known under the genus name “Chanda”. The first major regrouping was carried out in 1955 by Fraser-Brunner, who revived the (old) genus Ambassis (with 20 species), placed the species nama in the monotypic genus Hamiltonia (i.e. only one species is assigned to it), established the new genus Gymnochanda and left only 11 species in Chanda. This was the state of affairs until shortly before the turn of the millennium. Then the more recent revision by Roberts (1995) was followed, who revised the pure freshwater species. There are also many marine species – especially in Ambassis, but also in other genera not mentioned here – that go into brackish water but are not able to live permanently in fresh water.

According to Roberts, the family Ambassidae in freshwater consists of 5 genera with a total of 15 species: Chanda (only 1 species with C. nama); Gymnochanda (2 species); Paradoxodacna (1 species), Parambassis (11 species). This genus concept was the one usually used until today; now a new study (Yoshigou, 2025) has been published recently (January 2025), in which the author again considers all species. For the first time, Yoshigou’s study also comprehensively considered possible externally recognizable sexual differences and juvenile characteristics. Previously, some generic concepts had proved to be overlapping and therefore unreliable.

According to Yoshigou, the following classification now applies: Ambassis (26 species, including three as yet undescribed); Tetracentrum (3 species); Parambassis (9 species, including two whose classification is uncertain); Chanda (13 species); Pseudambassis (1 species); Gymnochanda (5 species); Denariusa (2 species); a total of 59 species. The aquaristically most important glass perches are now almost all (again) Chanda: C. ranga (India); C. siamensis (SE Asia, https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/parambassis-siamensis-2/) and C. pulcinella (Burma, https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/parambassis-pulcinella-2/). The small Indian glass perch is now called Pseudambassis lala (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/parambassia-lala/) and everything remains the same with the already undisputed Gymnochanda.

Glass perch are only represented by very few species in the hobby. We have just received a very unusual species from India, which is very rarely imported: Chanda nama. The reason for this rarity is that these glass perch are food specialists. In the wild, they are scale eaters. In the biotope, three species of glass perch are almost always caught together: C. nama, C. ranga and P. lala. The predators probably take advantage of the peaceful shoal of the other two species to be able to approach potential victims unnoticed.

In the aquarium, C. nama will immediately accept any frozen or live food that is suitable for their mouths. Food specialization is therefore not essential for their survival in human care. But just as a cat won’t let it mouse, Chanda nama won’t let it pester other small fish. They are therefore real specialist fish, very exciting for behavioral studies, but not suitable for common community aquariums. C. nama is said to be able to grow to a length of 11 cm; however, we have never seen specimens over 6 cm in length in the wild or in the aquarium, so this is most likely due to confusion with other species. The species is widespread and common throughout India and neighboring states. Our specimens come from the Calcutta area. The water values are not important for keeping them, any tap water suitable for drinking is suitable. These animals do not need salt, they are pure freshwater inhabitants. They are best kept in a shoal with their own kind or other glass perch, as in the wild. There are no known sex differences, but it appears that the females grow larger than the males. Glass perch spawn in plants and do not practise brood care.

For our customers: the animals have code 408603 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Fraser-Brunner, A. (1955): A synopsis of the centropomid fishes of the subfamily Chandinae, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum No. 25: 185-213

Roberts, T. R. (1995): Systematic revision of tropical Asian freshwater glassperches (Ambassidae), with descriptions of three new species. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society v. 42: 263-290.  

Yoshigou, H. (2025): Morphological comparison within the glass perchlets genus Ambassis (Osteichthyes: Ovalentalia: Ambassidae), with reference to the comparison of some characters shared with other related genera. Miscellaneous reports of the Hiwa Museum for Natural History v. 66: 1-47.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chaca chaca GERMAN BRED

17. April 2025

Frogmouth catfish (Chaca) are rarely kept in the aquarium and even more rarely bred. There are four species: Chaca chaca from India, C. burmensis from Burma, C. bankanensis from Malaysia and parts of Indonesia and C. serica from south of Borneo. The four species look very similar and were not distinguished from each other for a long time.

In the wild, Chaca catfish live on muddy-sandy bottoms, into which they also like to burrow. This makes them dreaded traps in the water, because if a person steps on them barefoot, the catfish raises its dorsal fin, which is armed with a sharp and pointed sting. The sting hurts badly and is of course very susceptible to infection. In view of their usual way of life, it is very surprising that chacas have proved to be cave breeders in the aquarium!

We are now able to offer small specimens from domestic breeding for the first time ever. The animals are 3-4 cm long and already look like miniature versions of their parents. They also behave like this. When the opportunity presents itself, they dig themselves into the sand. The grains of sand stick to the skin and provide perfect camouflage!

General information on caring for Chaca can be found here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/chaca-chaca-4/ and here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10e-catfishes-from-asia/chaca_bankanensis_en/

For our customers: the animals have code 408311 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Thorichthys affinis

17. April 2025

“The unexpected often happens” says the well-known proverb. That’s what happened to us with Thorichthys affinis. Some time ago we received juveniles of – according to the breeder – Thorichthys meeki, the firemouth cichlid. The 3-4 cm long juveniles didn’t have much to offer in terms of color, but they were extremely harmonious in terms of body shape. We therefore stocked an aquarium in our office display with 10 of these lovely fish. „Meekis” had already lived in the facility in the past and had always given us and our customers a lot of pleasure.

Time passed, the fish grew up and today they are 6-8 cm long (total length, including tail fin). Pairs have been found and the animals are also reproducing. Thorichthys are open breeders (this means that the clutch is laid openly on a stone, root or similar, in contrast to the hiding breeders, which do this in a cave), although our animals spawned somewhat hidden in semi-caves in a stone structure. The parents’ brood care is very intensive, the other tankmates (a shoal of Poecilia salvatoris and some Hyphessobrycon bentosi) had to retreat to small areas of the aquarium (dimensions: 120 x 36 x 48 cm, L x H x D) where they are left alone. In general, the parents are very reserved. None of the by-fish are injured. The impressive Thorichthys-typical threat with lowered mouth bottom is obviously sufficient. Even supernumerary, unfeminized males fight with each other, but there are never any injuries. One thing surprised us: T. meeki always has a blood-red mouth bottom and breast and our animals here “only” show a strong yellow-orange. On the other hand, the fins of our animals are beautifully marked, while those of the firemouth have much fewer highlights.

In fact, we didn’t get any meekis at all, as a quick research revealed, but the closely related species T. affinis. There are two different colored varieties of this “dwarf meeki”. One with an orange-red mouth bottom from the area of Lake Peten in Guatemala (this is also the type locality of the species, which was scientifically described as Heros affinis as early as 1862) and one from Belize, which has a more yellow mouth bottom. Apparently our animals belong to the Belize population.

We have not had any Thorichthys affinis on offer for over 20 years. This relatively small Thorichthys species (it rarely grows to over 10 cm in length) can justifiably be described as a rarity. Due to their compatibility and small size, they can also be kept well in groups in aquaria of normal dimensions and the whole spectrum of fascinating cichlid behavior can be studied. Whether the classic red firemouth or this yellow dwarf meeki is the more beautiful species? That is certainly in the eye of the beholder. In any case, we really like the T. affinis!

For our customers: T. affinis has code 637500 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Nothobranchius ruudwildekampi

11. April 2025

The genus Nothobranchius is a prime example of how aquarium keeping and science complement each other wonderfully. These killifish are typical seasonal fish; the genus is restricted to East Africa and offshore islands. In the wild, Nothobranchius only live for a few weeks. They produce eggs, which survive the drying out of the rainwater pools in the ground where the adult fish live. Only in the next rainy season do some – not all! – of the eggs hatch. The young fish grow up in record time and reproduce at the age of just a few weeks. However, as it is never quite certain whether a rainy season will provide sufficient rainfall to complete the fish’s reproductive cycle, not all the eggs hatch at once. Some eggs even remain dormant for years! This is a real challenge for breeders.

Ruud Wildekamp (actually Rudolph Hans Wildekamp, 1945-2019) was one of the most important researchers of the genus in modern times. He and Lothar Seegers laid the foundation for today’s understanding of these animals. Although Wildekamp was “only” self-taught, his ichthyological work is fully recognized by the scientific community. Between 1977 and 2010, he scientifically described and named 24 (of 97 currently accepted) Nothobranchius species, either alone or in cooperation with other ichthyologists. Until 1977, only 14 Nothobranchius species were known! It is only right that a Nothobranchius species from the Mbezi River in eastern Tanzania was named in his honor in 2009.

We have received small numbers of this beautiful killifish as German offspring. For general care conditions of Nothobranchius see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/18-toothcarps-killis-and-livebearers/nothobranchius_foerschi_en/

For our customers: the animals have code 338223 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Apistogramma bitaeniata Blue wild

11. April 2025

We have already reported on Apistogramma bitaeniata several times, please see hhttps://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/apistogramma-bitaenata-brazil/ or https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/apistogramma-bitaeniata-putumayo-4/. This species is without doubt one of the most beautiful dwarf cichlids around. We have recently received a locality variant from Brazil that differs in color from the specimens we normally obtain from there. In the light of the torch, we noticed a lot of blue fluorescent spots on the freshly imported specimens, which is why we refer to them as “blue” on the stock list. In acclimatized specimens, however, these blue fluorescent colors are only visible to a limited extent and yellow color elements come to the fore.

The supplier gave us Careiro da Várzea as the area where they are found, which is a community at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Amazon, about 25 km southeast of Manaus. For several reasons that cannot be discussed in detail here, such information should always be viewed with a certain degree of skepticism.

Whether blue or yellow, Careiro da Várzea or anywhere else: they are beautiful fish! A. bitaeniata requires clean water with as few germs as possible. Hardness and pH value are not particularly important for pure maintenance, but in soft, acidic water the fish are most beautifully colored and only in such water is the spawn able to develop. Apart from that, all the basic rules of Apistogramma care apply, i.e. sandy substrate, a richly structured aquarium and, if possible, an excess of females (3-4 females per male). They will eat any common ornamental fish food of a suitable size and the water temperature for this species should be in the range of 24-30°C. A. bitaeniata are typical cave breeders, the female, which is intensely yellow in color during the spawning mood, takes care of the spawn and young fish, while the male defends the territory of his harem.

For our customers: the photographed animals have code 615084 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Limia islai

11. April 2025

Lago Miragoane in Haiti is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the Caribbean, with a length of 12 km and an area of about 25 km2. In terms of its fish fauna, it is aquaristically exciting. Similar to the cichlids in the great African lakes, the livebearing toothcarps of the genus Limia have developed a special species richness in Lago Miragoane. Nine species are found there, two of which were not scientifically described until 2020. In addition, there is an interesting Gambusia species (G. beebei) in Lago Miragoane.

Of the Limia species L. nigrofasciata and L. vittata belong to the more popular aquarium fishes, the rest are seen only very occasionally by specialists. We can now offer fone of the newly described species as offspring: L. islai. This species is very similar to L. nigrofasciata. The peculiarity of L. islai is that each animal is striped differently. Thus, there are specimens with many and those with few flank stripes; this phenomenon occurs regardless of sex.

Wild specimens grow to 3-4 cm, but it is expected that old aquarium specimens (especially females) may exceed this size by 1-2 cm. Care does not differ from that of known species, according to previous findings. Like all Limia (by the way, the genus was considered synonymous to Poecilia for a long time, but is considered valid again in recent scientific works) the fish like it warm (24-28°C) and a certain amount of plant food in the diet (e.g. vegetable flake food) should not be missing.

For our customers: the animals have code 424752 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Lota lota

11. April 2025

Do you know him? When a biologist comes to the fish facility, the fish keeper says: there are 50 of them and they’re all called Lothar!

All jokes aside: Lota lota, the burbot or eelpout, is hardly ever seen alive as a juvenile fish, even by enthusiastic cold-water aquarists. It is one of the very few cod relatives that lives permanently – its entire life from egg to death – in freshwater. And the burbot – unmistakable due to its individual chin barbels – is actually a cold-water fish.

In aquarium lingo, anything that does not require additional heating in aquariums set up in living spaces is called a cold-water fish. In scientifically correct usage, species that (at least in nature) do not tolerate temperatures above 16°C, or only for a very short time, are called cold-water fish. These are surprisingly few species in the native fauna, mainly those from the salmonid family, i.e. salmon, char, trout and whitefish. Especially deep-water forms among them are extremely sensitive to higher water temperatures.

However, the burbot is not quite so super-sensitive, at least relatively small juveniles – our specimens are 15-20 cm long – prove to be adaptable. For this post, they had to be acclimatized to the 20-22°C in the photo aquarium and all three of the animals selected for this post accepted this without complaint. However, we don’t know how long such high temperatures will last. Experience with brown trout, for example, has shown that animals kept at higher temperatures (22-24°C) become leaner and leaner in the long term; their metabolism is so high at such high temperatures that they cannot eat as much as their bodies consume. We therefore generally advise against carrying out such experiments and recommend 18°C as the upper limit for the water temperature of burbot & co.

Burbot can grow to a maximum length of 150 cm and weigh 34 kg. However, the normal size is around 40 cm. It is an obligate predator. In addition to fish, juveniles also eat invertebrates, but mature burbot almost exclusively eat fish. The animals are crepuscular and nocturnal. When introducing them to dead food (fish meat, but preferably whole fish such as smelt), this should be taken into account and they should be fed in the evening. The burbot stays hidden during the day.

This striking fish is widespread in Europe and has a number of local names. In German alone there are more than five of them. In English and French it is called “burbot”, the old French “lotte” for the species was the reason for the scientific name “lota”. In large parts of Europe, the burbot is extinct or endangered, but as a species it is considered “not endangered ( = least concern)” due to its large distribution area. Our burbot come from a pond farm.

For our customers: the animals have code 852004 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Megalamphodus erythrostigmus = Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma

11. April 2025

The regrouping of large fish families continues. After the barbs, armored catfish and cichlids, it’s now the turn of the characins. A major revision was published in September 2024, prompting us to retrain once again. Not all tetra species have been included yet, so it will certainly take a few years before the new name combinations are generally used. We are also being conservative and cautious for the time being and are waiting to see what the future brings. 

Aquarists can easily follow the reintroduction of the genus name Megalamphodus for the phantom and rosy tetras in the broadest sense. In English they are all referred to as “rosy tetras”, based on the most common species in the hobby, Megalamphodus rosaceus (formerly often referred to as Hyphessobrycon ornatus, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hyphessobrycon-rosaceus-ornatus-2/). Within the rosy tetras, three species are well defined, namely the bleeding hearts. There are three of them: M. erythrostigmus (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hyphessobrycon-erythrostigma-2/), M. pyrrhonotus (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hyphessobrycon-pyrrhonotus-2/) and M. socolofi (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hyphessobrycon-socolofi-var-green-2/. All have a bright red shoulder spot, which has earned them the interantional name bleeding hearts.

In spring we often receive very large and fully-grown Megalamphodus erythrostigmus ( = Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) from Peru, very magnificent fish, as is the case now. We would like to take this opportunity to point out the name changes.

For our customers: the animals have code 260107 (sh, i.e. show size) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Viviparus viviparus

4. April 2025

Among the freshwater snails native to Central Europe, three species play a special role due to their considerable size (4 cm and larger): the ramshorn snail, the great pond snail and the river snail. At least in the case of the latter – the river snail – the specific article “the” river snail is actually inappropriate, as the most recent checklist of freshwater molluscs in Germany (Gloer & Zettler, 2005) lists four species (Viviparus acerosus, V. ater, V. contectus and V. viviparus). However, they are so similar to each other that only proven specialists can confidently identify them. For this reason, they have always all been referred to as “Viviparus viviparus” in the literature for hobbyists and we in the trade usually do not differentiate between the species either.

Just for your information: the animals shown here and currently offered by us belong to the species V. acerosus. The “real” V. viviparus is most easily recognized by a finger test. If the tip of the shell (the technical term is “apex”) is so pointed that it clearly stings when you press on it with your bare fingertip, it is not V. viviparus. As the mollusc specialist Dr. Vollrath Wiese (WA/BAV species protection expert for molluscs, chairman of the German Malacozoological Society) wrote to us: “The animals pictured are (…) Danube river snails Viviparus acerosus. They probably come from south-eastern Europe and are invasive neozoa in all waters in Germany except for a tiny area on the Danube (…)”.

River snails are sexually separate and breathe through gills. This distinguishes them quite clearly from the other two snails mentioned, which are lung-breathers and hermaphrodites. In addition, all Viviparus species give birth to fully developed, already quite large young, while the ramshorn and the great pond snail deposit gelatinous egg packages. The males of river snails can be recognized by the fact that they have two unequally shaped antennae; one of the two is thickened like a club. In females, both antennae are equally developed.

Viviparus are not algae eaters in the strict sense as algae are only a small part of their diet. 80% of their food is detritus, i.e. dead, decaying animal and plant remains. Viviparus are therefore very plant-friendly animals that normally do not even touch delicate plants.

We obtain our Viviparus from pond farms. They are intended exclusively for stocking garden ponds and aquariums. Please never release any animals or plants from the trade into the wild and ensure that garden pond animals cannot migrate.

For our customers: the animals have code 879603 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature: Gloer, P. & M. L. Zettler (2005): Kommentierte Artenliste der Süßwassermollusken Deutschlands. Malakologische Abhandlungen 23: 3-26

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

4. April 2025

The lemon tetra, Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis, is one of the most popular aquarium fish of all and can be found in the standard range of pet shops all over the world. As with so many everyday species, little thought is given to them, but the lemon tetra holds many secrets!

Its native habitat was unknown until 1980, although the species was described as early as 1937. The first description was based on aquarium fish imports whose origin was unknown and only vaguely stated as “probably Amazonas”. Although breeding the fish is not easy (randomly matched pairs often do not spawn, the females have to be brought to spawn at regular intervals so that the spawn remains fertile, etc.), wild catches were hardly ever made and it was not until 1980 that Gery discovered that the home of the lemon tetra is in the lower Amazon basin, more precisely in the middle and lower Tapajós between Itaituba and Jacare Acanga, as well as in streams that flow into the Rio Curua do Sol. Other authors also mention the Xingu and the Tocantins.

We have recently received wild catches of H. pulchripinnis from the Rio Cuiaba in the state of Mato Grosso (Brazil). This is an extremely rare event and gave us food for thought. As you can see from the picture of our supplier, freshly caught animals are crystal red. But in the aquarium, the animals usually discolor. This phenomenon is known from many fish species. The cause is most probably our clean aquarium water. In nature, the water is almost always cloudy due to clay or other suspended particles. The coloration of a fish cannot be controlled arbitrarily. This is done by hormones whose production is triggered by stimuli perceived by the eye (light, shade, water turbidity, color of the substrate, etc.). Although this explains very well why most fish in bright, sparsely furnished aquariums with little structure are very pale in color, it does not explain why they sometimes show bright colors after a certain period of time.

A group of “Muzel Red Cherry” tetras are swimming in one of our tanks in the show aquarium at Aquarium Glaser. They are imports from Brazil, but we assume that they were bred there. The Muzel are predominantly bright red-colored animals, but there are also some with a yellow body color. These yellow animals look very similar to lemon tetras. In the yellow Muzel tetras, the shoulder spot (= humeral spot) is also strongly pronounced, which is only very faintly visible in red Muzel tetras. All fins of both Muzel colors are bright red. This clearly distinguishes them from “true” lemon tetras, which at best have faintly orange dorsal and anal fins. The caudal fin of “true” lemon tetras is always transparent and colorless. “Bolivia Orange” lemon tetras also have this characteristic (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hyphessonbrycon-cf-pulchripinnis-bolivia-orange/). 

Obviously there is a whole circle of forms around H. pulchripinnis, which includes the following species/forms: 1. the “classic” H. pulchripinnis, which has been at home in aquaria since 1937 (colorless caudal fin, usually also dorsal and anal fins, anal fin with yellow and black line on the leading edge, dorsal fin also with black on the leading edge); 2. the pulchripinnis “Tapajós”, as illustrated in the Aquarium Atlas Volume 1 (cuvette photo on site), which lacks the black line at the beginning of the anal and dorsal fin; to our knowledge, this species is not represented in the hobby or is not distinguished from the “normal” lemon tetra; 3. the “Bolivia Orange”, which has existed in the hobby since around 1980 (colorless caudal fin, dorsal and anal fins bright red, black line at the front edge of the anal fin missing); 3. the “Muzel Cherry Red”, in which all fins and the body are bright red, black line on the front edge of the anal fin is missing, in the hobby since about 2021; 4. the “Muzel Yellow”, which looks like the “Muzel Cherry Red”, but with a yellow-orange body. The mystery surrounding the sometimes crystal red “normal” lemon tetras remains unexplained, of which our supplier wrote to us: “In fact I see most of the tetras from Cuiaba like this (note: red is meant), I have already received some to send to China and after a few weeks most of them lose their color, or some get a better color…. it’s a shot in the dark…”

Keeping all lemon tetras is very easy and even beginners can manage it. The up to 4.5 cm in length animals are kept in groups in well-structured aquaria, where each fish soon occupies a tiny territory. They will eat any common fish food and the temperature can be between 22 and 28°C. The water should (but does not have to) be soft and slightly acidic, then the colors are at their best.

For our customers: the “normal” captive-bred lemon tetra has code 261603, the wild-caught tetra from the Mato Grosso 261642 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text: Frank Schäfer, photos: H.-J. Mayland, E. Schraml, F. Schäfer

Apistogramma psammophila

4. April 2025

The two-banded dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma diplotaenia, is one of the dream fish of many Apistogramma lovers. The species originates from the Rio Negro drainage in Brazil. Unfortunately, this fish is also one of the most demanding species of the genus and even minor carelessness – e.g. a missed water change and the resulting increase in bacterial load of the water – is very resented. 

Because of its unique coloration, A. diplotaenia was previously considered to be unmistakable until 2019 when a sibling species, A. psammophila was described from the Rio Atabapo in Colombia. In fact, it is impossible to distinguish the two species in the juvenile stage without knowledge of their origin. There is one distinct feature that differentiates A. diplotaenia and A. psammophila, and that is vertical black stripes on the belly of A. psammophila, which never occur in A. diplotaenia. Unfortunately, this stripe coloration cannot be provoked well. It is obviously only shown depending on the mood, but in which mood? Strongly stressed animals fade completely and during aggressive actions the stripes are also not visible or at most indicated. Apparently they are best seen in relaxed, rather “bored” animals. A second characteristic is the shape of the caudal fin (round in A. diplotaenia, lanceolate in A. psammophila), but this is only clearly visible in fully grown males and therefore irrelevant for juvenile determinations.

In any case we are very proud to be able to offer this precious species. For the care of this fish we recommend only experienced specialists. It seems to us that the fish, although they are still very small with 2-3 cm and just sexually mature, are extremely incompatible with each other. There are no damage fights, but constant stress seems to be enough to harm the immune system to such an extent that severe diseases occur.

For our customers: the animals have code 626632 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Cyprichromis leptosoma “Mpulungu”

4. April 2025

Cyprichromis and Paracyprichromis are very special mouthbrooding cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. The animals sometimes live in huge shoals and feed on small animals that they pick out of the free water column. To attract the attention of the females, the males can be very brightly colored. They do not occupy actual territories. The females, on the other hand, are as inconspicuously colored as possible and enjoy the protection of the community from predators in the shoal.

As Ad Konings emphasizes in the 4th edition of his “Tanganyika Cichlids in their Natural Habitat”, the behaviour of Cyprichromis and Paracyprichromis should not be misinterpreted to mean that these fish lead a pelagic life far from the shore in the lake (pelagic means that an organism lives in open water without any binding to structures). On the contrary: they only occur where there are rocky shores. They flee to the rocks in case of danger and this is also where their young grow up. This explains why there are so many local variants of these cichlids – similar to Tropheus and other rock-bound cichlid species. The small Cyprichromis never migrate far from their home reef. 

At present, 5 species of Cyprichromis are known: C. coloratus, C. leptosoma, C. microlepidotus, C. pavo and C. zonatus. In addition there are the probably still undescribed species C. sp. “Leptosoma Jumbo”, C. sp. “Leptosoma Kigoma”, C. sp. “Leptosoma Kitumba” and C. sp. “Kibishi”. Most of these species produce different color variants and some are – not to make it too easy – polychromatic in the male sex. This means that differently colored morphs occur within a reproductive community or site variant. The meaning of polychromatism in males of animal species – the phenomenon occurs in relatively many cichlids (especially Apistogramma), but also in birds (e.g. Gouldian finches) – is not yet understood. There are many exciting observation opportunities here.

Cyprichromis leptosoma differs from the similar, as yet undescribed species by its bright blue head roof. The species has a wide distribution in the lake. The locality Mpulungu is in Zambia. The dorsal fin coloration is characteristic of several Zambian populations. There are blue-tailed and yellow-tailed males. The maximum length of the species is less than 10 cm.

Cyprichromis are easy to care for. They should be kept in groups of 8 or more. The sex ratio is not important. More males means that the females have more rest and there is more color in the aquarium, as the females are drab brown. Cyprichromis leptosoma „Mpulungu“ is an agamous mouthbrooder in the female sex; agam means “without a fixed pair bond”. 

The water should be slightly alkaline (pH 7.5 – 8.5) and warm (around 28°C). It will eat any common ornamental fish food that fits in its mouth.

For our customers: the animals have code 519703 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Carassius auratus – Goldfish Oranda Tricolor

4. April 2025

The breeding of certain goldfish is one of the most demanding of all breeding activities – if it is done consciously. This is because characteristics such as coloration, finning, eye and skin changes in goldfish are usually not controlled by a single gene, but by several genes. This also affects the expression, i.e. larger or smaller fins and, for example, the size and extension of the hood. The mating of two visually similar parents therefore often results in only a small proportion of young animals that really look like their parents. There are also stable inheriting goldfish, such as the black telescope, also called black demekin or black moor, but this is rather rare. After all, the characteristics of goldfish, which have resulted from spontaneous genetic changes (mutations) over the centuries of breeding, theoretically allow hundreds of different breeds to be bred. In most cases, however, it is only individual animals that deviate significantly from the familiar forms.

Tricolored goldfish – there should be red, black and white color parts on each animal – belong to the difficult breeding forms. Not because of the way they are kept – this does not differ from that of other goldfish – but because only a relatively small proportion of the fish in a brood actually become tricolored. The supply therefore barely covers the demand and this makes them somewhat more expensive than is generally the case.

Right now we can offer very pretty tricolored goldfish. They are still very small at 3-4 cm in length. Please do not put these animals, which in this case were bred in Thailand, into your garden pond in early spring. These young fish have never been exposed to temperatures below 24°C. Even though goldfish can generally cope physiologically with water temperatures between 4 and 32°C, they need to be acclimatized slowly. This is why small goldfish from foreign breeding farms must first be acclimatized in aquaria. They must not be introduced to outdoor ponds before mid-May, sometimes not until June. And please remember: ornamental fish belong in aquariums and garden ponds, but never in the wild. Please never release any animals or plants bought anywhere.

We have also made a short film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gnDkdVnIlU

For our customers: the animals have code 815700 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hyphessonbrycon cf. pulchripinnis “Bolivia Orange”

1. April 2025

The lemon tetra, Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis, is one of the most popular aquarium fish of all and can be found in the standard range of pet shops. As with so many everyday species, little thought is given to them, but the lemon tetra holds many secrets!

The ancestors of the animals that we can occasionally offer as beautiful captive-bred specimens are said to originate from Bolivia. They differ from the well-known lemon tetra (from Brazil) by their intense orange color and the absence of the otherwise typical black fin fringe in the anal fin. According to our breeder, the fish also differ in their spawning behavior. This orange lemon tetra is therefore presumably a new, undescribed species.

They are very easy to keep and can even be kept by beginners. The up to 4.5 cm long animals should be kept in groups in well-structured aquaria, where each fish soon occupies a tiny territory. They will eat any common fish food and the temperature can be between 22 and 28°C. The water should (but does not have to) be soft and slightly acidic, then the colors are at their best.

For our customers: the new animals, which we call “Orange Bolivia”, have code 261632, the classic lemon tetra 261603. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text Frank Schäfer, Photos: Frank Schäfer and H. J. Mayland/Aqualog-Archives

Xiphophorus hellerii, cave swordtail

1. April 2025

Central America is famous for its numerous karst caves. A particularly interesting fauna has often developed in them. Perhaps the best-known cave fish in Mexico is the blind cave tetra (Astyanax jordani or Anoptichthys jordani, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/blind-cave-tetras/). As with many cavefish, its eyes are severely atrophied. However, there are four underground lakes in the home cave of the blind cave tetra. In the lake that is closest to the cave entrance and into which some light still enters, the animals still have eyes. The deeper the various lakes inside the cave, the more atrophied the tetra’s eyes become. The completely blind form, which has been bred in the aquarium since 1936, comes from the rearmost of the four cave lakes.

Among the livebearing toothcarps, only the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) was previously known to develop cave forms. These animals are usually pale pink in color and have small but functional eyes. 

The conversion of a karst cave in the Central American state of Guatemala into a large disco led to the discovery of a previously unknown cave population of the swordtail, Xiphophorus hellerii. The interesting thing is that the fish actively migrated from small underground streams into the area of the dance hall, where there is a larger fountain with a water feature that is fed by these same streams. While the cave swordtails living in the streams are snow-white – including the sword of the males – the animals that have migrated into the illuminated part already show hints of color, mostly delicate red tones and some black longitudinal banding. All cave swordtails, both those living in the streams and those in the disco pond, have blue eyes. The very latest development is that there are now occasional animals that are bright red in color on large parts of their body on a snow-white ground coloration. Researchers attribute this to the light spectra of the disco ball on the cave ceiling. It is also fascinating to see how the disco cave swordtails feed. While the stream population feeds on bat droppings, the disco pond swordtails have switched to olives from martinis and peanut flips thrown into the pond by disco visitors.

We have now received offspring of these fascinating animals for the first time.

For our customers: The fish have 471105 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos. Frank Schäfer

Poecilocharax weitzmani

28. March 2025

Of course, this fish is anything but a novelty and has been imported in relatively large numbers for many years. But isn’t it beautiful? This small animal is an ideal companion for the cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), with which it also occurs in the wild. Poecilocharax weitzmani grows to 3-4 cm and is relatively widespread in the upper Amazon and upper Orinoco. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru. Despite its large mouth, it is a peaceful fish. 

However, P. weitzmani is a truly special characin, as – in contrast to most other characin relatives – it is a cave breeder with brood care. In the aquarium, the males occupy hollow pieces of bamboo as breeding grounds and guard the spawn there until the young hatch. However, breeding is not easy, because in order for the spawn to develop well, you need water values similar to those in nature: hardness practically undetectable and pH around 4.5-5. You need some experience to keep such water stable over a longer period of time. It is therefore not advisable to aim for such water values for normal keeping. Just as with the cardinal tetra, the adaptability to water values as they come out of the tap in Central Europe is very good. Even in such water, the small fish reach an age that is 5-10 times longer than in the wild.

We can currently offer P. weitzmani from Colombia and Brazil. Basically, we can’t see any visual differences between the two local forms, but the Brazilian specimens are currently much larger, almost fully grown. And among them are a few (1-2 animals per 500 specimens) male individuals with a brilliant red coloration that we have not (consciously) seen before. So far, P. weitzmani has only been bred by specialists interested in behavioral studies due to its abundance and the resulting low price; breeding is not economically worthwhile. It is possible that this will change now that this magnificent variety has become known.

There are observations from aquarists that describe P. weitzmani as shy. This does not correspond with our observations. The animals photographed, for example, were imported only a few days ago and already present themselves as if they had been born there in the very sparsely furnished photo tank with a few pieces of wood and leaves. With regard to all care factors (food, temperature, lighting, furnishings), please refer to the extensive literature on cardinal tetra. P. weitzmani does not have any significantly different requirements with the exception of the aforementioned spawning caves.

For our customers: the animals have code 281004 (md-lg) and 281005 (lg-xlg) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Farlowella hahni

28. March 2025

The needle catfish (Farlowella) are whimsical representatives of the loricariid catfishes (Loricariidae), reminiscent of sticks. They graze on fine growth with their typical sucking mouth. They are usually common animals in the wild, which is why they attracted the attention of scientists early on. The first species was described in 1853 (F. acus), the last for the time being in 2023 (F. wuyjugu). All in all, 51 described species are currently assigned to this genus. How many of these are valid, however, is disputed. This is due to the fact that many Farlowella species look quite generalized. The measurements used to distinguish species – e.g. length of the snout process (rostrum) in the body length and the like – often prove to be inapplicable. These things are too variable, as we know today. That is why publications about Farlowella are very often accompanied by question marks regarding the naming of the species. This applies to both scientific and, to an even greater extent, popular publications. Farlowella species usually grow to a length of 12-18 cm.

From time to time we receive very attractive Farlowella from Paraguay. There are five species in the region (characterized by the large rivers Paraná and Paraguay): F. jauruensis, F. hahni, F. isbruckeri, F. paraguayensis and F. azpelicuetae. The first species (F. jauruensis) has a pattern of markings that is clearly different from all other species. Viewed from above, the rostrum is dark colored (vs. light or with a reticulated pattern). This species, previously only known from the upper reaches of the Rio Paraguay, is therefore by no means identical to our species. The pattern on the caudal fin of our imports is particularly striking and typical of the species. The upper caudal fin lobe is either completely dark or at least half dark in color. The dark coloration continues into the base of the lower caudal fin lobe. This excludes F. azpelicuetae and F. isbruckeri, which only have two dark stripes in the upper and lower half of the caudal fin. Our imports differ from F. paraguayensis by the clearly and strongly pronounced net pattern in the head area (missing in F. paraguayensis). The only remaining possibilities are therefore that our fish are F. hahni or an as yet undescribed species. 

Species identification is not unimportant for two reasons: firstly, the care conditions of a southern species from the Paraná-Paraguay region differ in terms of seasonal temperature development – it can be quite cool here at times. And secondly, you need to be sure which species characteristics need to be taken into account when putting together breeding groups.

Otherwise, the various Farlowella species hardly differ in their care requirements. They require clean water with as few germs as possible and a good current, while the hardness and pH value are irrelevant for their care. The greatest difficulty in keeping Farlowella species lies in feeding them sufficiently. They are slow eaters that must not have any food competition in the aquarium. The growth – i.e. fine algae and the small creatures it contains – is not sufficient to feed them under aquarium conditions. Nevertheless, as much dead wood, dead leaves, reed and bamboo stems etc. as possible should be introduced into a Farlowella aquarium. Farlowella will not swim unnecessarily, so it is not important to ensure that there is free swimming space. On the other hand, the somewhat stiff and clumsy animals can become hopelessly entangled in filamentous algae or dense tufts of aquatic plants. This should therefore not be allowed in the Farlowella aquarium. Food tablets are an excellent basic food, along with fine frozen food (e.g. Cyclops) or Artemia. Vegetable pieces (zucchini is well suited, not so well potatoes or carrots. They contain a lot of sugar and quickly spoil the water) and crushed frozen peas complete the food plan. If everything goes well, breeding Farlowella is not very difficult. Like Sturisoma and Sturisomatichthys, they spawn on open surfaces (preferably an aquarium pane), the male guards the spawn until the fry hatch. The sexes of Farlowella are not easy to distinguish. The females are fuller, old males develop bristles (odontodes) on the rostrum.

For our customers: the animals have code 253662 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Gobio gobio, gudgeon

28. March 2025

The gudgeon, Gobio gobio, is one of the smallest native fish. It usually grows to 8-12 cm, rarely over 15 cm long. The record is said to be 21 cm, but such giants are as rare as people over 2.20 m long. Because of its small size and pretty colouring (compared to the mostly silvery other native species) it has been kept in aquariums since the beginning of aquarium science, where it thrives very well. The water temperature can be in the range of 15-25°C, which can be easily realized in living rooms even today, avoiding long lasting temperatures above 22°C and aiming for a cool hibernation at around 8°C and 6-8 hours of light.

The gudgeon is a bottom fish that likes to swim in a troop with its own kind and is completely peaceful against other fish. It needs open bottom areas of sand and gravel where it looks for its food, which consists of small animals of all kinds (in the aquarium any usual fish food that sinks to the bottom). Vegetable food does not play a big role and is rather accidentally included. In nature, gudgeons are mainly found in clear, often flowing water. The aquarium should therefore be well maintained and have only a little mulm on the bottom.

The gudgeon is only suitable for the garden pond if it fulfils its requirements for clear, clean water and free ground surfaces with sand and gravel. The gudgeon cannot live in fully grown swamp ponds.

Gudgeons spawn in gravel; they do not care for their brood.

For our customers: the animals have code 819503 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Cyprinella lutrensis

28. March 2025

There are numerous species (approx. 320) of minnow relatives in North America, but only very few species have become aquarium fish to date. In contrast to our native minnow, the Red Shiner (Cyprinella (formerly: Notropis) lutrensis) is a fairly undemanding fish and does not require such low temperatures. Although the species can be kept in a garden pond, it also thrives excellently in indoor aquaria, which of course do not need to be heated. The males are beautifully colored, but the females also become more and more colorful over time. Nowadays, these fish are only sold as captive-bred specimens. The maximum length of the species is usually 7 cm, very rarely they grow up to 9 cm long. They are ready to spawn at a total length of 4-5 cm.

The Red Shiner originally occurs in North America from southern Illinois to South Dakota, Kansas and the Rio Grande (including Mexico, where the river is called Rio Bravo). The species forms several subspecies there. As these fish are often used by anglers as bait fish and there is a bad habit of simply releasing leftover bait fish wherever you happen to be, Cyprinella lutrensis is nowadays widely dispersed. As a consequence, it has long been illegal in the USA to transport baitfish across state borders. But can something like this be controlled…

This carp-like fish is an undemanding schooling fish that loves to swim and needs an elongated tank with plenty of free swimming space and clear fresh water. However, frequent water changes and optimal aeration of the tank are a prerequisite for successful maintenance. The males are more brightly colored and develop a pimple-like rash on the head during spawning time, as is known from many other carp-like fish. The latter is often interpreted as a sign of illness, but it is not. These peaceful fish do not have any special requirements in terms of water composition.  They are free-spawning fish that can be bred relatively easily, even in a room aquarium. They do not practice brood-care.

This beautiful minnow is omnivorous and will eat any kind of live food, plant-based food and flake and tablet food. A shoal of this species is a real feast for the eyes in any cold water tank.

For our customers: the animals have code 867012 (3-4 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Pelmatolapia mariae

28. March 2025

In contrast to the larger Central American cichlids of the Cichlasoma relationship, the medium-sized African cichlids of the Tilapia relationship, which are ecologically quite similar to them, have never managed to become widespread in aquariums. The reasons for this lie in the geographical proximity of Africa to Europe. When aquarium keeping became widespread around 1900 and the care of foreign animals took precedence over the care of native species, tilapia-like cichlids were quite frequently represented in the form of juveniles in the imports of the time. These were transported by ship and were carried out by sailors who earned pocket money in addition to their wages. Imports from West Africa were much more common than those from Central America because the journey was much shorter. The characteristics of the tilapia-like cichlids were very undesirable in the predominantly small and technically poorly equipped aquariums of the time (they were only heated, filtration and aeration were rare luxury features): they grew relatively large (10-15 cm), burrowed heavily in the bottom, ate plants and were very aggressive at spawning time at the latest. Even the splendid colors and exciting breeding behavior hardly compensated for the disastrous appearance of the aquarium. Tilapia & Co were portrayed in a correspondingly negative light in early aquarium literature and this was later adopted uncritically. When the Central Americans became more common in the hobby 30-40 years later, aquariums with an edge length of over 100 cm were no longer anything special. And they experienced a real boom in the 1980s and 1990s, when aquarists on research trips to Central America brought back ever new treasures of these colorful ruffians, for which 150-200 cm long aquariums could easily be required. The silicone bonding technique for aquariums made such dimensions commonplace.

Pelmatolapia mariae is one of the colorful and interesting African tilapia-like cichlids. According to current knowledge, the genus Pelmatolapia comprises only two species, namely P. mariae, which occurs from the Ivory Coast to Cameroon, and the species P. cabrae from the large colonization area from Guinea to Angola. Of the two, only P. mariae is available in the hobby. This species can reach a length of 35 cm, but is already sexually mature at a length of 6-8 cm. In contrast to the animals offered as “Tilapia” in the food trade, which belong to the genus Sarotherodon and are agame, maternal mouthbrooders, Pelmatolapia mariae is an open brooder with biparental brood care. The clutches of large specimens can contain many hundreds of eggs. The young pair that was kind enough to spawn in the photo tank (male approx. 10 cm, female approx. 8 cm total length), however, produced considerably fewer eggs (approx. 200), which are particularly large. Interestingly, the eggs are heavily pigmented; normally the eggs of open-breeding cichlids are rather transparent for camouflage purposes. The males of P. mariae can be distinguished from the females by the numerous light-colored spots in the caudal fin, which is usually without markings in the females. Young P. mariae are vertically striped and look completely different from the adults.

The diet of P. mariae is predominantly plant-based. This should be taken into account when planning the planting of the aquarium. A plant-based flake food, but occasionally also oat flakes or tender dandelion are very good foods for P. mariae. In addition, practically any commercially available ornamental fish food (live food, frozen food, granules etc.) is readily accepted. The fish are voracious eaters and must not be fattened up, otherwise they will develop serious intestinal diseases. The water values are completely irrelevant – any drinking water is suitable for keeping and breeding. For maintenance 20-23°C is sufficient, for breeding the temperature should be increased by 3-4°C. P. mariae are only peaceful with each other as a pair – if the pair has found each other from a group. You should therefore purchase a group of approx. 10 specimens, from which a pair can then be found. The rest can be given away.

For our customers: the animals have code 577103 (8-12 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hydrophlox chrosomus ( = Notropis chrosomus)

21. March 2025

The “rainbow shiner” (Hydrophlox chrosomus, formerly Notropis c.) was a sensational fish in the early 2000s. Strangely enough, only very few of the almost 325 species of North and Central American minnows and shiners have ever become established as aquarium fish. The fact that these animals are highly complex from a systematic-taxonomic point of view has certainly contributed to this. Many species have very conservative morphological characteristics, which – superficially speaking – make them very similar to each other and therefore difficult to identify. And so, at times, all species were placed in the collective genus Notropis. It was only a matter of time before this would change and it finally happened in 2022, when a working group led by Jonathan W. Armbruster presented the first major phylogeny for the species previously grouped under Notropis (Stout et al., 2022). Although not all species were (yet) included in this phylogeny, some kinds of regroupings were made. One of these concerns the rainbow shiner, which together with four other species (chiliticus, chlorocephalus, lutipinnis and rubricroceus) now form the genus Hydrophlox. Incidentally, this genus was already established in 1878, the type species being Hybopsis rubricroceus Cope, 1868. The genus name Hydrophlox roughly means “water flame” and refers to the bright colors of the mating males.

The original origin of H. chrosomus is the SE of the USA. Here it inhabits clear streams with gravelly bottoms in the states of Alabama, Georgia and south-eastern Tennessee. The climate there is almost subtropical, with mild winters and hot summers; there can also be frost in winter, but this is rare. The temperature requirements of rainbow minnows (only captive-bred fish are available in the trade) in the aquarium can therefore be satisfied with room temperature (18-22°C), but their temperature tolerance is far greater. The range from 10°C to 25°C (temporarily 2-3 degrees higher and lower) is considered safe, although sudden temperature changes should be avoided at all costs. The course of the seasons and the seasonal temperature development roughly corresponds to the conditions in Central Europe.

The maximum length of the rainbow shiner is around 8 cm, the average length found in the wild is around 5 cm, at which point the animals are already coloring. H. chrosomus are gravel spawners that deposit their eggs in the substrate. These fish do not practice broodcare. They are absolutely peaceful and well suited to community aquaria, provided that the planned tankmates have similar requirements, i.e. clear, oxygen-rich and relatively cool water, a certain current and a gravely substrate. Plants are not damaged. The minnows, which are basically bottom-oriented, are completely problem-free eaters that will willingly accept any ornamental fish food of a suitable size. They should always be kept in shoals, from 10 specimens upwards, otherwise these fish can be shy. The sex ratio (males to females) is completely irrelevant for keeping them, for breeding – which is also most successful in shoals – both sexes are of course necessary. Males can be recognized by the higher proportion of blue in their colouring.

For our customers: the animals have code 439391 (3-4 cm) and 439392 (4-5 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Stout, C., S. Schönhuth, R. Mayden, N. L. Garrison & J. W. Armbruster (2022): Phylogenomics and classification of Notropis and related shiners (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae) and the utility of exon capture on lower taxonomic groups. PeerJ v. 10 (art. e14072): 1-23.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Neochela dadiburjori ( = Laubuka dadiburjori, = Chela dadiburjori)

21. March 2025

This nano-fish jewel comes from the south of India (Kerala); the delightful dwarfs grow to a maximum length of 3 cm. They are absolutely peaceful schooling fish that prefer to spawn on the upper side of broad leaves, especially on Ludwigia species. However, they also show an amazing ability to adapt. About 50 years ago, when these beauties were first imported, the first breeders reported that the animals also accepted the root area of floating ferns or the leaves of aquatic plants in the middle water layers as spawning substrates. Neochela dadiburjori is particularly suitable for vitalizing the upper third of the water, similar to the way hatchet tetras do in the South American aquarium.

During the photo session, we managed to take a snapshot that documents an absolutely unusual behavior in N. dadiburjori: one specimen stretched (as all fish do from time to time) and put its head on its neck. The latter is not normally possible for most fish for anatomical reasons. In any case, we have never seen or even heard of this before. It may be a special adaptation of these surface fish to make it easier for them to pick small midges and flies – their absolute favorite food – from below the water surface.

The chemical composition of the water is not important for keeping these fish; any tap water suitable for drinking can be used. The water temperature should be in the range 22-28°C. Any common fish food of a suitable size is readily accepted, but Neochela dadiburjori does not like to eat from the bottom, so this should be borne in mind. Males and females differ mainly in terms of body shape. The sensitivity that has occasionally been attributed to these animals was probably due to inadequacies in the first imports in the 1970s. The current imports are proving to be completely unproblematic.

On our stock list, this species was originally listed as Chela dadyburjori; this is also how it is spelled in the Aquarium Atlas, because the species name was given in honor of a Mr. Dadyburjor. However, the scientifically correct spelling is dadiburjori (i.e. with an “i” and not a “y”), which would go too far to explain here. The animal has also had to put up with a lot in terms of its generic name. Neochela was originally placed as a subgenus of Chela by Silas in 1958. This author saw Laubuka (the spelling Laubuca with a “c” is incorrect) as a synonym of Chela. Later, other authors (Pethiyagoda et al, 2008) elevated Laubuka to genus rank again; today, only the species atpar (synonym: cachius) and macrolepis are included in Chela. The distinction between Chela and Laubuka is based on skeletal features and is not externally visible. Kottelat (2013) finally elevated Neochela to generic rank; the genus contains only one species, namely N. dadiburjori. The main externally recognizable difference to Laubuka and Chela is that Neochela has no or only an incomplete lateral line (complete in the other two genera).

For our customers: the animal has code 409502 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature

Kottelat, M. (2013): The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement No. 27: 1-663.

Meinken, H. (1976): Chela dadyburjori. DATZ 29(4)1976: 120-122 

Menon, A. G. K. (1952): Notes on fishes in the Indian Museum. XLVI. On a new fish of the genus Laubuca from Cochin. Records of the Indian Museum (Calcutta) v. 49 (pt 1): 1-4

Neumann, H. (1976): Chela (Laubuca) dadiborjori. DATZ 29(2)1976: 39-40 

Niewenhuizen, A.van den (1976): Chela dadyburjori. DATZ 29(12)1976: 404-405

Pethiyagoda, R., M. Kottelat, A. Silva, K. Maduwage & M. Meegaskumbura (2008): A review of the genus Laubuca in Sri Lanka, with description of three new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters v. 19 (no. 1): 7-26 

Silas, E. G. (1958): Studies on cyprinid fishes of the oriental genus Chela Hamilton. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society v. 55 (pt 1): 54-99, Pls. 1-2.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sturisomatichthys aureus

21. March 2025

As is well known, the royal farlowellas (Sturisoma and Sturisomatichthys) were reclassified in 2019, resulting in some regrouping. Several species previously classified as Sturisoma now belong to the genus Sturisomatichthys. According to Londoño-Burbano & Reis, 2019, externally recognizable differences between the two genera are the irregular, numerous central ventral plates that are not arranged in defined series in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to three clearly arranged series of developed central ventral plates in Sturisoma); the possession of dark spots on one or all dorsal, pectoral, pelvic or anal fins in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to lack of spots in the fins in Sturisoma); and 13-18 plates on the median row of plates in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to 20-21 plates on the median row in Sturisoma). Grammar: the genus name Sturisoma is neuter, species names that are adjectives must therefore end in -um, Sturisomatichthys is masculine, species names that are adjectives must therefore end in -us.

Few determinations are discussed as much in aquarium circles as the distinction between Sturisomatichthys aureus and S. festivus. In terms of color, both species are largely identical and both come from Colombia, albeit from different river systems. However, there is a difference that is already clearly recognizable in juveniles from a total length of approx. 5 cm: in S. festivus, the first rays of the dorsal, pectoral and ventral fins are clearly elongated. Over the decades, however, the two species have almost certainly been inadvertently crossed more frequently because the short-finned animals were thought to be females and the long-finned ones males. This easily explains why the old aquarium strains of S. festivus often look quite inconsistent. If you want to be sure of owning purebred animals, you should therefore always resort to wild-caught specimens.

In the very early days (in the 1980s), S. festivus was referred to as S. panamensis. However, this is another species that can be reliably distinguished from S. aureus and S. festivus by the fact that the dark longitudinal band along the middle of the body does not touch the dorsal fin (in S. aureus and S. festivus it does so very clearly). In S. panamensis there is only a small line from the longitudinal band to the base of the dorsal fin. S. panamensis is not represented in the trade (there are only occasional souvenirs from Panama by traveling aquarists, no exports). The species has no colour or other special features that make it desirable compared to S. aureus or S. festivus and is therefore restricted to the tanks of specialized enthusiasts only.

The care and breeding of Sturisomatichthys aureus does not present any particular difficulties. The animals are open-breeders and often lay their clutches on one of the aquarium glasses. The male guards the clutch until it hatches. The sexes are not always easy to recognize. Sexually active males have a “whisker” and slightly longer fins, the females are generally smaller. However, old females can also look like males and, conversely, there are males that look like females. It is often reported that Sturisomatichthys are capable of changing sex. This has not been proven, but of course it is not impossible either. Many marine fish species generally change sex in the course of their lives, but this is rare in freshwater fish. It has also been observed that two juveniles of Sturisomatichthys that are placed together in a new aquarium regularly develop into a pair.

Sturisomatichthys are generally peaceful towards other fish and also towards each other. However, adult males do not get along well with each other. The water values are of no great importance, but the animals like it warm (24-28°C). It is essential to ensure that these relatively slow eaters get enough food (greens of all kinds, food tablets, frozen food). The final size of S. aureus is around 20 cm, and they are often sexually mature at half this length.

For our customers: S. aureus has code 294503 (wild, 9-12 cm), 294513 (captive bred, 8-10 cm) and 294521 (captive bred, 4-6 cm) on our stocklist. The pictures for this post show 294503. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Literature:

Londoño-Burbano, A. & R. E. Reis (2019): A taxonomic revision of Sturisomatichthys Isbrücker and Nijssen, 1979 (Loricariidae: Loricariinae), with descriptions of three new species. Copeia v. 107 (no. 4): 764-806

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Barbodes semifasciolatus ( = Barbus s.)

21. March 2025

The Chinese barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus) was one of the first “exotic” ornamental fish to be kept in aquaria. Under the completely misleading name “Japanese bitterling”, they were introduced and bred as early as 1897 in the then still young aquarium hobby. In the first known article on the species (May 1897 in the “Blättern für Aquarien- und Terrarienkunde”), the author, Emil Bade, already correctly stated that it was not a bitterling at all, but a barb, whose exact species name could not yet be determined due to several possible species.

Basically, this situation has not changed much to this day. Chinese barbs colonize a large distribution area in China and Vietnam. Today’s almost worldwide occurrences are usually attributed to releases of aquarium fish, although this can hardly be verified in individual cases and is rather unlikely, at least in the case of some Asian occurrences. It is generally accepted that B. semifasciolatus and B. synderi (from Taiwan) form a species group that should most probably be placed in a separate genus. There are numerous synonyms (e.g. S. aureus, S. fernandezypezi, S. guentheri, S. hainani, S. sachsii) and since these fishes look very different locally, it is more than likely that several of them are valid species. The claim that the golden barb (invalid fantasy name “schuberti”) is a cultivated form of the Chinese barb is also unproven. There are (or were) a number of anatomical differences between the golden barb and the Chinese barb. This is because in the last 70 years, wild forms of Chinese barb have often been unreasonably crossed with golden barbs and the hybrids are no longer typical in terms of their characteristics; pure-bred golden barbs are probably extinct.

Be that as it may, nowadays the Chinese barb as a wild form is a real rarity in the aquarium. We are therefore delighted that we are currently able to obtain them from Vietnam. What is interesting about the currently imported form is that some animals can develop a pretty orange dorsal fin. However, this is strictly mood-dependent and “orangefins” can turn into “glassfins” within seconds. Each Chinese barb in this population has an individually different stripe pattern on its flanks. This is extremely unusual for barbs. We are excited to see how the fish will continue to develop, because although they are still sexually mature with a total length of approx. 3 cm, they are still a long way from being fully grown. The maximum final size is 6-8 cm.

Chinese barbs are peaceful, lively and relatively undemanding aquarium fish. The chemical composition of the water is irrelevant, any tap water is suitable and the temperature can be between 14 and 30°C. Occasionally the animals are said to be terrible plant destroyers, but this is usually due to inadequate feeding, in which plant components (e.g. plant-based food flakes) must not be missing. Otherwise, any standard ornamental fish food of a suitable size will do. Chinese barbs should be kept in groups of 7 or more, otherwise they are often shy and sometimes quarrelsome. They are prolific free spawners that do not care for their fry and consume their own caviar as additional food soon after laying their eggs if they are not prevented from doing so by the breeder.

For our customers: the animals have code 371802 (md-lg) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hypoclinemus mentalis

21. March 2025

Flounders do not belong to the classic aquarium fish; most species live in the sea and become quite large. In the New World, there is the family Achiridae with 35 species in 9 genera, all of which are either euryhalin, i.e. can change freely between fresh and sea water, or live in pure fresh water. This family includes Hypoclinemus mentalis, a freshwater species distributed practically all over tropical South America, which can reach a length of about 20-25 cm. We occasionally import this species in small quantities from Peru.

The colour and pattern can hardly be used for the determination, because it varies enormously and is similar in numerous freshwater-flunder-species. Typical for Hypoclinemus mentalis are the position of the dorsal and anal fin, the presence of a tiny pectoral fin on the eyed side, the many barbels around the head, the snow-white blind side and the large gill opening on both sides of the head.

Some specimens have black spines on the upper side, which remind something of the odontodes of the loricariid catfish. Is this a sexual characteristic? One does not know it…

These freshwater flounders never enter brackish or sea water as far as known. For their well-being they need sandy soil into which they can dig themselves. Flounders are carnivores that feed on all sorts of worms, crustaceans and even small fish, which they capture mainly at night. Possible companion fishes should therefore not be too small (larger than 5 cm). H. mentalis are peaceful among each other and towards fish which are not suitable as food.

For our customers: the animals have code 262193 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Platynematichthys notatus

13. March 2025

Platynematichthys notatus is one of the extremely rare species on the ornamental fish market. There is only one species of the genus, but it is widely distributed in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems (Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). This fish is usually only caught in the strong current, oxygen-rich areas of the main channels. It is a migratory fish; it usually migrates upstream during the dry season and spawning migrations are in the opposite direction. This explains why, according to Grant (2021), juvenile specimens in the ornamental fish trade usually come from the Santarem area (Brazil), but larger specimens come from Peru (Iquitos area).

This predatory catfish can reach a good 80 cm in length and is a species that loves to swim. Even for small animals, such as the 17-20 cm long specimens we can currently offer, comparatively large aquaria are therefore important, otherwise behavioral problems will occur. This species also needs a strong current. Feeding is unproblematic. In the wild they are mainly fish eaters, but in the aquarium they quickly accept dead food: fish, shrimps and mussel meat are suitable. The species is considered to be peaceful towards each other and other fish, as long as they are not considered as food. To be on the safe side, however, these precious animals are kept individually in our fishhouse. Externally recognizable sex differences are not known.

For our customers: the animals have code 280656 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature: 

Grant, S. (2021): Pims. Pimelodidae, Hepapteridae and Pseudopimelodidae Catfishes. Neustadt am Rübenberge, 220 pp.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sturisomatichthys ALBINO

13. March 2025

As is well known, the royal farlowellas (Sturisoma and Sturisomatichthys) were reclassified in 2019, resulting in a number of regroupings. Several species previously classified as Sturisoma now belong to the genus Sturisomatichthys. According to Londoño-Burbano & Reis, 2019, externally recognizable differences between the two genera are the irregular, numerous central ventral plates that are not arranged in defined series in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to three clearly arranged series of developed central ventral plates in Sturisoma); the possession of dark spots on one or all dorsal, pectoral, pelvic or anal fins in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to lack of spots in the fins in Sturisoma); and 13-18 plates on the median row of plates in Sturisomatichthys (as opposed to 20-21 plates on the median row in Sturisoma). 

We have now received yellowish-white Sturisomatichthys offspring from Thailand. They were sent under the name “S. panamensis Albino”. The genus affiliation is undisputed. However, the species affiliation cannot be determined beyond doubt due to a lack of markings. As far as we know, S. panamensis is relatively rare in the hobby, as no commercial ornamental fish are exported from Panama. Wild-colored S. panamensis can be distinguished from the very frequently offered species S. aureum from Colombia by the coloration of the pectoral and pelvic fins, which are strongly banded in P. aureum and not in P. panamensis. The ventral plate markings of the two species also differ. Our whites from Thailand correspond most closely to S. aureum in this respect. We therefore assume that this is a breeding form of S. aureum, not of S. panamensis.

Incidentally, Sturisomatichthys whites are not albinos in the usual sense of the word, but rather lutinos, as the eyes of Sturisomatichthys whites are black, not red. But in our opinion, this makes them even more attractive. In any case, we are sure that these strikingly (un)colored royal farlowellas will find their fans.

For our customers: the Sturisomatichthys whites have code 294532 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Londoño-Burbano, A. & R. E. Reis (2019): A taxonomic revision of Sturisomatichthys Isbrücker and Nijssen, 1979 (Loricariidae: Loricariinae), with descriptions of three new species. Copeia v. 107 (no. 4): 764-806

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chromobotia macracanthus ( = Botia macracantha) BRED

13. March 2025

There are only two species in the global ornamental fish trade that have been traded in large numbers for decades collected from the wild: the Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and the Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus). Due to the great economic importance of these animals, the populations are monitored very closely and there are strict laws that effectively prevent ornamental fishing from having a negative impact on wild populations. The two species have something in common: they are only available seasonally. They can only be caught effectively at certain times of the year at a reasonable effort. For the rest of the year, you have to rely on specimens that were caught during the season and have been kept in special facilities ever since.

In the case of Cardinals, you can always fall back on high-quality offspring if the stock caught during the season is not sufficient or – for whatever reason – preference is given to offspring. This is also possible with the Clown loach, but only a few people know this. We are currently offering captive-bred Clown loaches from Indonesia. Wild-caught fish are not available at the moment. Our customers are very satisfied with the quality of these offspring. Why not give them a try!

Incidentally, we believe that wild fishing is the more sustainable method. It enables local people to earn an absolutely environmentally friendly, good income from nature. No species has ever become extinct because of this, but dozens of species die out when the local population is forced to use another source of income instead of ornamental fishing, thereby inevitably altering nature or polluting the water.

For our customers: the captive bred Clown loaches have code 403532 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Trichogaster pectoralis

13. March 2025

The snakeskin gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) is the largest and most peaceful species of gourami. The animals can become 20-25 cm long and are therefore in their homeland Southeast Asia also estimated food fish. However, we prefer to enjoy their calm nature and beautiful coloration. For years there has been a dispute about the correct genus name of the gourami. One camp of professional fishologists insists that, according to strict interpretation of the rules of naming, an old error from 1923 must not be maintained and all gourami, which were previously called Trichogaster, must now be called Trichopodus, while the genus name Trichogaster is correctly assigned to the species, which were previously called Colisa.

Another camp – that of the pragmatists – on the other hand, says that a easy-minded name change for economically important fishes such as the gouramis cannot be justified after 100 years. And this is only because of an unnecessary, rigid application of rules that were made only to avoid confusion and to achieve the greatest possible stability of naming. These rules explicitly allow for exceptions – and in the case of gouramis, an exception is highly desirable.

This academic dispute is far from settled and there is no decision in sight in the near future. However, it is undisputed that the snakeskin gourami is a beautiful aquarium fish – no matter what you call it! We have the fish regularly in our stock, usually we get them from Vietnam. Males and females can only be distinguished with some certainty from a length of around 7-9 cm. The males have a broader, elongated dorsal fin, where, similar to the Pearl Gourami (T. leerii), the fin rays are elongated. Depending on the mood, the otherwise prominent longitudinal stripe may become completely invisible. This is not a sex characteristic. 

For our customers: the animals have code 469733 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Mesonauta egregius

13. March 2025

The flag cichlids (Mesonauta) are beautiful and peaceful, medium-sized cichlids that reach a length of 12-15 cm. In the wild they usually live together with angelfish (Pterophyllum), which they also resemble in terms of behavior and general requirements in the aquarium. As with the angelfish, the sexes are indistinguishable in younger animals. In older specimens, the males are larger and tend to develop a more imposing head. But basically you can never be sure whether you have a female or a suppressed male until the fish spawn. That’s why flag cichlids should always be kept in a group of 8-10 specimens where pairs can find each other.

Currently, 6 different Mesonauta species are recognized, some of which also develop local colour variants. Until the 1980s, all Mesonauta were thought to be the same species, which was called Cichlasoma festivum. This already shows that the different species look extremely similar. M. egregius comes from the Orinoco (Colombia and Venezuela). The most reliable way to determine the species is to stress it a bit. Then you can see that the vertical bands, which all Mesonauta show in fright coloration, are fused into broad spots in M. egregius.

For our customers: the animals have code 683322 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sicyopus zosterophorus

7. March 2025

The gobies (Gobiidae) are probably one of the most species-rich families of fish with over 2,000 species (currently accepted: around 1,500 species). Many gobies live in the sea, but gobies are often the most common fish in the freshwater of oceanic islands. In these cases, they are usually species that live as adult fish in pure freshwater and do not tolerate seawater at all, but the larvae of the eggs laid in freshwater develop after hatching in the sea, where they drift with the current. If they do not make it into the sea after 2-3 days, the larvae of these gobies die. This makes it very easy to explain why some species have an enormously wide distribution, as the ocean currents take very different directions depending on the season and current weather conditions. What is not clear, however, is why some of these goby species only occur in a very limited area.

Sicyopus zosterophorus is one of these freshwater species with a very wide distribution in the western Pacific region, although it is only locally common. This beautiful goby comes to us from West Sumatra. There it lives in the Pinang River, a rocky river with very clear and oxygenated water. The males are very variably colored, especially with regard to the first of the two dorsal fins. There are specimens with and without eyespots, in some the first dorsal fin is flat red, in others blackish with a broad light blue border. However, it is still assumed that they are all the same species. The females are plain grey and do not even show a hint of color in the fins or the magnificent red and black banding on the body.

Care is the same as for the now more common neon gobies (Stiphodon spp.). They are bottom-dwelling animals that eat mainly insect larvae as well as vegetation. All common frozen, live and dry foods of a suitable size are accepted in the aquarium. The water should be clean and rich in oxygen, pH value and hardness are of secondary importance, but very soft and acidic water is not suitable. The temperature can be in the range 22-28°C. The animals are relatively peaceful towards each other and other fish, but when keeping several males, sufficient hiding places should be provided so that lower-ranking animals can escape. As a general rule, only one or five or more males should be kept per aquarium to minimize negative stress caused by territorial disputes and courtship behaviour. Females are absolutely compatible with each other. The maximum length of this goby is around 5 cm.

For our customers: the animals have code 456192 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Watson, R. E. (1999): Two new subgenera of Sicyopus, with a redescription of Sicyopus zosterophorum (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Sicydiinae). aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology v. 3 (no. 3): 93-104

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Badis singenensis ( = sp. Buxar)

7. March 2025

Badis singenensis ( = sp. Buxar)

A beautiful, small chameleon fish (Badis) originates from the north of India, which has a reduced swim bladder as a special feature within the genus. As a result, it is very bottom-bound and moves around somewhat hopping. The maximum length of this species is approx. 4-5 cm including the caudal fin. 

Before the scientific description, this small badis was sold under the misleading name “sp. Buxa(r)”. This is awkward insofar as years earlier the then undescribed Badis blosyrus was also referred to as Badis sp. buxar; B. blosyrus is one of the largest Badis species and can reach almost 8 cm in length, so it is not entirely insignificant which “buxar” (incidentally, this is the name of a tiger sanctuary in the north of Bengal, in whose adjacent area the Badis are caught) you get.

There are three scientific names for Badis that look like B. singenensis: the species was described as Badis singenensis in 2011, again as Badis triocellus in 2013 and finally as B. lasiophilus in 2015. The describers of B. triocellus had obviously overlooked the description of B. singenensis; consequently, there are no described differences between B. singenensis and B. triocellus. The describers of B. lasiophilus differentiate their new species from B. singenensis, but not from B. triocellus. Again, the first description of B. triocellus was apparently overlooked by the authors of B. lasiophilus; in any case, it is not listed in the bibliography. Thus one has to laboriously search for possible differences from the three first descriptions, which is always an error-prone undertaking. The main difference between B. singenensis and B. lasiophilus is the smaller final size of B. lasiophilus (15.7- 21.0 mm SL vs. 22.3-42.0 mm SL; SL = standard length without caudal fin) and the smaller number of scales around the caudal peduncle (14-16 vs. 19-20). The remaining indicated differences in proportions are only marginal and overlap. For B. triocellus, the size of the examined specimens is given in total length (TL), i.e. including the caudal fin, which makes the values difficult to compare. The authors had 32 specimens between 25.42-48.74 mm TL. 14 scales are reported around the caudal peduncle, i.e. as in B. lasiophilus. This leaves two possible conclusions: firstly, all three species could be valid, different species that all originate from the same distribution area and do not differ in color. Or secondly: all three forms are the same species. After careful consideration of all the available facts, we have decided not to differentiate between the three forms and refer to them on our stock list as Badis singenensis after the form named first.

As already mentioned, all three forms are similar in color, although only preserved specimens of B. singenensis are shown in the first description. Typical is a large black spot at the beginning of the dorsal fin, the shape of which is variable; very rarely this spot can also be divided into two spots. In the soft-rayed part of the anal and dorsal fins there is also a round black spot, which is not found in any other Badis species. The tail root spot found in many Badis species is bordered in the front area by a semicircular light and dark band. There is a red dot on each scale. In neutral coloration, this red dot is barely noticeable, then, as with all Badis species, the vertical stripe pattern dominates. However, when the fish is mating or otherwise excited, the stripes recede and the fish glows a bright red, as if it is glowing internally. It is not for nothing that Badis species are also known as chameleon fish because of their enormous ability to change color.

Breeding Badis singenensis is unproblematic, it is typical Badis style, i.e. they are cave breeders, the male guards the spawn, the female has nothing to do with caring for the fry. When the young swim free, the male’s care instinct also ceases. The water values are of secondary importance, pH values between 6 and 8.5, hardness from soft to hard are suitable. The water should be clear, but a very strong current is not necessary. Any frozen and live food of a suitable size will be eaten, badis generally reject dry food. The water temperature can and should fluctuate over the course of the seasons, the lower temperature limit is around 14°C, the upper limit around 30°C. All Badis species are pretty tolerant against each other and other fish.

For our customers: the animals have code 368142 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature

Geetakumari, K. & K. Kadu (2011): Badis singenensis, a new fish species (Teleostei: Badidae) from Singen River, Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa v. 3 (no. 9): 2085-2089

Khynriam, D. & N. Sen (2013): On a new species Badis triocellus (Pisces: Perciformes: Badidae) from North East India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India v. 111 (no. 4) (for 2011): 65-72

Valdesalici, S. & S. van der Voort (2015): Badis laspiophilus, a new miniature addition to the ichthyofauna of West Bengal, north-eastern India, with observations on its ecology and preliminary notes on its ethology (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Badidae). Zootaxa 3986 (no. 2): 193-200

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Tetragonopterus denticulatus

6. March 2025

The genus Tetragonopterus used to be the catch-all for all smaller tetra species, which are now found in the genera Hemigrammus, Hyphessobrycon or Moenkhausia, for example. The English term “tetra” for all tetras, an abbreviation of Tetragonopterus, has survived. Nowadays there are only 14 species of Tetragonopterus, of which only T. argenteus can be considered an aquarium fish (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/tetragonopterus-argenteus-2/). Incidentally, 9 of the current 14 species were only scientifically described after 2010; it is therefore obvious that they look very similar, otherwise they would certainly have been recognized earlier; the majority of them were previously assigned to T. chalceus.

We have now been able to import a Tetragonopterus species from Brazil under the name T. chalceus, and in order to identify it, we began a major literature search. Initially, we provisionally classified it as T. chalceus, as this is how it would have been designated before 2010. We cannot take into account some important characteristics for the systematics of tetras, such as the shape and number of teeth or the gill rakers, because they cannot be recognized on the living animal and we do not kill animals for identification purposes. But color characteristics are also important for identification. Our Tetragonopterus, for example, has two elongated, vertical shoulder spots ( = humeral spots) and a circular tail root spot. 

According to the latest identification key (Silva et al., 2016), T. argenteus, T. carvalhoi, T. daguae, T. rarus and T. georgiae can be ruled out from the outset (scale and pattern characteristics). T. anostomus and T. kuluene (both only one humeral spot) can also be ruled out. This leaves T. araguaiensis, T. denticulatus, T. juruena, T. ommatus, T. manaos, T. franciscoensis and T. chalceus. At this point T. chalceus was ruled out, because in this species there is only one scale width between the two humeral spots, whereas in our imports there are three. T. juruena and T. denticulatus differ, among other things, by 6 rows of scales between the lateral line and the dorsal fin base (T. juruena) and 7 rows (T. denticulatus); T. juruena was thus eliminated. Although T. franciscoensis is very similar to our specimens, it is only found in north-eastern Brazil; however, our fish are certainly not from there. According to the exporter, they originate from the Rio Tocantins; T. araguaiensis and T. denticulatus occur there (both described from the Rio Araguaia, which is a tributary of the Rio Tocantins). Unfortunately, the species diagnoses are limited to the number of gill rakes. But a careful comparison of the illustrations of both species makes it more likely that our imports are T. denticulatus. T. ommatus – just for the sake of completeness – is so far only known from the middle Rio Tapajós and the last species described (2018), T. manaos, comes from the Rio Negro.

We have described the identification process in such detail because fish such as Tetragonopterus denticulatus are certainly only of interest to specialists and collectors of rarities, who usually attach great importance to correct identification. The pictures we show here are probably the first live photos of the species. The large eye is striking, indicating a crepuscular lifestyle. The animal does not appreciate bright light at all. The maximum length of T. denticulatus known to date is around 7 cm (without caudal fin). Accordingly, our animals (4-6 cm) are probably sexually mature. They are very peaceful, lively and somewhat skittish. The animals actively seek the company of conspecifics, so they are to be regarded as schooling fish. So far, we have not noticed any special care requirements and the fish can be characterized as extremely easy to care for.

For our customers: the animals have code 296353 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature

Silva, G. S. C., B. F. Melo, C. Oliveira & R. C. Benine (2016): Revision of the South American genus Tetragonopterus Cuvier, 1816 (Teleostei: Characidae) with description of four new species. Zootaxa 4200 (no. 1): 1-46

Urbanski, B. Q., B. F. Melo, G. S. C. Silva & R. C. Benine (2018): A new species of Tetragonopterus (Characiformes: Characidae) from Central Amazon lowlands, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology v. 16 (no. 2) (e3170158): [1-7]

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Wallaciia regani (formerly: Crenicichla regani) Tapajós

6. March 2025

Cichlids are referred to as dwarf cichlids if their total length – including the caudal fin – does not exceed 10 cm. As many cichlids grow considerably larger and then also have corresponding space requirements in terms of housing, dwarf cichlids are particularly popular in the aquarium hobby.

All pike cichlids of the genus Wallaciia (formerly known aquaristically as the Crenicichla-wallacii complex) belong to the dwarf cichlids. Their body length is rarely more than 7 cm, plus the caudal fin. This means that they can usually be kept and bred in aquariums with a floor area of 80 x 50 cm or more, but you should never underestimate the potential aggression of these animals. W. compressiceps is particularly notorious in this respect (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/wallaciia-compressiceps-crenicichla-c-2/)

Wallaciia regani is one of the most common and most widespread species within the genus in Central Amazonia. However, the animals look somewhat different everywhere and there are quite a few people who say that it is probably a complex of very similar species rather than a single, variably marked species. For this reason, in the case of W. regani, we indicate the river from which they originate, as far as possible, to avoid unwanted crossbreeding. 

The species’ ecological adaptability is high in accordance with its wide distribution. Temperatures between 20°C (upper Rio Araguaia) and 35°C (Orinoco) have been measured in the wild where W. regani (or closely related forms) have been found, and in the aquarium they have been successfully bred in soft to medium-hard water with pH values between 6.5 and 7.2; there is even a report that breeding was successful at 20° dGH, including 18° KH and pH 8! However, in the Rio Tapajós, a clear water river, the water is generally warm (around 28-29°C), soft (conductivity 10-20 µS/cm) and slightly acidic (pH 6-6.6). These values should be aimed for in the local form of W. regani, at least if you want to breed them.

In terms of food, W. regani are simple: coarse frozen and live food (preferably mosquito larvae), after acclimatization also granules and other dry food. Plants are usually ignored. All pike cichlids are cave breeders, including W. regani. The mother takes care of the spawn and the newly hatched fry. After the fry starts swimming, the male takes part in caring for the fry and defends the territory. Pairs often stay together for years under aquarium conditions. As the males can be very aggressive towards each other, it is advisable to purchase one male and several females. Only the females have the eye spots in the dorsal fin, so they are easy to recognize. A harmonizing pair can usually be found from this group.

For our customers: the fish have code 672212 (5-6 cm) and 672213 (5-8 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Oxyropsis acutirostris

6. March 2025

Unfortunately, the “Giant Otos” of the genus Oxyropsis are rarely offered for sale. Three species are currently scientifically accepted, O. carinata and O. wrightiana, which inhabit the upper and middle Amazon basin, and O. acutirostris from the upper Orinoco and Rio Negro basin. 

Oxyropsis can be distinguished from the similar species of the genus Hypoptopoma by the strongly flattened caudal peduncle with a keel on the side. Otherwise they look very similar; it seems that one Hypoptopoma species and one Oxyropsis species occur side by side in nature, which apparently differ in details of their ecology. 

From Brazil we have now received Oxyropsis (together with Hypoptopoma psilogaster) from the Rio Purus, which are probably O. acutirostris. The three species hardly differ in body coloration. The animals from the Purus differ from Oxyropsis from Peru, which we were able to import in 2020 and at the time referred to as O. carinata, in the coloration of their caudal fins. In the Purus fish there is only a large dark spot in the lower half of the caudal fin, whereas in the animals from Peru a dark band runs through the fin over the entire height of the fin behind the root of the tail. O. acutirostris in the last revision of the genus (Aquino & Schaefer 2002: 384, Fig. 7) also shows the aforementioned caudal fin coloration of the Purus animals, which is ultimately the main reason for our determination.

Oxyropsis acutirostris grows to a length of 4-6 cm and is a very peaceful fish. The dentition indicates that this species mainly feeds on Aufwuchs. As details on the aquarium biology of Oxyropsis are generally not yet known, a water temperature of 24-28°C is recommended, as has proved to be the case for many fish in the Rio Purus. The chemical composition of the water is otherwise rather unimportant for maintenance, just avoid extremes. A pH value between 6.5 and 7.5 in soft to medium-hard water is certainly not wrong, but only time will tell whether other parameters are required for breeding.

For our customers: the fish have code 274227 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature: 

Aquino, A. E. and S. A. Schaefer (2002): Revision of Oxyropsis Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889 (Siluriformes, Loricariidae). Copeia 2002 (no. 2): 374-390.

Text & photos: FRank Schäfer

Kapuasia falaris

28. February 2025

A new loach genus was only established in 2024, namely Kapuasia. The only species assigned to Kapuasia was K. maculiceps from the great Kapuas River on Borneo. Originally, K. maculiceps was assigned to the large collective genus Nemacheilus. As far as we know, K. maculiceps has not yet appeared aquaristically. Shortly after the genus Kapuasia was established, a second species was described, also from Borneo, but from another large river system on the island, namely the Barito. We have now been able to import this beautiful loach for the first time.

Kapuasia falaris got its species name from the white blaze on its snout. The word is derived from ancient Greek (phalaros: with a white spot and rhis: snout). The species has three to seven dark chocolate-brown pads on an ivory or pale pink background. Each animal is individually recognizable by its banding. The caudal fin can be colorless transparent, yellow or deep red, with or without spotting in the rear part. It is not yet known whether the coloration of the caudal fin is mood-dependent or permanent. What is known, however, is that caudal fin coloration is not sex-specific. Both males and females can have any of the aforementioned caudal fin colorations. 

The differences between the sexes are in the form of a flap of skin under the eye, which only the males have. The females have a fold of skin in the same place. In addition, the pectoral fin rays of the males are thicker – as is usual in loaches. There are also small skin ridges between the pectoral fin rays of the males. Because the pectoral fins are clearly curved backwards, it can be assumed that Kapuasia falaris colonizes areas with strong currents in the biotope. In such conditions, the curvature of the pectoral fins acts like a spoiler on a car and allows the animal to remain close to the ground without exerting too much force. Unfortunately, no information is available on the natural habitat of the fish.

In any case, Kapuasia falaris, which could be referred to as the “Barito loach”, is a beautiful, very lively fish that can be compared quite well aquaristically with Kuhli loaches (Pangio): lovely, lively and somewhat hide-loving. The naturally still very few observations show that the loaches are very peaceful towards conspecifics and other fish and willingly accept any food offered (dry food, frozen food, tubifex, mosquito larvae). We have set the water temperature to approx. 26°C. In the wild, the water should be very soft and acidic, but this does not seem to be important for aquarium care. The animals are probably fully grown at 6-8 cm in length.

For our customers: the animals have code 421912 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Kottelat, M. & H. H. Tan (2024): Kapuasia, a genus name for ‘Nemacheilus’ maculiceps (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology v. 72: 105-109

Kottelat, M., H. H. Tan & V. Hasan (2024): Kapuasia falaris, a new species of nemacheilid loach from Borneo (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology v. 72: 479-487

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Serrasalmus spilopleura

28. February 2025

The correct naming of piranha species is one of the most difficult chapters in fish systematics. Even the scientists specializing in this group of fish are by no means in agreement. And so we often have little choice but to identify a newly imported piranha according to the few external characteristics that are generally recognized, such as the black bands in the caudal and anal fins, the presence of a shoulder spot, etc.

Serrasalmus spilopleura is a rather round-headed piranha by Serrasalmus standards, which according to literature is distributed throughout the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Terra typica is Rio Guaporé, Bobota, Mato Grosso, Brazil. There is a possibility of confusion with S. maculatus, which was also synonymous with S. spilopleura for many years. S. maculatus from Paraguay has exactly the same caudal fin coloration as S. spilopleura from the Rio Tocantins, but S. maculatus always lacks the red gill cover area. It is often difficult to recognize atypically coloured specimens in individual cases. 

Serrasalmus spilopleura is a beautiful piranha, certainly one of the most attractive species of the whole group. The exact origin of the animals currently imported by us is the Rio Guama (drainage of the Rio Tocantins). Serrasalmus species are considered to be specialized fin eaters. For this reason, individual keeping is generally recommended, as if you keep several specimens together, you will hardly ever see undamaged animals, even with heavy feeding. In the aquarium, these piranhas will eat all the usual coarse frozen foods, as well as earthworms, food fish (frozen smelts are very suitable as a basic food) etc. They can be expected to reach a length of 20-25 cm. The water values in terms of pH and hardness are insignificant, but good water hygiene should be ensured. The water temperature should be in the range of 24-28°C

For our customers: the fish have code 292823 (6-8 cm) and 292824 (8-10 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Serrasalmus: from Latin, roughly means “salmon with a saw”. Refers to the saw-like scales of the breast keel. spilopleura: ancient Greek, means “with spotted sides”. maculatus: Latin for spotted.

Suggestion of a popular name: glowing coal piranha

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Lepidosiren paradoxus 15-18 cm

28. February 2025

We have already reported twice on the South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxus), on juveniles here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/02-living-fossils/lepidosiren-paradoxus-4/ and on the adult here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/29-lungfishes/lepidosiren_paradoxus_en/; in both posts you will find further information.

This species, which is widespread throughout South America, is a real rarity in the trade. We have just received some medium-sized specimens (8-10 cm and 15-18 cm) from Peru. Interestingly, the photographed, approx. 18 cm long lungfish still shows the juvenile coloration, i.e. yellow sparkling on a very dark, almost black base coloration.

By the way: last year (2024), the genome of all lungfish was decoded. This revealed that the South American lungfish has the largest genome of any animal species studied to date. The lepidosiran genome has 90 billion bases, which is twice as many as the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri), whose genome was previously thought to be one of the largest. For comparison: the human genome has only 3 billion bases.

For our customers: the animals in 8-10 cm length have code 265502, 15-18 cm code 265505 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Indostomus crocodilus

28. February 2025

According to current knowledge, the genus Indostomus comprises three species: I. paradoxus from Burma (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/20-sticklebacks/indostomus-paradoxus-4/) with largely colorless fins, I. crocodilus from southern Thailand and I. spinosus from the Mekong catchment in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. The latter two species have distinct bands in the fins, especially in the dorsal fin. While I. crocodilus has a light-colored underside of the body and throat area, these body parts are dark-colored in I. spinosus – especially in males in breeding condition – and the gill cover is a strong brown.

Indostomus crocodilus, just like the other two species, grows to a maximum length of 3 cm. The difference between the sexes is relatively easy to see, the males have a broad white seam in the dorsal, anal and ventral fins. In breeding mood, a second black band is added to the dorsal fin. During the spawning season, the females are also fuller. The males care for their brood by guarding the eggs and larvae in tubes (e.g. bamboo) until they swim free.

They are calm, peaceful and usually slow-moving fish. The smallest tanks are sufficient for keeping these interesting study subjects. A substrate of very fine sand, lots of fine-leaved plants and small stones or bogwood provide the right ambience. The water should be soft and slightly acidic for I. crocodilus, humic substances promote their well-being.

The food should consist of the finest live food. 

For our customers: the animals have code 411723 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Dichotomyctere fluviatilis (formerly: Tetraodon fluviatilis)

28. February 2025

The Green Puffers have been recently splitted from the catch-all genus Tetraodon and placed in a genus on their own, namely Dichotomyctere. Usually three diffenent species can be found in the trade: the Palembang or Figure-8-Puffer (D. ocellatus, formerly known as Tetraodon biocellatus), the Spotted Green Puffer (D. nigroviridis), and the Real Green Puffer (D. fluviatilis). There do exists further species, but they are hardly ever found in the trade.

Despite coloration the three species mentioned differ basically in respect of the size they can get. D. ocellatus is the smallest species, it hardly ever grows larger than 6 cm, D. fluviatilis is the largest and can reach 20 cm. D. nigroviridis is in between and grows to 12-15 cm. All three species are typical brackish water fishes that tolerate as well pure freshwater and pure seawater. If kept in freshwater one must keep in mind that the water should be hard and (this is of real importance!) that the pH should not sink below 8. In such a water the biological filtration is essential. Puffers are heavy eaters and if the biologcal filtration does not work well there is a great danger of developement of highly toxic ammonia.

Green puffers are usually peaceful, as well against conspecifics and against other fishes, but sadly sometimes individually fin biters appear that can be a real plague for the whole fish community. To avoid this it is recommended to use as large aquaria as possible, to keep the puffers in social groups (4-8 specimens), and to feed heavy and diverse, but sadly no guarantee can be given against finbiters.

The actual green pufferfish (D. fluviatilis) is only found in India and offshore islands (e.g. Sri Lanka). We regularly offer this beautiful species, but only seasonally and in comparatively small numbers. Now, for example, some very pretty specimens of 3-4 cm in length have come in again. Some of the pictures in this post show these 3-4 cm long specimens, but some also show 5-7 cm long specimens from an earlier import.

For our customers: the fish have code 461702 (3-4 cm) and 461703 (5-7 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brochis sp. C156 Rio Purus

20. February 2025

The armored catfish of the Rio Purus in Brazil have an enormous variety of forms, which is really hard to see through. In addition to the already variable coloration, there are also differences in the color pattern at different ages. Almost every attempt at identification leaves doubts, at least for individual animals. It is therefore important to always look at several individuals of armored catfish from the Rio Purus, which is after all over 3,000 km long and has a catchment area of over 370,000 km2, and check which combination of characteristics they have in common. 

A recent import from the Rio Purus was initially a great mystery to us. The fish were offered and sent as Brochis pulcher and there were indeed some B. pulcher among the specimens, but only a few. In contrast to B. pulcher, most specimens have a dark saddle spot directly at the base of the dorsal fin. In addition, dark markings extend into the membranes of the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin spine is light cream-colored. The flank pattern consists of three interrupted longitudinal bands. In apparently adult animals (6-7 cm total length) these longitudinal bands are relatively narrow, in the smallest animal of the import (approx. 5 cm) it can still be seen that they are composed of larger dark spots, as is known from Brochis from the closer relationship of B. agassizii and B. ambiacus. The dorsal area is densely dotted, with a slightly lighter line running along the entire dorsal edge. The caudal fin of the Purus armored catfish is richly striped with 5-6 bands. An eye band is present and the snout region is dotted. 

If all the characteristics are taken together, the assignment to the armored catfish designated as C156 seems most likely. C156 was first introduced in the DATZ in 2007. This beautiful armoured catfish is presumably imported from time to time, but is rarely recognized due to the identification difficulties described above. We have now (recognized) it for the first time.

For our customers: the animals have code 241754 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Leiarius marmoratus ( = L. longibarbis?)

20. February 2025

There are two species of catfish in South America that look confusingly similar: Leiarius marmoratus, which the Indians call “Achara” and Leiarius (formerly: Perrunichthys) perruno. Both species grow to around 60 cm in length and have the same leopard pattern and long, ringed barbels. However, there is an easily recognizable difference: Leiarius marmoratus has 10-11 rays in the dorsal fin, L. perruno only 8. As the fish usually carry the dorsal fin tightly erect, this can easily be counted on a photo.

There is no consensus among scientists as to whether L. longibarbis, described by Castelnau in 1855, and L. marmoratus, described by Gill in 1870, are identical (in which case the valid name would be L. longibarbis) or represent two different species. L. longibarbis is depicted in the original description as a solid gray fish with tiny speckles, while L. marmoratus retains its marbled spot pattern into old age. It is possible that the abnormal coloration of L. longibarbis is due to a poor preparation method, that it is a color mutant or that it is a completely different colored species that has not been caught again since. In any case, this has not been clarified, which is why these beautiful catfish with their coarse dotted marble pattern are still referred to as L. marmoratus in the trade.

Because of their attractive coloration and peaceful nature (fish that are not suitable as food are ignored), Acharas are very popular with friends of large fish. However, they rarely appear on the ornamental fish market. We have just received some very cute specimens measuring 5-7 cm in length from Peru. 

For our customers: the animals have code 265202 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade. Only available in small quantities!

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Brachygobius sp. Ocelot

20. February 2025

Again we could import this new species of dwarf bumble-bee goby. This tiny fish becomes only 2 cm long. It cannot be applied to any described species so far. The fish have been collected in Indonesia.

In Brachygobius, one very important feature for determination is the question wether the predorsal region is scaled or naked. This can be easily recognized even on a good photo. Our new fish have a naked predorsal region. In combination with coloration and origin this makes it very likely that our fish represents a species unknown to science so far.

The coloration varies extremely in this species and it seems that there are not even two specimens that have the very same pattern. We have decided to name them provisionally “Ocelot”. In any case this dwarf bumble-bee goby is an attractive enrichment of the species available for small aquaria.

For our customers: the fish have code 407232 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Ompok pinnatus

20. February 2025

Occasionally we receive a very unusual glass catfish from Thailand, whose incredibly long barbels immediately catch the eye. This is the species Ompok pinnatus, which was only described in 2003. These fish have little in common with the Ompok we usually import (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10e-catfishes-from-asia/ompok_cf_fumidus_en/ and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10e-catfishes-from-asia/ompok_bimaculatus_and_o_pabda_en/), they look more like typical glass catfish (Kryptopterus), which they also resemble in terms of behavior. The good news for us aquarists: Ompok pinnatus remains fairly small with a maximum length of 8-9 cm. The calm schooling fish are very compatible, but very small fish will of course be eaten.

Ompok pinnatus is a real enrichment to the catfish range. Males and females can be distinguished by the pectoral fin spines, which are serrated in males but smooth in juveniles and females. Because of the enormous beard, which is otherwise only seen on the sister species Ompok eugeneiatus from Indonesia, we suggest the popular name “Ruebezahl glass catfish”.

For our customers: the animals have code 439823 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Trichopsis vittata

20. February 2025

The Croaking Gourami (Trichopsis vittata) is perhaps the most common small fish in South East Asia. It grows to 4 – 6.5 cm long. It can be found almost everywhere, except in strongly flowing waters and in the mountains. Freshly caught, the Croaking Gourami is usually very attractively coloured and shimmers in different shades of blue-green, red and violet, but this quickly fades away in the aquarium. Most likely this is due to the fact that in nature the fish usually live in very turbid water where the underwater visibility is only a few centimetres. In this “dirty broth” (the cloudiness usually comes from clay and is hygienically harmless) the fish need strong colours to be able to communicate with conspecifics. In crystal-clear aquarium water, however, the fish feel naked and defenceless and therefore switch the colouring to camouflage mode. Only during reproduction do the magnificent colours reappear.

Croaking Gourami are called that because they can produce easily audible creaking sounds. These sounds are produced when the fish strokes a bone over tendons that run across the air-filled swim bladder. Croaking Gouramis play the guitar, so to speak. The croak itself is powerplaying. The fish croak and the one who croaks the loudest wins. When mating, the males also show by croaking that they are very strong and great. But also the females croak in this species and are very emancipated.

Everywhere the Croaking Gouramis look a bit different. Probably it’s not just one species, but a lot of species that just look very similar to each other. But because there are so many of them, no one has ever dared to split them.

Our Croaking Gouramis come from Thailand and there from the Ratchaburi area. You should not mate them with Croaking Gouramis from other collecting sites, but always breed them pure, otherwise there is the danger of unintentionally breeding bastards that lose their reproductive ability after a few generations.

For our customers: the animals have code 471003 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Lamprichthys tanganicanus

14. February 2025

With a maximum length of 14 cm, the Tanganyika lampeye fish is the largest lampeye fish at all. It is found exclusively (= endemic) in Lake Tanganyika, where it lives in huge schools along rocky coasts. It is a breathtaking sight when such a shoal, comprising several thousand individuals, comes swimming around a cape like a closed jewel band. However, only the males are colorful. The females are much smaller and inconspicuous in color. 

Like all lampeyes, this species spawns in crevices. The spawn takes 3-6 weeks to develop. L. tanganicanus is a very sensitive fish, with high demands on water quality. The water must be very clean and germ-poor, the pH should be absolutely over 7. Against injuries of all kinds this fish is extraordinarily sensitive, why it appears in the trade practically only as offspring and in relatively small sizes. Large specimens are too vulnerable to injury. Fortunately, the species becomes sexually mature early and colors already with a length of 5-6 cm. 

For care it is recommended to have a shoal as large as possible in an aquarium as large as possible. Regarding food Lamprichthys tanganicanus is easy, it will gladly accept all common ornamental fish food. The fish is very peaceful but skittish, so for a possible company intended other species must be absolutely peaceful.

For our customers: Lamprichthys tanganicanus has code 328003 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Boulengerella cuvieri

14. February 2025

The elegant predatory tetras of the genus Boulengerella are divided into 5 species: B. cuvieri, B. lateristriga, B. lucius, B. maculata and B. xyrekes. They are widely distributed in the large river systems of the Amazon and Orinoco and the Guyanas. Distinguishing the species is not easy, especially with small juveniles. Juveniles of B. cuvieri differ from their relatives in that the lower caudal fin lobe is considerably larger than the upper one. Very small animals (4-5 cm) still have the ancient extension of the spine as the upper edge of the caudal fin. This quickly disappears; from a total length of approx. 6 cm you can recognize the species-typical caudal fin structure with a smaller upper and larger lower caudal fin lobe. B. cuvieri retain their dark cloudy juvenile coloration up to a total length of approx. 10 cm. Then the species-typical adult coloration appears with a light back, a chocolate-colored longitudinal band in the middle of the body and a silvery belly. There is then a small spot on the root of the tail. With increasing age, the caudal fin turns a strong orange-red color. Other typical characteristics of B. cuvieri are the strangely shaped anal fin, the rearmost rays of which are so long that they protrude beyond the base of the caudal fin, and the dorsal fin, which is set far forward.

All Boulengerella species can be easily distinguished from about 10 cm in length. B. lateristriga is the only species with a striking black and white striped caudal fin. B. lucius and B. maculata are almost identical in color, both are dotted on the body and have an irregular spot/striping in the caudal fin, but in B. lucius the dorsal fin sits much further towards the head on the back, so that an imaginary vertical line from the end of the dorsal fin towards the ventral edge comes out well before the base of the anal fin (the same applies to B. cuvieri), whereas in B. maculata it is in the middle of the anal fin. At 10 cm in length, B. xyrekes looks a little like a small juvenile of B. cuvieri, but in B. xyrekes both caudal fin lobes are about the same size and the rearmost anal fin rays end well before the base of the caudal fin.

Boulengerella cuvieri is the largest species of the genus. It can grow to a record size of almost 1 m long and weigh 6 kg. The species has a huge distribution area in South America and is found practically everywhere in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and in the Guyana countries. Imports mostly come from Peru, Venezuela and Colombia. The predatory tetra inhabits various types of water in its native area, but is most frequently found in fast-flowing waters, where it lurks for prey behind obstacles such as rocks and tree trunks. As a rule, it stays below the water surface and is an excellent jumper (cover the tank well). When keeping them in an aquarium, care should be taken to ensure that they are kept as stress-free as possible, as otherwise uncontrolled flight reactions may occur. The animals easily bump into the walls of their tank and can injure their sensitive mouths. As fish eaters, they should be fed with live or frozen fish. It goes without saying that they should only be kept with fish of the same size, as small inhabitants are regarded as food. The animals are peaceful with each other and like to be in the company of conspecifics.

For our customers: the animals have code 210403 (approx. 10 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Selenotoca multifasciata (S. papuensis)

14. February 2025

There are two genera of argus fish or scats, Scatophagus and Selenotoca. Most authors currently only recognize two species in Scatophagus and one in Selenotoca, in Scatophagus the species S. argus and S. tetracanthus and in Selenotoca the species S. multifasciata. However, there are certainly considerably more species, and in Selenotoca there is probably at least one more, namely S. papuensis. However, this species is currently considered by the vast majority of authors to be a synonym of S. multifasciata. However, they can be distinguished relatively easily by the number of vertical bands and the different shape of the caudal fin. In S. multifasciata there are approx. 10 relatively narrow stripes in the dorsal area. S. papuensis has only about 5-6 clearly wider stripes there. The caudal fin ends in S. multifasciata straight cut to slightly concave (i.e. indented), in S. papuensis it is slightly convex (i.e. curved outwards). However, since, as already mentioned, S. papuensis is currently only considered a synonym of S. multifasciata by the majority of scientists, we refer to all Selenotoca as such in the trade, although it is actually almost always S. papuensis.

Selenotoca are colloquially referred to as “silver scats”. They are widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific region, but the exact species ranges are unknown because the two species are hardly ever differentiated. Just like “common” scats, they are euryhaline and can move freely between fresh and salt water. A salt content of around 5-10g/l is favorable for keeping these animals, which can grow up to 40 cm (usually 15-20 cm) long in the wild, on a permanent basis. They do not necessarily need salt, but they are very sensitive to two water chemical properties: pH values below 8 and increased nitrite levels. The salt prevents a drop in the pH value (which is why it must be salt for coral reef aquariums in which a pH buffer is added and not ordinary table salt) and the table salt component reduces the toxic effect of nitrite.

Scats are omnivorous and will even eat aquatic plants. A varied diet should therefore be provided. All argus fish are social animals that should be kept in a group of conspecifics if possible. Although there are a few incompatible specimens, these are fortunately the exception. Selenotoca are free spawners without brood care. The males grow significantly larger than the females and have a steeper forehead. The eggs develop in the plankton of the sea, which makes rearing them in the aquarium very time-consuming. For this reason, scats are not bred privately, but they are the subject of aquaculture for food purposes.

For our customers: the animals have code 455001 (3-4 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Osphronemus goramy

14. February 2025

Most people only know giant gouramis (Osphronemus goramy) from the zoo. There, these somewhat overgrown-looking animals (but that’s the way it should be) – the largest labyrinth fish of all – usually swim peacefully in the company of other large fish from Southeast Asia.

However, the juvenile fish not only look completely different, but also behave completely differently: they are extremely aggressive towards each other! Foreign fish, on the other hand, are usually ignored. It is not known why these gouramis, which are mainly herbivores, are so nasty to each other as juveniles.

The actual giant or edible gourami has been domesticated for a long time. The size record for giant gouramis is 70 cm and over 20 kg. However, normal sizes are 40-50 cm. There are albinos and a golden-yellow breeding form with black eyes (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/osphronemus-goramy-gold-and-albino/). The natural distribution and intraspecific differences are the subject of intense debate, but little is known with certainty. Presumably this species originally occurred on the Greater Sunda Islands (Java, Sumatra and Borneo), on the Malay Peninsula and in southern Thailand, but it is almost impossible to distinguish feral pond fish from true, native populations. The juveniles that we have recently been able to import differ significantly in color from the animals we have seen in the past. The yellow-orange throat region is striking. These are offspring from Thailand.

The giant gourami is a typical labyrinth fish foam nest builder. In large parts of the tropics, it is commercially bred as a food fish. In our country, breeding is hardly ever practised due to lack of space.

For our customers: the animals have code 440802 (5-7 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Cherax quadricarinatus

14. February 2025

Among the numerous Cherax species Cherax quadricarinatus, also known as Australian red claw crayfish, occupies a special position. It has been propagated as edible crayfish in aquaculture for decades and was therefore one of the very first Cherax species available for aquaristics. 

Cherax quadricarinatus belongs to the largest representatives of its genus, males can reach up to 30 cm in length. Females always remain somewhat smaller. The sexes can be distinguished, as in all Cherax species, by the sexual openings (gonopores) on the walking legs. In females the gonopores are located on the 3rd, in males on the 5th pair of walking legs. This is the best form of sex determination, especially in young animals. In adults it is easier because only males develop the red blisters on the outside of the scissor finger. The length of the head carapace (cephalothorax) indicates when C. quadricarinatus becomes sexually mature: males at 17 mm and females at 24.5 mm. This corresponds to a total length of approx. 4.5 – 6 cm.

Even though Cherax quadricarinatus is one of the largest species: it is also one of the most peaceful. Certainly the selection for keeping in aquaculture has also contributed to the fact that these crayfish – unlike many other crayfish species – are absolutely compatible even with each other and usually do not even damage each other when they are freshly skinned and still butter soft.

The 3-5 cm long juveniles, which are beautifully colored in light blue, are usually sold. As they get older, the animals become darker, we have also included pictures of adult animals in the post to show what they look like then. These animals have a length of 10-12 cm. Unfortunately, C. quadricarinatus is one of the species on the early warning list of invasive species that may be banned in Europe in the future, as released animals have been repeatedly observed in Spain. We therefore appeal once again to all pet owners: please never release any animals into the wild. Firstly, this is cruelty to animals and secondly, it is strictly forbidden. Anyone who does it anyway is acting asocially and irresponsibly endangering our hobby and passion.

For our customers: the animals have code 481401 (3-5 cm) and 481404 (10-12 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brochis robineae

14. February 2025

Brochis robineae (formerly: Corydoras robineae) stands out from the large number of armored catfish species that exist due to its unique tail fin pattern. Only in B. robineae is the caudal fin horizontally striped (in all other species it is colorless or vertically striped). Such a striking caudal fin pattern is also rarely found in other fish. In the armored catfish family, Dianema urostriatum (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/dianema-urostriatum-2/) and otherwise some tetras of the genus Semaprochilodus (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/semaprochilodus-laticeps-taeniurus-2/) and Rummy noses show a similar pattern.

The conspicuous species B. robineae was only discovered and described late – in 1983. The first animals described came from the Rio Aiuana, a southern tributary of the middle Rio Negro in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Although breeding is not necessarily difficult (soft and acidic water is helpful), most animals in the trade are wild-caught. Accordingly, there is a season for these fish, which is roughly between September and February. Before and after that, B. robineae is rarely available. Old females – the females are generally somewhat larger than the males – can reach a length of up to 7 cm. However, these fish usually grow to a length of 5-6 cm. They are typical armored catfish and should be cared for as usual, but you should never keep only small groups of this species, but rather a larger group, as they are very much schooling fish.

For our customers: the animals have code 244003 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Spatuloricaria terracanticum ( = S. sp. COLOMBIA)

7. February 2025

The genus Spatuloricaria consists of 13 scientifically described species. The genus has an extremely wide distribution area from the south of South America (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil) to Panama in the north. It is also found on both slopes of the Andes. 11 of the 13 species were described by 1945, with two new species being added 70 years later: S. tuira from the Xingu and Tapajós rivers in Brazil (2014) and S. terracanticum from the Orinoco catchment (2018). Unfortunately, these two recent papers, in which the new species to be described must necessarily be differentiated from the existing species, are sometimes somewhat contradictory. In addition, at least one very characteristically colored species from Peru has apparently not yet been scientifically recorded, but is imported from time to time (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/spatuloricaria-sp-black-white-peru-2/). 

We were once again able to import some very beautiful specimens of this genus of whiptail catfish from Colombia. They were sent as “S. caquetae”. This species does exist, but it looks different. We therefore initially classified the animals as “sp. Colombia” in our stock list. Now the fish have settled in well and we have taken a closer look at them. There is now little doubt that this is the species Spatuloricaria terracanticum, which was newly described in 2018. All anatomical features (markings on the abdominal region and in the cloaca area) and coloration features (broad, curved “sash” behind the head) match the first description perfectly. The largest specimen of S. terracanticum measured to date had a standard length (i.e. without caudal fin) of 28.5 cm. In addition, all Spatuloricaria have a very long filament on the upper edge of the caudal fin.

Males of Spatuloricaria develop an enormous “whisker” during the breeding season, which disappears again after the breeding period. Spatuloricaria are cave breeders that like to spawn on the underside of flat stone slabs. Breeding reports can be found in the German magazine Amazonas, issue 12 (7/8, 2007) on pages 47-55.

Spatuloricaria are mixed feeders with a focus on animal feed. However, they can also be fed flake food based on plant matter, for example. The long, curved fangs in the upper jaw indicate that this species mainly eats snails in nature, as such teeth only make sense in this context: to pull the soft body of the snail out of the shell. Aquarium observations on this subject are still pending.

For our customers: the animals have code 293754 (12-15 cm) and 293755 (18-22 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Fichberg, I., O. T. Oyakawa & M. C. C. de Pinna (2014): The end of an almost 70-year wait: a new species of Spatuloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Rio Xingu and Rio Tapajós basins. Copeia 2014 (no. 2): 317-324.

Londoño-Burbano, A., A. Urbano-Bonilla, Y. Rojas-Molina, H. Ramírez-Gil & S. Prada-Pedreros (2018): A new species of Spatuloricaria Schultz, 1944 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), from the Orinoco River basin, Colombia. Copeia v. 106 (no. 4): 611-621.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterophyllum Angelfish Red Head Marble

7. February 2025

In the majority of cases, the aim of breeding forms is to develop a type that is as uniformly colored and physically developed as possible. In other words: ideally, all animals of a particular breeding line should look the same. 

This is not the case with the marbled angel and the red-headed marbled angel developed from it. Here too, all animals should come as close as possible to the ideal shape of the angelfish or scalar. A circular body, well-developed vertical fins, a harmonious caudal fin and – this is very important – long, straight ventral fins are aimed for. The coloration, on the other hand, is different for each individual fish. The spectrum ranges from an almost white fish with a few black speckles and a bright red barrette to a densely black marbled animal with a fiery red front back and cheek regions. The fins can be colored from transparent to deep black, and striped fins are also possible. This results in a particularly colorful picture in the aquarium.

In terms of care and breeding, these fish, which have been domesticated for decades, do not differ from other breeding forms of the angel.

For our customers: this breeding company has code 691303 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer