Tag Archives: barracuda tetra

Acestrorhynchus heterolepis and A. microlepis

24. August 2018

For the first time we were able to import Acestrorhynchus heterolepis, which has been described scientifically as early as 1878 by Cope from Peru. Our specimens originate from Venezuela; it was a mixed shipment of these fish and A. microlepis*. A. heterolepis has two dark horizontal bands, thus reminding a bit in A. isalinae; however, A. heterolepis is unique in the genus due to a patch of scales of different size immediately behind the opercle. At that place A. microlepis has a small black blotch.

Our specimens are currently 7-9 cm long; according to the scientific literature both species can attain a maximum length of about 35 cm.

* it is posssible the these fish belong to the species A. apurensis; A. apurensis and A. microlepis differ only in the length of the snout compared with the head length; it is impossile to tell both species apart without comparative material.

For our customers: the animals have code 202053 (A. heterolepis) and 202203 (A. microlepis) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Acestrorhynchus isalineae

26. March 2018

The barracuda tetras (Acestrorhynchus) a good aquarium fishes, although they are predators that prefer to feed on small other fish. Most species are medium sized – about 20-30 cm maximum length – but there do exist also dwarf species. Among the latter is A. isalineae. This species attains only 7.5 cm in standard length, this is about 10 cm total length. Usually in fishes the caudal fin is not included in reports of the length, because this fin is very often damaged in wild fish. A. isalineae is also a most attractive species. It has two black longitudinal stripes on the body and a yellow or red caudal spot.

Already back in 1909 Eigenmann described a species from British Guyana, which is very similar to A. isalineae: A. nasutus. As one can see on the photo of the holotype in A. nasutus the caudal spot is not a circular point, but rectangular and spreads far in the caudal fin. Another difference beween A. nasutus and A. isalineae is the black stripe along the belly which ends above the anal fin in A. nasutus. Obviously A. nasutus has never been imported so far as an aquarium fish. A. nasutus attains the same maximum size as A. isalineae, eg about 7.5 cm standard length.

Type specimen of Acestrorhynchus nasutus from Eigenmann, 1909

Acestrorhynchus isalineae has been described scientifically only in 1963 from the Rio Madeira basin. Exportations of Acestrorhynchus from that region do not appear, but there does exist a beautiful book on the fishes of the Rio Madeira. The fish illustrated there as A. isalineae is identical in all visible points with the fish exported regularly from Peru.

Currently we have a good number of fully grown, beautiful A. isalineae from Peru in stock.

For our customers: the fish have code 202103 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer