Re: n bimaculata?

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

Gary,

If you keep asking these interesting questions, I'll have written an entire book
on dwarf cichlids before long. Here goes:

The genus Nannacara was erected by Regan in 1905 for a strange little cichlid (N.
anomala)  that didn't fall into any other genus. It  is the only truly dwarf
cichlasomine genus, but Laetacara & Cleithracara are considered by most hobbyists
to be dwarf genera, too. Nannacara presently includes 7 species (5 described & 2
undescribed) that can be split into 2 species-groups. One of the groups can now
be split into 2 biological species-complexes. The two groups are the more
primitive bimaculata-group and the more advanced anomala group. These groups are
sufficiently different to actually be considered 2 different genera! N. hoehnei
is not listed here as one of the Nannacaras because it is actually more closely
related to Aequidens.

The bimaculata-group is a typical cichlasomine genus having a complete set of
frontal lateralis canal openings; an upper lateral line distant from the dorsal
fin along most of its length; a discontinuous lower lip fold; and 16 rays in the
caudal fin (See? You just had to ask!). The species in the bimaculata-group all
display wide vertical bars on their flank. They occur only in upland blackwater
streams in northern South America.

The anomala-group species are atypical cichlasomines showing a reduced number of
frontal lateralis canal openings; the upper lateral line extremely close to the
dorsal fin; a continuous lower lip fold; and only 14 rays in the caudal fin. All
of these reductions are considered advanced traits for cichlasomines, probably
due to body size reduction. All of the species in the anomala group develop
horizontal stripes with secondary vertical stripes - not the broad bars of the
bimaculata-group. The anomala-group is distributed along the lower coastal plains
from the Orinoco delta to south of the mouth of the Amazon.

The species can be divided as follows:

anomala-group
        anomala-complex
                N. anomala
                N. aureocephalus
                N. sp. Venezuela
        taenia-complex
                N. taenia
                N. cf. taenia (Guyana) (Stalsberg)
bimaculata-group
                N. bimaculata
                N. adoketa

>From what I understand N. bimaculata has entered to hobby only once, in 1997, and
all of the specimens turned out to be females.

Mike Wise


Frauley/Elson wrote:

> Hi,
> I was just looking at Dr. Kullander's site, and I saw a reference to the
> Nannacara bimaculata group. I am totally unfamiliar with this group. Can
> anyone (poor Mike again?) fill me in on this?
> -Gary
>
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