Re: Interbreeding

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

Steph & Dave wrote:

> Does anyone know if N anomala and N aureocephalus will inter breed?

Steph,

I don't know if it has happened yet, but I personally wouldn't be surprised if
they do. They are closely related species. If a male is given the choice of
females from both species, I would expect him to breed only with his own species,
however.

>
>
> Can anyone give me a good way of ID'ing the two different females? So
> far I am going on head shape the aureo's? seem to have a 'roman nose'
> and the anomala's seem to have a flatter head and a protruding lower
> jaw? Am I right?

No. Body shapes are virtually identical for both species. So are finnage. They
are so similar that for a time Kullander questioned whether or not N.
aureocephalus was just a color population of N. anomala. The best way separate
the species is looking at the scales on the flanks. In N. anomala the scales are
dark with lighter edges. N. aureocephalus is just the opposite. This species has
light scales with dark edges. Unfortunately this is not as easy to see on females
as it is on males.

>
>
> I have a aureo' that produced babies and what i think is the pair of
> anomala breeding like rabbits, but out of 5 fish I cant pick the male
> aureo.  I now have the two 'groups' seperated (I think)  but need to
> know if the aureo? fry should be culled (fed to the lion fish :(

Unless you can definitely ID the males & females, I would ditch the offspring if
they were mine. I don't know how you mixed the two species in the first place,
but it's always a good idea to keep closely related species well separated to
avoid mixing & hybridizing. In my fish room I have the luxury of alternating
tanks so that species of the same group are never side-by-side.

Mike Wise

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