Re:Lots of forms (was: false fish)

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

Mike Wise writes:

> > I think the one thing we can all agree on is we would REALLY like to know 
> what we have.
>  
>  Me too, and it's getting more difficult where apistos are concerned. Come 
to 
> the ASG meeting
>  and see my slides. Not much talking, but you'll see more forms of apistos 
> than you can
>  believe exist - and I don't have photos of all the forms that I know 
about! 
> The more forms
>  we discover the more complicated the genus becomes!

When I was an ASG member in the early 80's, some icthyologist in the Group 
stated that there may be as many as 150 species.  He argued that isolated 
populations could sometimes be found every 20 to 30 km.  These populations 
were isolated enough and long enough that they had achieved the necessary 
taxonomic distinctions to be considered new species.  Then there were only a 
dozen or so described species, and a few known but undescribed ones.  Twenty 
years later we have more than 50 described species and somewhere around 
thirty undescribed, but commonly collected, kept, or otherwise documented 
species.  Most of these species come in multiple wild color forms, and a few, 
like cacatuoides, are being bred in numerous select-color forms and sports.  
Only God knows how many more there will be by the time the whole of Amazonia 
has been explored by collectors and icthyologists.

Bob Dixon


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