Re: Sacrimontis or pulcher ?

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

Frauley Elson wrote:

> I think it's one of those many species where you have a long geographic range, with
> the fish at the two ends being classified as different species, but with the dividing
> line hard to find in the middle. It's something I find very difficult with killie
> species definitions. I haven't heard as much about this question with Apistos as I
> have with West African fish.Gary,

You may be right. At the ACA convention I mentioned the same problem with species of
apistos. Right now there are about 200 physically different forms (taxonomic species),
but I'm not sure that they are all "biological species". In actuality there may only be
30 - 40 different species. I have discussed this problem with other apisto people and
several of us have come to the opinion that, for now, it is best to split these fish up
as narrowly as possible, list them as possible species/populations, and not interbreed
them. If future evidence shows that some of the many populations are the same species, it
is simple to lump them back together. On the other hand, what happens if we lump several
populations together as a species, breed them together, and then discover that we were
actually dealing with multiple sibling species?

Mike Wise



>
> -Gary
>
> Mike & Diane Wise wrote:
>
> > I have never heard of any interbreeding but I imagine it is possible if the fish
> > are given no choice.
>
> -----Mike Wise
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