Re: Eunotus or rotpunkt

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

The two species are fairly easy to tell apart. Rotpunkt has a longer snout
(the eye is farther back on the head, giving the face a longer, more pointed
appearance). It has a zipper like lateral band and a smaller, irregularly
shaped, caudal spot. On eunotus forms the last 2 vertical bars will split
into two below the zigzag lateral band, and have a more regular oval shaped
caudal spot. A. eunotus is one of those "problem" fish. It is is reported
from all over the Peruvian Amazon. The problem is that they are so plain that
very few are collected. Because of this we don't really know if everything
called "eunotus" really is one-and-the-same species or a series of
geographically separate species. Photos we have show a lot of variation in
shape, finnage, dark markings, and coloration. Check Linke & Staeck or
Mayland & Bork for differences.

Adult male A. cacatuoides have transparent, bluish, or yellowish ventral
fins. Only females & juveniles (both males & females) have black on the
ventrals. Males usually lose the black pigment by the time they get 1½" / 4
cm long. Your 125 should be large enough to handle all of your fish provided
that there are about 2 hiding places for each fish. A. nijsseni can be kept
in pairs and bred in 15 gallon / 60 cm tanks, at least I do. This species
usually forms pairs. Males do not like other males near their territory.
Extra males usually don't survive long in small tanks, but extra females can
if they find suitable hiding places from the dominant female.

Mike Wise

Scott wrote:

> Ok is there a defining characteristic to distinguish
> between rotpunkt and eunotus? My fish is either one or
> the other. I am leaning towards eunotus. I did get the
> LFS to order more of them. It was by mistake :-) They
> ordered cactuoides and got the fish that was sent as
> Sp. Sanser last time, I just find that hilarious. They
> also got "nijnensis" or some other awful spelling of
> nijsseni (sp?). They are awfully beaten up, but some
> females are starting to get yellow. At 3.95 I plan to
> buy most of them. I got the eunotus for 3.95 or 4.95
> did not even pay attention. Actually I got the females
> I picked up tonight for 2.00 ;-) I love that shop. I
> now have three females of the eunotus and one big
> colorful male in my 125 he still harasses the females
> (he killed the last ones). I also have 3 cacatuoides
> (one big triple red male, and one female and a third
> that is a triple red with no black in the red that may
> be male or may be female). Do black pelvic fins
> signify a female in cacatuoides? Can I toss the
> nijsseni in with the other 5 in a 125 or will there be
> a turf war? What size tank for a group of nijsseni?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
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