A. sp. Rio Preto do Candeias was: info-req on id

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@fgn.net>]

Big John,

Let me ramble. I had a couple (2 females actually) about 2 years ago. I looked
everywhere for a male but couldn't find one at the time. This is one of the
larger apistos. I had one female, about 2 years old, that was as large as any
steindachneri female that I've ever seen. She was over 2¾"/ 7cm TL. I
understand that the males get about the same size as A. steindachneri, close to
4"/10cm.

This is not one of the super colorful apistos (see photos at:
http://www.rva.ne.jp/gallery/gallary_ap.html), but it is an important one in
the study of apisto phylogeny. You see, the steindachneri-group is one of the
oldest groups of apistos known. This group has more plesiomorphs (ancestral
features) than any other, when compared to the postulated 'first apisto' (or
common ancestor to Apistogramma & Gymnogeophagus). The primary locus for the
steindachneri-group is in Guyana, Surinam, & the Rio Branco of Brazil. What is
particularly interesting about A. sp. Rio Preto do Candeias is that it occurs
in the upper Rio Madeira drainage near Porto Velho, Brazil, over 1000mi/1600km
from the nearest known location of a steindachneri-group relative (A.
hippolytae, near Manaus). The upper Madeira area has apistos of virtually every
primary species-group (lineage) and seems to be the original source area for
apistos. A. sp. Rio Preto has features different from the other 3 members of
the steindachneri-group (A. steindachneri, A. rupununi, A. hippolytae) and
Koslowski has placed it in its own species-complex within the group. One of
these features is the vertical bars that are much wider than the interstitial
areas when visible on the flanks. In this respect the bar pattern more
resembles that of regani-group species than steindachneri-group species. Does
this fish hint at the possibility that the regani-group and related
species-groups arose from a steindachneri-group species similar to A. sp. Rio
Preto sometime in the past? It certainly looks possible, but more study is
needed before we feel comfortable with this statement.

Mike Wise

John Wubbolt wrote:

> Hello Mike
>
> I have a question about those Sp Rio Preto.
>
> If they're from the steindachneri group, do they get really large like a
> steindachneri will??  I saw some this past weekend at the NEC, F1 fish,
> nice healthy looking fish, but virtually no color at all.  Is this
> normal for Rio Preto?    Males had nice finnage but almost a complete
> dull grey color.... didnt notice any kind of spangling or markings
> anywhere that were really noticable.
>
> Just curious, as having never seen the fish before and knowing nothing
> about them, i didnt buy any... maybe i should have!
>
> Ok, sorry for rambling on here
>
> John
>
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