Re: undescribed apisto species

["Kelly Higgins" <kelly_higgins@cox.net>]

HA! And I always thought it was Color Form! LOL

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike & Diane Wise" <apistowise@fgn.net>
To: <apisto@listbox.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: undescribed apisto species


> Sarah,
>
> You are correct about all the fish listed 'A. sp. "Description/Place
Name"'.
> Right now there are approximately 3 undescribed 'forms' for every
> scientifically described species of Apistogramma. Some of these are
probably
> just geographic variations of other known species, but we are not
positively
> sure.
>
> Those with 'cf.' in the name are more likely to be the same as the species
> named than those with 'sp.', but we should never presume that they are the
same
> without detailed study. After all, cf. stands for 'confer', Latin for
similar
> to or conforms to. All it means is that the fish in question is similar to
the
> named species, but has features that indicate that it might not be the
same
> species. A good example is A. cf. caetei (Guamá). This fish is found in a
river
> about 20 miles from the type A. caetei. It looks very much like A. caetei;
so
> much so that it was generally thought to be just a less colorful form of
A.
> caetei. Mitochondrial DNA studies now show that A. caetei & A. cf. caetei
> (Guamá) are more distantly related to each other than all of the Mbuna
genera
> in Lake Malawi. In other words species of Pseudotropheus are more closely
> related to species of Melanochromis, Labidochromis, etc. than A. caetei is
> related to A. cf. caetei (Guamá).
>
> The ASG has a list of apisto species on it. I don't know of a more
complete
> list on the web. It's about a year old and several new forms been reported
> since then. I imagine that we average about 1 new form every month. Even I
have
> problems keeping up. Undoubtedly Koslowski's new book "Die Buntbarsche
> Amerikas, Band 2" is the most complete publication, showing photos and
> discussing around 200 different forms plus many different geographic
> populations of several species.
>
> When you "figure this whole apisto game out" please let me know. I've been
> trying for 20 years and I now have more questions needing answers than
when I
> started. :-) That's what makes them fun.
>
> Mike Wise
>
> Samala wrote:
>
> > I also have a question about apisto's that haven't
> > been scientifically described yet.  Is it safe to
> > presume that all the "species" that are listed A. sp.
> > "Description/Place Name", are not yet described?  What
> > about the cf's?  I imagine they would need more of a
> > genetic study to establish that they are separate/the
> > same, correct?  Is there a list of apisto's that
> > haven't been described yet somewhere on the web?
> >
> > Just trying to figure this whole apisto game out!
> > Thanks guys!
> >
> > >Sarah
> >
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>
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>
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