I'd like to share a letter sent recently to Mark Whitney, the 2004 ACA Convention chairman. By all means, please feel free to join in the effort. Letters of recommendation should be sent to Mark Whitney at hawkimw@attbi.com.
Thanks all very much for reading and for your support.
Randall Kohn
West African Tech. Editor
Apistogramma Study Group (ASG)
Dear Mark,
Congratulations on hosting the ACA Convention next year! That's good news indeed. I expect that at this time the RMCA is considering a speaker's program, which is the purpose of this message.
In a recent conversation with Mike Wise concerning West and Central African cichlids, he commented that with all the activity and new developments in the region, it reminded him of what was happening in South America some 10-15 years ago, an opinion that I share. For the past five years or so, much exploration and research has been conducted in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon and DR Congo (Zaire), to name but few, the results of which are fairly common knowledge in Europe but are virtually unknown here in the US. At the forefront of this flurry of activity is Mag. Dr. Anton Lamboj with the Department of Zoology at the University of Vienna.
Specializing in the chromidotilapiine tribe of cichlids endemic to West and Central Africa, Dr. Lamboj recently split Chromidotilapia at the generic level and, even more recently, has scientifically described several new Chromidotilapia species with more to come. Currently his paper describing several Parananochromis species is in press.
In 2000, co-authors Lamboj and Snoeks (MRAC) erected a new genus for a somewhat problematic cichlid from Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon, Divandu albimarginatus; again, a matter of common knowledge in Europe but virtually unknown here in the US. As far as I know, Dr. Lamboj is also the only ichthyologist in the world who is currently working with yet another new undescribed species of Pelvicachromis endemic to Nigeria. This particular fish is an unknown subocellatus type endemic to the south of Lagos. In the near future, Dr. Lamboj plans on extending his research to include Nanochromis, a process already in progress.
In Europe, Dr. Lamboj's close colleagues include a virtual "Who's Who" in ichthyology, including the best and brightest illuminaries that the science has to offer. The likes of Dr. Victor Mamonekene in Congo-Brazzaville, Dr.'s Guy Teugels and Jos Snoeks at the Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale in Belgium, and Dr. Melanie Stiassny at the Museum of Natural History in New York are but a few of his "jury" with whom he works closely.
One could go on indefinitely recapping Dr. Lamboj's voluminous published body of significant work, but in the interest of time, perhaps I've already said enough.
Do you think it would be of benefit to the ACA and the hobby here in the US to invite Dr. Lamboj to speak at the 2004 convention? This past September, he spoke before 400 members of the French equivalent of the ACA to a standing ovation. With the seemingly growing number of "Westies" enthusiasts and increased number of articles concerning West and Central African cichlids here in the US, I believe that Dr. Lamboj would make for a tremendous asset, contributing to a memorable convention.
Please do share your thoughts with me.
Thanks very much.
Randall Kohn
West African Tech. Editor
Apistogramma Study Group (ASG)