Re: New subscriber to the apisto@aquaria.net mailing list.

[Kathryn Knudsen <kk691111@bcm.tmc.edu>]

On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, Francis Brian O'Carroll wrote:

> Can some one tell me what these A. P-N's are like? What species
> are they closest to? Common names are not likely to carry over
> to Tokyo.

Frank,

Thanks for the note.  This is what I know so far about the Puerto Narino's.

A. sp "Puerto-Narino" is believed to be a bridge species between the 
regani and macmasteri groups (Wise unpublished 1997).  There are three 
species listed as bridge species between these two groups.  The A sp 
"Puerto-Narino",  A sp. "Rotpunkt" and A sp. "Schwarzsaum".
It is theorized that these three may be geographical color morphs of the 
same species, but that is not certain yet.   I haven't seen Schwarsaum in 
the literature lately but there is an article about them in Buntarsche 
Bulletin #147, Dec. 1991 by Kurt Zadnick.  I actually thought I had A. sp 
" Schwarzsaum" until Mike Wise identified them as P.N.

Originally we picked these fish up as contaminants.  
I knew they were probably from the macmasteri group, but 
there were features of the regani group, specifically eunotus, as well.  
Their color 
changed as they matured.  (juvenile pic put on the web by my husband at
www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Krib/Fish/apistogramma.html, the male has 
since lost the lateral line and has more blue throughout his body, he 
looks quite spectacular now..will try to get a new pic up)

In spawning color (and a majority of the time) the male completely losses 
his zig zag lateral line, and his body is blue with more pronounced 
blue flecks thoughout.  He has yellow over his head and upper body 
portions.  At times his entire operculum is blue with a remnant of a black 
cheek band.  The anal fin is blue as well.  The ventral fins are long and 
yellow tipped, with a black edge to the dorsal and anal fins.  The dorsal 
fin appears to be developing an extension as well.  There is a faint 
caudal spot and at times remants of transversal bars can be seen at the 
bottom of the dorsal fin.  

The female bright yellow orange with the lateral line broken up 3-5 black 
spots.  There are blue flecks on the operculum, extending througout the 
body.  The anal fin is yellow with blue flecks, and appears to have a 
black edge as well (so does the dorsal).  There is a black spot at the 
base of the pectoral fin in both the male and the females.  

Well I hope this helps.  If anyone else out there has heard anything else 
I would love to hear it.   They have turned out to be really cool fish, 
but in the beginning I was sure razzed about bringing home this drab, 
colorless fish.  That statement has since been retracted.  

Good luck finding them in your neck of the woods!

Kathy