Re: "Agacucho" (and species id)

[Randy <carey@spacestar.net>]

Karen Eichorst wrote:

> I picked up some A. "ayachucho" at ACA. Does anyone have any
> information on them - not in Staeck and Link or Aqualog ?

Apparently you deciphered the label as "ay.." rather than "ag.." The
species is "Agacucho" or "Four Stripes" (see Aqualog page 62). I would
imagine they came from Milwaukee wholesaler, Fred Kraus, since he put
some through the auction.

I know the story behind Fred and the Agacucho. A knowledgeable and
veteran Milwaukee aquarist (Tom Wojtech) identified a shipment of wild
caught Apisto's as the ones listed in the Aqualog as "Agacucho." Fred
then labeled them as such.

I'm assuming that he got another shipment from the same exporter and of
the same name given by the exporter. So he assumes they are also
"Agacucho" as they could well be. (I didn't look at what he had at the
ACA, so I can't say.) I must warn that I have bought a a couple of tanks
of wild-caught Apistos (16-17 fish) which came from Fred's and each time
I got a mix of two or three species. What he bought as bitaeniata grew
out to about 60% agazissii, and of what he got as gibbiceps about half
developed into rotkeil and about 15% into pertensis. It's not Fred's
fault--its just the nature of collectors collecting from one spot and
selling the fish before they are completely identifiable. As we all
know, most wholesalers, stores, (and even) aquarists accept the species
name assuming that the previous party knew what they had.

Actually, I like buying a tank of wild-caughts and seeing into which
species they develop.

Regarding the "Agacucho," the following features should be present in
the adults: horizontal belly stripes, ventrals reaching well into the
anal fin, dorsal trailing back to about the widest portion of the caudal
fin, distinct vertical spot at the base of the caudal, vertical stripe
pattern in the caudal, and the first couple dorsal rays are separated.
Aside from those distinctions, the two photos are ambiguous of other
features (such as the male's dorsal shape).

Also, keep in mind that the Aqualog is primarily a picture book. We are
saying the fish is the one pictured as "Agacucho," but it is not
reliable in confirming [1] that what is pictured is a distinct species
or even [2] that what is pictured is the true "Agacucho" (if there
really is one). I have it on good word that some collector/contributers
to the Aqualog have deliberately mislabled the collection sites so as to
keep the sites their own secret. I've also heard that someone is
accruing a list of various id mistakes in the Aqualog.

So for pictures of potentially new species, the Aqualog is invaluable.
But for established species, rely on Staeck/Linke and their criteria of
species identification.

Sorry about the diatribe on species identification, but it's been on my
mind as of late.

- --Randy Carey