RE: sp. "Opal"?

[David Sanchez <barbax2@yahoo.com>]

You are correct and you have a very logical argument, I think however
that the only difference between the two is color. Please refer to
American Cichlids I (Linke and Steack)

David Sanchez





- ---"Williams, Daryl"  wrote:
>
> Actually, there are lots of different levels of mutual
fertility/infertility
> between species that seem to retain their distinctness in the wild.
> Geneticists will often do backcrosses of hybrids in all the possible
> combinations (hybrids to each parental species both sex combinations,
> hybrids with each other, offspring of hybrids with both parental
species,
> etc. ad nauseum) and find a whole range, from complete infertility to
> complete fertility. Infertility is a strong indicater of separate
species
> status in the wild, but fertility does not necessarily indicate that
they
> are NOT separate species. In many cases they just don't encounter
each other
> in the same place at the same time ready to breed, but put them in an
> aquarium and away they go!
> 
> I'm new to Apisto's, so I don't know where they are in this
fertility scale
> with one another, but I suspect that opals, whose status is
controversial,
> are genetically similar enough to borreli's that hybrid fertility
might not
> be the acid test of species status.
> 
> Daryl
> 
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	Doug Brown[SMTP:debrown@kodak.com]
> > Reply To: 	apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> > Sent: 	Monday, April 06, 1998 1:27 PM
> > To: 	apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> > Subject: 	Re: sp. "Opal"?
> > 
> > >Hello Doug,
> > >
> > >> Also, if this really is just a color morph how is it possible
that
> > >it may
> > >> become designated as a seperate species?
> > >>
> > >
> > >as to your question try reading American Cichlids I(Linke and
Steack)
> > >they occur together in the wild and most importantly they will
inter
> > >breed!
> > 
> > OK, does this mean that the offspring of "Opals" and "normal"
borelli are
> > sterile? That would be the definitive distinction wouldn't it?
> > 
> > -Doug Brown
> > debrown@kodak.com
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >
> > Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List
> > Archives"!
> > 
> 
> 
>
> Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List
Archives"!
> 

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