Re: Germans

[<IDMiamiBob@aol.com>]

In a message dated 6/2/98 6:28:58 PM EST, marcolacerda@ax.apc.org writes:

<< Doug Brown wrote:
 > 
 > While the list is kind of quiet maybe someone can tell me why there is such
 > a Germanic history behind apisto studies. How did this come to be? Who
 > started it? My Smaragds want to know!
 
 Marco adds:

> I understand you mean why so many popular names were erected in German 
> language for labeling species not identified at first.
> I think it was because the first serious books about Apistos have been 
> published in Germany: Schmettkamp (1982) and Koslowski (1985).
> They published photos of many new species to the hobby using popular 
> names.

Also, two very prominent icthyologists currently spending a lot of time
collecting and studying South American Dwarf cichlids are Hiko Blehrer
(spelling?) and Uwe Romer, both Germans. They both have a network of hobbyists
working with them to keep and breed newly discovered populations/species.
Romer recently upset the icthyological academia by puiblishing his discription
of one of the new species ( I think maybe it was A. panduro) in the Buntbarsch
Bulletin, the official newsletter of the ACA, rather than the standard
scientific journals.  He followed all the rules, he just found a loophole in
those rules that let him publish where he felt it deserved to be, in the
"Journal of the American Cichlidiots and Dedicated Keepers Association".  This
may have upset the long-hairs, but in a way acknowledges the impact that folks
like you and I have on the scientific body of knowledge.

Bob Dixon