Author Archives: Frank Schäfer

Nemacheilus corica

9. August 2024

Amongst the many species* of loach (mainly the genera Nemacheilus and Schistura, but there are more genera) that exist in India, one in particular has proven itself as an aquarium fish: Nemacheilus corica. There are many reasons for this: it remains small (5-6 cm), is peaceful, looks nice, eats all common ornamental fish foods, is lively and very adaptable. In short: it is the ideal bottom fish for Indian tanks, but can of course also live in multi-culti community tanks. 

It is native to the hilly landscapes at the foot of the Himalayas in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Here it inhabits a wide variety of rivers and streams. Because the distribution area is in the subtropics, temperatures are subject to seasonal fluctuations. Accordingly, N. corica does not normally need heating in the indoor aquarium, as it is well adapted to temperatures between around 14°C and 26°C. However, it goes without saying that no sudden temperature changes should be brought about, as this can lead to illness and, in the worst case, death of the fish.

It is easy to tell the sexes apart in this small loach, but only when it is an adult. The easiest way to do this is from a top view, then you can see the much larger pectoral fins of the male. When viewed from the side, the female appears stockier and much fuller. The pictures in this post show a pair, so you can easily see the differences. 

N. corica has probably not yet been bred in the aquarium, but breeding should not be a real problem if you want to. Nemacheilus species are usually free spawners without brood care, the eggs develop in the gap system of gravel. The spawning season is in the rainy monsoon months, i.e. our summer through to October, when there is heavy rainfall along the Himalayas.

*Numbers are difficult to give, 172 species have been described so far, but there are still many undescribed species and in many cases it is unclear whether the described species are good species or synonyms.

For our customers: the animals have 438202 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Yasuhikotakia morleti

9. August 2024

What the armored catfish (Corydoras & Co.) are in a South American tank, the clown loaches (Botia & Co.) are in an Asian tank: interesting, beautiful and lively bottom fish. However, much more species knowledge is required for Botia than for armored catfish to avoid unpleasant surprises. Some species, such as the popular true clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) grow to 20-30 cm, while others, such as some tiger loaches (Syncrossus), can develop into real tyrants in the community aquarium.

The skunk loach (Yasuhikotakia morleti) has been one of the most popular loaches since 1953, as it remains manageably small (usually 6-8 cm, very rarely allegedly up to 10 cm, although this information was probably due to confusion with other species) and is very peaceful. However, the caveat here is that these fish are very social and individual animals often become behaviorally conspicuous. You should therefore always buy 5 or more specimens. The skunk loach has undergone several name changes. Until 1974 it was known as Botia horae (sometimes written as B. horai). It was then realized that B. horae was a younger name – and therefore invalid – for Botia morleti. It was then transferred to the genus Yasuhikotakia in 2002. If you look up this fish in the aquarium literature, you will have to look it up under several names.

The home of Y. morleti is the huge rivers Mae Klong, Chao Phraya and Mekong in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia). The species is considered to be very common. It is undemanding in terms of water composition, but frequent partial water changes are the top priority for these fish, otherwise they will suffer. There are no definite external differences between the sexes, the females are merely somewhat larger and fuller. Targeted breeding in the aquarium is not practiced. In the wild, botias carry out spawning migrations. The species for which there is great aquarium demand are therefore bred in breeding facilities in the same way as food fish (trout and salmon). Such techniques are not used in hobby aquariums. Basically, loaches can be characterized as free spawners without brood care. They will eat any common ornamental fish food. What else you should know: all Botia love to eat snails. And in order to feel safe, all Botia need caves into which they can retreat when disturbed.

For our customers: the animals have code 404502 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Cherax warsamsonicus (= sp. Hoa Creek)

7. August 2024

A species of Cherax that is quite popular in the hobby for at least a decade (we are aware of imports since 2008) is Cherax sp. „Hoa Creek“, sometimes also called C. sp. „Irian Jaya“ or C. sp. „Red Coral“. The exact origin of these crayfish was totally unknown. They appeared in the market often mixed up with other forms of Cherax. So it became likely that all of them would belong to the very same, but quite variable species. When in 2015 the „Blue Moon“ was described under the scientific names of Charx pulcher/gherrardii (both are obviously synonyms, the name pulcher has priority), most people thought that the „Hoa Creek“ would belong to that species, too.

Finally, in march 2017 the „Hoa Creek“ was described as a separate species on its own. The authors were successful in detecting the place of origin. According to them „Hoa Creek“ occurs endemically (which means it cannot be found anywhere else) in the catchment of the Warsamson river in the western part of the Vogelkop peninsula (Kepala Burung). The Vogelkop peninsula belongs to Irian Jaya (Indonesian part of New Guinea). The new species has been named after the river: Cherax warsamsonicus Lukhaup, Eprilurahman & von Rintelen, 2017. The original description is free available here: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/11847/

The closest relative of C. warsamsonicus is said to be C. misolicus Holthuis, 1949.

For our customers: the animals have code 481453 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Aplocheilus dayi

31. July 2024

The striped panchax (Aplocheilus lineatus, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/18-toothcarps-killis-and-livebearers/aplocheilus-lineatus-wild-2/) from southern India is one of the most popular aquarium fish thanks to its splendid colors, easy care and breedability. It has only one disadvantage: at around 10 cm in length, it does grow quite large.

A close relative of the striped panchax from Sri Lanka – the green panchax, Aplocheilus dayi – shares all the positive characteristics of the striped panchax, but remains considerably smaller at around 7 cm. Until 7,000 years ago, India and Sri Lanka were connected by a land bridge; the freshwater fish are therefore closely related.

Two “subspecies” of the green panchax live in Sri Lanka, A. dayi dayi and A. dayi werneri. The males of A. dayi have irregular black speckles on their bodies, while those of A. werneri have vertical zebra-like stripes. A. werneri was described on the basis of females. Some females of A. werneri (by no means all) have a horizontal deep black band on the lower half of the body. Rohan Pethiyagoda (Freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka) established in 1991 that the distribution areas of A. dayi (Kelani basin and adjacent coastal areas) and A. werneri (inland at altitudes around 200 m from Kalu to Nilwala) do not overlap. They are therefore good species, not subspecies. 

We have just been able to import A. dayi from Sri Lanka again after more than 10 years.

The green panchax is an ideal fish for community tanks with Asian fish, where it enlivens the surface. The water composition is not important for this species, the temperature should be between 22 and 28°C. The animals spawn between Java moss and similar. The large, hard-shelled eggs can easily be picked off with the fingers and placed in a bowl of water to develop. The young hatch after about 12-14 days and eat Artemia nauplii from the very beginning.

Lexicon: Aplocheilus: means “with simple lip”, refers to the mouth structure. lineatus: Latin, means “lined”, refers to the pattern. werneri: dedicatory name for A. Werner, Munich. dayi: dedicatory name for the zoologist Francis Day (1829-1889).

Common name: Green Panchax

For our customers: A. dayi has code 303303 (lg) and 303304 (xlg) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Channa pleurophthalma

31. July 2024

We regularly have perhaps the most beautiful snakehead fish in stock: Channa pleurophthalma. This species, which is found on the Greater Sunda Islands of Sumatra and Borneo and inhabits lakes and rivers there, grows to around 40 cm in length. In contrast to most other snakeheads, they like to swim a lot in open water. Channa pleurophthalma are often surprisingly peaceful towards each other and also towards other fish, but it should never be forgotten that they are large predatory fish with an individual character. 

Juveniles are yellowish-green with an individually varying number of eyespots on the side of the body. The number can be between zero and three. This says nothing about sexual affiliation. The juvenile fish coloration changes with increasing age to an iridescent, metallic blue or blue-green; here, too, the color says nothing about the sex. Due to the expected final size, the animals should be kept in spacious aquaria. Channa species are excellent jumpers; complete coverage of the aquarium is essential. As labyrinth fish, snakeheads can breathe atmospheric air in addition to gill breathing. This allows them to survive in oxygen-poor waters. However, the aquarist should not neglect water care when keeping snakeheads, as the animals are heavy feeders with a corresponding metabolism and therefore put a heavy strain on the water. Good filtration and regular water changes are therefore also important for these fish, which are often portrayed as undemanding. An ideally designed Channa aquarium should be well structured with roots, bamboo canes, stones and large plants and offer the animals hiding places. In the wild, this Channa species lives in true black water. Although nesting and mating have already taken place, we have not yet heard of any reports of successful hatching the spawn under aquarium conditions.

For our customers: the fish have, depending on size, code 409221 (5-7 cm) to 409226 (40 cm) on our stock list.

Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade. 

(Photos: F. Schäfer, Text: K. Diehl, F. Schäfer)

Chalceus erythrurus

31. July 2024

Traditionally, a distinction is only made between two Chalceus species, one with a shoulder spot (C. erythrurus) and one without (C. macrolepidotus). The species with the shoulder spot has yellow ventral fins when sexually mature, at least the females. This classification has often led to confusion in the trade, as there are clearly more color-distinguishable Chalceus types. In 2004, a scientific revision of the genus was carried out, which came to the conclusion that there are not just two, but five Chalceus species. The three newly described species are C. spilogyros, C. guaporensis and C. epakros; the validity of C. erythrurus and C. macrolepidotus remained unchanged. Unfortunately, the scientists had almost exclusively preserved material at their disposal. This makes identification according to color characteristics, which can only be carried out in the aquarium hobby, not easy, especially as the animals change their coloration in the course of their lives. Young animals are considerably less conspicuous than sexually mature specimens.

After all, they remained: Chalceus macrolepidotus is the only Chalceus species without any shoulder spot. The species is very widespread in South America and colonizes practically the entire tropical region east of the Andes. The largest known specimen was 25 cm long (all sizes given in this post exclude the caudal fin).

C. erythrurus and C. spilogyros have a large, round, conspicuous shoulder spot. The former species has colored ventral and anal fins (at least after reaching a certain size of 8-10 cm), bright yellow in the presumed females and blue-white in the presumed males. C. spilogyros has transparent fins. C. erythrurus remains somewhat smaller than C. macrolepidotus (21.5 cm) and is found in the upper Amazon region. The caudal fin lobes of this species are relatively short and rounded. C. spilogyros originates from the Rio Trombetas, the lower Rio Tapajós and the lower Rio Madeira. The largest animal was 22.5 cm long. The caudal fin lobes of this species are relatively long and appear almost pointed.

Chalceus guaporensis (14 cm, upper Rio Madeira, Rio Guaporé (Bolivia) and Rio Madre de Dios (Peru)) and C. epakros (17.5 cm, Amazon basin, Orinoco drainage and Essequibo basin in Guyana) only have a blurred, indistinct shoulder spot and an equally indistinct longitudinal band from the gill cover to the base of the tail. The color cells (chromatophores) responsible for the shoulder spot and longitudinal band are located deep in the skin of these two species; in C. erythrurus and C. spilogyros, the chromatophores responsible for the shoulder spot are located very superficially. In preserved animals of C. guaporensis and C. epakros, the shoulder spot and longitudinal band are therefore much more clearly recognizable than in living animals.

C. erythrurus is currently almost exclusively represented in the hobby, as this species is bred in Indonesia and Thailand and is therefore always available at a reasonable price. All other species appear – if at all – only sporadically in the trade. Theoretically, C. macrolepidotus could be imported at any time, but it hardly ever appears on the market. The fact that the other species exist at all has hardly got around in aquarium circles. We have occasionally imported C. epakros (then still identified as C. macrolepidotus) from Colombia. These are very beautiful fish. Only a few high-priced ornamental fish are offered from the distribution areas of C. spilogyros and C. guaporensis, so the two Chalceus species, which are only of interest to specialists, are more likely to end up in the cooking pot than on the export lists, as the representatives of the genus Chalceus can be compared quite well with our native trout. Similar to these, Chalceus prefer to live on approach food, i.e. insects etc. that fall to the surface of the water. And the 20-25 cm long animals have – if you believe the information in the literature, we don’t tend to eat our animals – the most delicious meat of all, even tastier than that of trout.

From an aquaristic point of view, these magnificent creatures need large aquariums in which they can grow. The fish like to be in relatively strong currents, preferably in places that are somewhat shaded from above. You should always keep 10 or more specimens, otherwise they can become quite quarrelsome with each other. 

Chalceus are peaceful towards other fish and do not care for plants. You should bear in mind that Chalceus are excellent jumpers; the aquarium must therefore always be perfectly covered.

For our customers: Chalceus erythrurus (offspring) has code 215003 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Sorubim lima

31. July 2024

The large-sized species of the spiny catfishes (Pimelodidae) belong as adult fishes to the desired food fishes and not less desired species for fans of predatory catfishes with giant aquariums. As juveniles, these animals often look completely different and have, for example, absurdly long fin processes.

The Shovelnose catfishes of the genus Sorubim are with about 50 cm final length still to be counted to the smaller representatives of this group. Their youngsters have a gigantic enlargement of the lower tail fin half, which is colored black besides. The purpose of this anatomical peculiarity is probably that potential predators mistake this caudal fin lobe for the fish. If they snap at it, the thrust often goes nowhere because a prey grabber expects the prey to move forward.

Aside from their expected size, Sorubim are good aquarium fish that are peaceful toward conspecifics and other species that are not considered food. Sorubim like to stand vertically, head down, on wood or large plant leaves, so this should be taken into consideration when setting up the aquarium.

Interestingly, Shovelnose catfish shed their skin regularly, similar to what is known from reptiles. When catching them, beware of the pointed pectoral fin spines, which can sting poisonously.

In the aquarium, small juveniles prefer to eat live food (e.g. white mosquito larvae), but Sorubim can be well accustomed to frozen food. Grown-up animals are best fed with frozen smelts. Shovelnose catfish are not interested in plant food.

For our customers: the animals have code 293202 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras semiaquilus

31. July 2024

Three magnificent Corydoras species from Peru undoubtedly form a closely related group. They are very pointed-headed and comparatively large (around 6 cm, sometimes up to 8 cm) Corydoras, namely C. fowleri, C. coriatae and C. semiaquilus. The independence of C. coriatae is often doubted, as numerous locality variants of C. fowleri have become known and, in the opinion of numerous specialists, C. coriatae is merely one of them. However, hardly anyone doubts C. semiaquilus. C. semiaquilus, which in the past was occasionally referred to as “Black Peru”, can be distinguished from C. fowleri in the broadest sense by looking at the nuchal region. In C. fowleri in the broad sense, the dark eye band and the body band beginning below the dorsal fin are clearly separated from each other, whereas in C. semiaquilus both markings are connected by a black band.

All of the species mentioned are demanding aquarium fish that require excellent water quality. Even if hardness and pH value are generally of secondary importance for the fish, it has been clearly shown in practice that soft and slightly acidic water usually results in considerably less bacterial development. And these Corydoras are very sensitive to this – i.e. a high bacterial load. As they live in relatively cool streams in the wild, a water temperature of 26°C should not be exceeded permanently if possible. Keeping them at room temperature (18-22°C) at least some of the time seems to have a very positive effect on their health.

For our customers: C. semiaquilus has code 244554 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Platy Bleeding Heart Mickey Mouse

26. July 2024

Bleeding Hearts are a breeding form of the platy (Xiphophorus maculatus), which was developed in the 1940s by the famous geneticist Myron Gordon. This breeding form is a cross between a wild platy form, namely the “Ruby-throat”, which occurs in the Rio Jamapa (Gordon collected his original strain near Veracruz) and in the Rio Papaloapan in Mexico, and a pure white breeding form, the so-called “Ghost-Platy”.

The current strains still have a lot in common with the early Bleeding Hearts. There is, for example, the sexual dichromatism. The males of the Bleeding Hearts are considerably more intensely colored than the females, alpha males are almost completely red. And Bleeding Hearts still have blue eyes, like their ancestors. But there are also differences to earlier times. In the early strains, the females were pure white. Nowadays, the females of the Bleeding Hearts also have red markings. Today, Bleeding Hearts are almost always bred with a Mickey Mouse tail pattern ( = moon complete), which was not the case in the past.

For our customers: the Platy Bleeding Heart Mickey Mouse has code 443623 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Glossamia wichmanni

26. July 2024

The mouthbrooding freshwater cardinalfish (Glossamia) are particularly rich in species on New Guinea. Of the total of 11-12 currently accepted species, 10-11 occur on New Guinea, 9-10 even only exist there. Only one species is known exclusively from Australia and another occurs on New Guinea and in Australia, namely G. aprion (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/glossamia-aprion-2/)

Probably the largest species is Glossamia wichmanni. While most other Glossamia species only exceed the 10 cm mark in very exceptional cases, significantly larger specimens of G. wichmanni have been reported. The documented record is 18 cm (without caudal fin). The coloration of G. wichmanni is clearly more spectacular than that of G. aprion. At times, both sexes can show a deep black diagonal stripe pattern with a yellow base coloration. However, they do not always do this. Since aquaristic literature on Glossamia species is practically non-existent (apart from a few very general observations), it is currently not possible to clearly assign the coloration to any moods. Incidentally, there are several Glossamia species on New Guinea with a very similar color pattern to G. wichmanni, whose distribution area is in the north of the island. Kuiter & Kozawa (Cardinalfishes of the World, 2019), report it from the area between the Bewani Mountains (Papua New Guinea) and the Tawarin River (Irian Jaya).

Not much can yet be said about the aquarium biology of G. wichmanni. Only this much is certain: it is a pure freshwater fish, a male mouthbrooder and feeds predatorily on relatively large chunks. Slender fish up to almost 2/3 the length of the Glossamia are regarded as food, and you should be aware of this. The animals are peaceful with each other – at least in our fishhouse. Our import of this beautiful and interesting species will hopefully help to close the large gaps in knowledge about this fish.

For our customers: the animals have code 417034 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Ptychochromis oligacanthus

26. July 2024

The Red List of endangered animal and plant species is getting longer and longer. The cause is almost invariably the destruction of the natural habitat. In the case of freshwater fish, species with a small distribution area are always particularly endangered. In addition to factors such as environmental pollution, deforestation and water extraction for agriculture, the icing on the cake is the fact that wherever fish can still survive, food fish such as carp, tilapia or other perch are released for angling purposes, eating away the native species’ food and destroying the natural food chains. 

Almost all of Madagascar’s cichlids are on red lists. We have already reported on Ptychochromis oligacanthus several times, most recently here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/ptychochromis-oligacanthus-2/

Now we have received the species from the conservation breeding programme of Citizen Conservation, an organization that prevents the final extinction of animal species through ex-situ breeding.

Ptychochromis oligacanthus is a wonderful example of how the wildlife trade is a good addition to the conservation breeding of endangered species. Whether threatened or not, Ptychochromis oligacanthus is a productive fish and the question quickly arises: what to do with the numerous offspring? The trade represents a source of purchase and income for breeders, who can thus continue their good work. And for private aquarists, conservation breeding is of course a double benefit. By buying them, they support the program and can enjoy great fish at home!

For our customers: the animals have code 574163 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hoplisoma adolfoi and H. duplicareus (formerly: Corydoras)

26. July 2024

We receive these beautiful armored catfish both as captive-bred and wild-caught specimens. Both are currently classified in the genus Hoplisoma. The correct species identification of these animals is still unclear. There are clearly two types, a high-backed one with a very broad dorsal band (duplicareus) and a slimmer one with a narrow dorsal band (adolfoi). The inner sides of the pectoral fin spines are said to be serrated in H. duplicareus and smooth in H. adolfoi. In the wild-caught specimens of all phenotypes shown here, however, the inner side of the pectoral fin spine is smooth. The pictures show only wild-caught specimens.

Regardless of whether H. adolfoi and H. duplicareus are different species, ecotypes, habitat variants or selections: both are among the most attractive armored catfish species of all. They have the shiny spot on the back of the neck so that the animals can blend together in the dark, cola-colored black water. Both forms are easy to keep in the aquarium and adapt very well to the respective tap water. Soft, acidic water is only required for breeding, otherwise the spawn will not be fertilized or will not develop.

For our customers: the animals have code 220203 (adolfoi) and 227603 (duplicareus) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Acipenser ruthenus

26. July 2024

The sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus, is one of the smallest sturgeon species. Nevertheless, this fish can also grow to over one meter in length. The largest known specimen is reported to be 125 cm long. Sterlets become usually around 60 cm long.

Like all sturgeons, this species is highly endangered due to overfishing and, above all, environmental pollution. It is covered by species protection legislation (CITES), but no accounting is required for the live trade in juvenile fish.

Sterletts are one of the few sturgeon species that live in freshwater throughout their lives. Most sturgeons spawn in freshwater, but migrate to the sea as juveniles and only return to freshwater later to spawn. The sterlet also carries out spawning migrations in nature, but only upstream, as it is usually already in fresh water. For pond owners, however, this means that they need to keep a close eye on their fish during the spawning season, as the animals then become restless and may migrate out of the pond!

Like all sturgeon species in the trade, our sterletts are bred by specialized fish farms. In addition to the wild form, we can also offer albino sterletts. Due to their strikingly bright coloration, albinos are naturally much easier to see in the pond and are therefore particularly attractive.

All sturgeons, including the sterlet, easily become tame and beg for food on the surface of the water. Younger specimens easily fall victim to cats. So be careful that Pussycat doesn’t get a treat unintentionally!

For our customers: the albino sterletts have code 801016, wild-colored code 801002 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brotia herculea

26. July 2024

The specific name „herculea“ says it all: it is loaned from Hercules, the divine hero of the Greek mythology who had enormous powers. This snail attains a length of almost 10 cm! So the common name „Giant Tower Cap Snail“ is more than justified. The snail occurs naturally in Burma and Thailand where it inhabits rivers with at least partially muddy ground. The species is livebearing, males and females cannot be distinguished externally. The newborn snails are the total opposite of their parents: only 1-2 mm long and extremely tiny! This difference is the more obvious as the close relatives of B. herculea, Tylomelania, give birth to very large youngsters.

Brotia herculea feeds on detritus, which means all kind of dead and rotten material, may it be animal or plant matter. This snail is no algae eater at all. In the aquarium it is best fed with feed tablets. Water plants are left untouched by B. herculea.

For our customers: the snails have code 481311 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Coming soon: Inpaichthys parauapiranga

19. July 2024

Only a short time after this wonderful new tetra has been given a name can we (almost) offer it. Inpaichthys parauapiranga was scientifically described in February 2024. Peter and Martin Hoffmann have successfully bred it and we will soon be able to offer these offspring. We are already looking forward to it!

They are peaceful and lively fish that have proven to be easy to keep. When fully grown, the animals measure around 4 cm in total length and are therefore about the same size as other king tetra species, although this species is somewhat more upright.

We suggest the trade name Purplestriped King Tetra because of the royal purple coloration of the longitudinal bands.

Photos: Peter & Martin Hoffmann

Black-winged dwarf hatchets, Carnegiella marthae and C. schereri

19. July 2024

There are two species of black-winged dwarf hatchets in South America. These cute fish only grow to around 3 cm in length. According to scientific data, both species are very widespread (Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru), Carnegiella marthae has been described from Venezuela (Caño de Quiribana, near Caicara) and C. schereri from Peru (Caño del Chancho, near Pebas). These two dwarf hatchets are so closely related that they used to be regarded as subspecies of each other. They were then called Carnegiella marthae marthae and Carnegiella marthae schereri. The two species can be reliably distinguished by their ventral coloration: C. schereri is spotted, C. marthae finely lined.

From Peru and Colombia we occasionally have Carnegiella schereri in our stock; however, this species is usually sent as a juvenile of Gasteropelecus sternicla. Carnegiella schereri actually looks very similar in colour to its significantly larger cousin, but you can always recognize the species without a doubt because, like all Carnegiella species, it lacks the adipose fin. Gasteropelecus, on the other hand, always have an adipose fin.  Carnegiella marthae, on the other hand, comes from Brazil. Given the wide distribution of both species, why we only ever receive C. marthae from Brazil is a mystery to us.

These cute fish are always kept in a group of at least 6 animals. The aquarium must be absolutely escape-proof, otherwise the fish will jump out sooner or later because they jump for small flying insects. When feeding, it should be noted that Carnegiella only eat from the surface of the water. They leave food lying on the bottom! It is important to feed these small animals several times a day, as they never eat large amounts of food at once. Carnegiella are completely peaceful and should never be kept with aggressive or hectic species.

For our customers: Carnegiella schereri has code 214152, C. marthae 214002 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Chitala ornata

19. July 2024

The Asian knifefishes were long known to aquarists as Notopterus species. The American scientist Tyson Roberts revised the Afro-Asian knifefishes (Notopteridae) in 1992 and used the generic name Chitala Fowler, 1934, for the high-backed Southeast Asian knifefishes, also known as thousand-dollar fishes. Only the relatively flat-backed Asian species remain in Notopterus. The actual thousand-dollar fish (Chitala ornata) is kept relatively frequently in the aquarium because the species is bred in large quantities as a food fish.         

Roberts found that it is impossible to distinguish the Chitala species by anything other than coloration characteristics. The following applies: Chitala lopis (including C. borneensis and C. hypselonotus, which can only be distinguished from C. lopis with genetic methods) is silver-colored as an adult fish, C. ornata has eyespots (= dark center, light edge) on the lower half of the body, C. blanci is striped and C. chitala has light spots on the back and dark spots on the lower half of the body. As juveniles, all Chitala species are striped and can hardly be distinguished. But even with adult C. ornata, no two animals (of about 50 specimens examined) are identically marked, all are individually recognizable.

 All members of the genus Chitala can reach quite enormous lengths of up to 1 m and more. They are therefore only suitable for really large aquariums. However, as they reach sexual maturity much earlier, they can be bred in aquaria from around 1.5 m in length. The animals spawn on stones, root wood and the like. The male guards the spawn. Chitala are relatively easy to care for, apart from the size of the animals. Each animal needs its own hiding place in the aquarium, otherwise there will be incompatibilities. They will eat pretty much any food of animal origin. Their ability to swallow should not be underestimated. An approx. 30 cm long Chitala will easily eat 2-3 goldfish of 4-6 cm in length and won’t even look particularly plump around the waist afterwards. Enviable animals!

For our customers: Chitala ornata has code 410503 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Literature:

Roberts, T.  (1992): Systematic revision of the Old World freshwater fish family Notopteridae. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 2 (4): 361-383

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Garra ceylonensis

19. July 2024

After 10 years we once again have the sucker barb Garra ceylonensis on offer. This species is endemic to Sri Lanka, so it only exists there. Wild fish from Sri Lanka may only be exported with a special permit. Our suppliers of ornamental fish from Sri Lanka had not previously applied for this permit because they specialized in captive breeding – especially livebearing toothcarps. We now have another supplier from this large island in the Indian Ocean who is also permitted to export wild-caught fish. We have started the first delivery from him with Garra ceylonensis, which we can now offer in three sizes (4-5 cm, 5-6 cm and 7-8 cm). The maximum length for G. ceylonensis is given as 15 cm, but even in the wild animals larger than 8 cm are very rarely found.

At first glance, Garry ceylonensis looks a little like a Siamese algae-eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri), but at second glance it clearly differs from this due to the presence of two pairs of barbels. In contrast to the Siamese algae-eater, G. ceylonensis is a sociable fish that is best kept in a group (six animals or more). G. ceylonensis is an excellent algae eater and can be easily distinguished from the other Garra species on the market by its yellow fins. The body color can change rapidly depending on the mood. Usually a dark longitudinal band is shown, which is accompanied by a lighter band towards the back. However, the animals can also be plain dark-colored. These changes in coloration are mood-dependent and have nothing to do with gender. Sexual differences are only slightly pronounced, females are somewhat plumper and fuller. Garra species are free spawners without brood care. 

The peaceful Garra ceylonensis is ideal for community aquaria. No special requirements are placed on the water composition. However, you should provide some current in the aquarium, in which the animals like to play. The water temperature can range from 22-28°C.

For our customers: the animals have code 416352 (4-5 cm), 416353 (5-6 cm) and 416355 (7-8 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Teleocichla preta

19. July 2024

The cichlids of the genus Teleocichla are very closely related to Crenicichla. They remain relatively small, the T. preta discussed here is one of the largest species with a maximum length of 15 cm. The swim bladder is greatly reduced in Teleocichla. Without active swimming movements, they cannot stay afloat. Ecologically, the Teleocichla could be described as current-loving small animal eaters. They are cave breeders with a parent family. 

There are at least seven different Teleocichla species in the Rio Xingu in Brazil, but only five of these have been scientifically described to date. In 1996, the four previously undescribed species were therefore simply named Teleocichla sp. Xingu I – Teleocichla sp. Xingu IV. Teleocichla sp. Xingu I was described in 2002 as T. centisquama, T. sp IV in 2016 as T. preta. The species name “preta” means “black” and even in the hobby the species was occasionally referred to as T. sp. “Schwarz” (or “Black”). This is because freshly caught fully grown animals are always pitch black. They also present themselves in this coloration in the biotope. We show here a picture of a freshly caught T. preta, many thanks to Uwe Werner, who provided us with this document, which he took on site in 1996.

This rocky-area-dwelling species has remained largely unknown to aquarists. This is also due to the fact that no reliable sexual differences were known until now. Now we have finally been able to import a larger number of sexually mature specimens (length 8-10 cm). There are clear differences in the coloration of the dorsal fins. Some animals have a deep black longitudinal band, which the others lack. Based on the body shape, the animals with the black longitudinal band appear to be the females.

These fish proved to be extremely peaceful among themselves. Why do they not show the black color? Nobody knows (yet). Perhaps this rare import will help to solve the mystery.

In order to keep you informed about beautiful and interesting aquarium inhabitants during the vacation season, we have prepared some posts for publication at a later date. This is one of them. Unfortunately, the animals shown are already sold out, sorry.

We have also made a short movie about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tign9El8naI

For our customers: the animals have code 687964 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer & Uwe Werner

Corydoras ambiacus (now: Brochis ambiacus)

19. July 2024

Corydoras ambiacus is one of the longest known species of the enormously diverse armored catfish, which has recently been assigned to the genus Brochis in a major review of armored catfish. The species Corydoras ambiacus was formally described from the Rio Ambyiacu in Peru as early as 1872. At that time, only 5 Corydoras species were known (today there are 171 valid species, 231 have been described, plus almost as many with C or CW numbers that are not clearly identified). The description was correspondingly sparse, as there was not much to be differentiated and it is correspondingly difficult to correctly identify this species today. Corydoras grafi and Corydoras melanistius longirostris are considered synonyms.

We currently have beautiful Brochis ambiacus (that still reads very unusual, doesn’t it?) from Colombia in our stock. We will report separately on the major renaming to Corydoras. The fish correspond very well to the concept that most Cory specialists currently have for B. ambiacus. But – and this should be mentioned at the end of this topic – when the numerous dotted species from the upper Amazon are revised, it is to be expected that there will be many a name change/new description.

The care of Brochis ambiacus is simple and corresponds in all basic features to the usual (shoaling, sandy soil in places, not only feeding waste, pH and hardness as usual for drinking water). Incidentally, our males are currently in a spawning mood, as you can clearly see from the sometimes extremely long pelvic fins. Breeding B. ambiacus is considered a challenge and has not often been successful – at least not reported. The maximum length of B. ambiacus is around 6 cm.

For our customers: Brochis ambiacus has code 221704 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Characidium steindachneri

12. July 2024

With 97 described species, 67 of which are considered to be valid by the majority of scientists, the bottom-dwelling ground tetras (Characidium) are extremely species-rich. Unfortunately, there is no complete overview of the genus. Misidentifications or at least uncertainties prevail in both scientific and hobbyist literature. One of the most frequently cited species in the literature, Characidium fasciatum, was described as early as 1867 and was subsequently considered to be very widespread and common until 1992, when the matter was put right. In fact, C. fasciatum only comes from the Rio Sao Francisco basin in Brazil, most of the fish named “C. fasciatum” so far were C. zebra, C. purpuratum or other species.

What makes it even more difficult to determine the species is that it must be assumed that there are still many undescribed, i.e. new species. This means that it is no fun at all to identify ground tetras. But keeping these nice animals in the aquarium is all the more fun!  

Characidium steindachneri was already described in 1878 from the upper Amazon in Peru. According to the available data, the species becomes about 5 cm long. Synonyms are C. catenatum and C. ladigesi, the distribution area is said to be huge and to cover practically the entire catchment area of the Amazon and the Orinoco. We have now received specimens from Peru that correspond quite well to the rather vague definition of C. steindachneri as described above. But as I said, we don’t know anything for sure.

Ground tetras are very entertaining animals whose behavior is reminiscent of a litter of young dogs. They are constantly curious, leaning on their large pectoral fins and observing their surroundings. They cannot be described as schooling fish, but they seek contact with conspecifics and should therefore always be kept in groups. Any tap water is suitable for keeping them and they will eat any standard fish food of a suitable size, although it should be noted that these fish only have a small mouth. They are completely peaceful, both with each other and with other fish. Plants are ignored. Ground tetras are free spawners without brood care, the females are somewhat fuller than the males. Males also have elongated pectoral fins.

For our customers: the animals have code 215803 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Nandopsis haitiensis

12. July 2024

Although the current classification of the cichlids from Central America, formerly grouped together under Cichlasoma, has been around for a few years now, many genus names have been slow to catch on in the hobby. The main reason for this is, of course, that the large cichlids of Central America are currently only kept and bred by a handful of specialists. These fish need relatively large aquariums, which they like to rearrange according to their own ideas, and when they have fry (which they always do sooner or later), they are quite unpleasant to aquarium inhabitants, in whom they believe they recognize predators for their children. Many also regard plants as food, which makes a varied underwater garden impossible. However, anyone who gets involved with these animals and can cope with the above-mentioned characteristics will be delighted with these fish, which are full of character and in many cases brightly colored, but in any case impressive.

There are now only three species in the genus Nandopsis, after this genus was previously somewhat broader. These three species are all top rarities in contemporary aquaristics: Nandopsis tetracanthus from Cuba, N. ramsdeni, also from Cuba, and N. haitiensis, which is found exclusively on the island of Hispaniola. All three species are large cichlids, the maximum length given for N. haitiensis is 21.5 cm standard length, i.e. excluding the caudal fin.

Hispaniola is politically divided into two parts, with the state of Haiti to the west and the Dominican Republic to the east. Nandopsis haitiensis can be found all over the island, even occasionally in brackish water. The species is highly variable in color, but there are no systematic studies on whether this variability is ecologically determined. N. vombergi, described as a separate species because of its bulging lips, is now considered a synonym of N. haitiensis.

As early as 1938, Erhard Roloff reported on the care and breeding of specimens he had caught himself and brought home. They are typical open-breeders with a parental family that have all the characteristics listed above. Interestingly, sexually active female N. haitiensis turn almost completely black, while the males then shine in a subtle silver-grey. An excellent breeding report with beautiful pictures of adult animals can be found here http://www.dcg-allgaeu.de/Arche_Nandopsis_haitiensis.html (in German only). All Nandopsis species are considered somewhat sensitive as juveniles. You should not be misled by their robust appearance into thinking they are “tough guys”. They are often kept at high temperatures (26-28°C) due to their susceptibility to disease, but this is not absolutely necessary.

We can currently offer very stable offspring (4-6 cm long) of this rarity. They have code 649202 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Vittina waigiensis

12. July 2024

If there was a beauty contest between the nertine snails: the species commonly known in the hobby as Neritina or Vittina waigiensis would certainly be among the winners! This species, which reaches a shell diameter of 1.5-2 cm and has extremely variable markings, was originally described by Lesson in 1831 as Neritina waigiensis. The animals on which the description was based came from the island of Waigiou, which politically belongs to West Papua (Indonesia). However, the type specimens shown on the corresponding page of the scientific database WORMS ( = World Register of Marine Species) (https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=850640) are more similar in color and shape to a finely striped form of Vittina turrita (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/31-crayfishes-shrimps-crabs-snails-mussels/vittina-turrita-and-v-semiconica/). According to the current state of research, WORMS refers to the species as Vittina waigiensis. Whether the animals referred to in the hobby and in this post as Vittina waigiensis really belong to this species must therefore be checked again by a qualified person, we cannot decide this.

The first describer Lesson has passed on a nice story about the animals: “This neritine must be extremely abundant on Waigiou Island; for the Papuans from Offach Bay brought us bamboo stuffed with it, which they used as a bartering object. We ourselves never came across it during our stay in this land of Papua.” Vittina waigiensis was collected on a circumnavigation of the world by the corvette “La Coquille”, which was commissioned by the French king and lasted from 1822 to 1825.

Everything that is generally known about neritine snails applies to the care of these snails; they live as adults in fresh and brackish water, but the larvae only develop in the sea. They are very good algae eaters. Care must be taken to ensure that these animals do not migrate out of the aquarium. A tight-fitting cover is a must when keeping them. Incidentally, all adult animals of V. waigiensis are missing the tip of their shell. This is not damage, but is part of normal shell growth, a phenomenon that occurs in many snail species. One of the striking features of this neritine snail is the striped soft body, which is particularly prominent in the head area.

For our customers. the snails have code 485602 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras have been revised – “new” genus names!

12. July 2024

The armored catfish (Callichthyidae) are a species-rich family that occurs exclusively in South America. There are two subfamilies, the callichthyid catfishes (Callichthyinae) and the corydoras-like armored catfishes (Corydoradinae). The latter are particularly species-rich.  Currently (June 2024), 231 species are considered to be described, 171 of which are generally recognized as valid; in addition, there are 159 C-numbers and 207 CW-numbers, most of which cannot be clearly assigned to any of the described species.

In a brand-new revision of all corydoradine armored catfishes (the callichthyid catfishes were not included), this large number was distributed among various genera. This had been expected for a long time and largely corresponds to what Corydoras friends all over the world think. 

In Corydoras only most of the long-snouted „saddle-snouted“ type remained. The type species is Corydoras geoffroy from Surinam, a species that has long been a mystery. You can find out more about C. geoffroy here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/corydoras-geoffroy-4/. The following species are referred to as belonging to Corydoras in the revision: Corydoras acutus, Corydoras amapaensis, Corydoras areio, Corydoras aurofrenatus, Corydoras blochi, Corydoras caramater, Corydoras cervinus, Corydoras coriatae, Corydoras cortesi, Corydoras desana, Corydoras filamentosus, Corydoras fowleri, Corydoras fulleri, Corydoras geoffroy (type species), Corydoras maculifer, Corydoras narcissus, Corydoras negro, Corydoras ourastigma, Corydoras oxyrhynchus, Corydoras pastazensis, Corydoras saramaccensis, Corydoras sarareensis, Corydoras semiaquilus, Corydoras septentrionalis, Corydoras serratus, Corydoras simulatus, Corydoras solox, Corydoras spilurus, Corydoras stenocephalus, Corydoras treitlii, Corydoras vittatus and Corydoras zawadzkii.

Aspidoras basically remains the same. The authors list these species: Aspidoras albater, Aspidoras aldebaran, Aspidoras azaghal, Aspidoras belenos, Aspidoras brunneus, Aspidoras carvalhoi, Aspidoras depinnai, Aspidoras fuscoguttatus, Aspidoras gabrieli; Aspidoras kiriri, Aspidoras lakoi, Aspidoras maculosus, Aspidoras mephisto, Aspidoras poecilus, Aspidoras psammatides, Aspidoras raimundi, Aspidoras rochai (type species) and Aspidoras velites. The pauciradiatus, previously classified as Aspidoras, is missing here. Thus, the authors confirm the previously published revision of Aspidoras (Tencatt, L. F. C., Britto, M.R., Isbrücker, I.J.H. et al. (2022): Taxonomy of the armored catfish genus Aspidoras (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) revisited, with the description of a new species. Neotropical Ichthyology 20: e220040). Currently, pauciradiatus is listed in the genus Gastrodermus (see below) and the correct name combination is Gastrodermus pauciradiatus.

The bearded species from the south are still in Scleromystax. Not much has changed here either, except that Corydoras lacerdai has now also been formally transferred to Scleromystax. In practice, this has been the case for some time. And the transfer of the former Aspidoras virgulatus to Scleromystax has also been confirmed. These are the species: Scleromystax barbatus (type species), Scleromystax lacerdai, Scleromystax macropterus, Scleromystax prionotos, Scleromystax reisi, Scleromystax salmacis and Scleromystax virgulatus.

The elegans-like (including the dwarf armored catfish) were assigned to the old genus Gastrodermus, which was previously considered synonymous with Corydoras. Gastrodermus was established by Cope in 1878 for Corydoras elegans. Previously, this genus included only species that exhibited sexual dichromatism (i.e. sexually mature males and females differed in color) and often swam freely in the water. Currently, however, the genus is defined much more broadly, something that certainly still needs to be discussed. These are the species: Gastrodermus bilineatus, Gastrodermus elegans (type species), Gastrodermus gracilis, Gastrodermus guapore, Gastrodermus hastatus, Gastrodermus latus, Gastrodermus mamore, Gastrodermus nanus, Gastrodermus napoensis, Gastrodermus nijsseni, Gastrodermus paucerna, Gastrodermus pauciradiatus, Gastrodermus pygmaeus and Gastrodermus undulatus. I personally miss pantalanensis here, which was placed with Brochis by the authors.

An old name was also reactivated for the bronze corys: Osteogaster. Osteogaster was established by Cope in 1894 for Corydoras eques. The authors of the revision concede that this is probably a paraphyletic group that requires further work, especially as some important species could not be included in the analyses and the alpha taxonomy (i.e. the question of how many species there really are and how they can be distinguished from one another) is completely unclear, especially in the case of the true bronze corys. Until this can be investigated in more detail, the following species are included in Osteogaster: Osteogaster aeneus, Osteogaster eques (type species), Osteogaster hephaestus, Osteogaster maclurei, Osteogaster melanotaenia, Osteogaster rabauti and Osteogaster zygatus. In the discussion with the authors of the revision on Research Gate (a kind of Facebook for scientists), it is pointed out that the grammatical gender of Osteogaster is female. Accordingly, species names that are of adjectival origin must be adapted in gender. This concerns Osteogaster zygatus, which should therefore be called Osteogaster zygata. 

Up to this point, anyone who has studied these fish can probably follow. Now, however, it becomes quite debatable: a large number of species are included in a large genus Brochis with the emerald armored catfish! The former Corydoras agassizii is now also included here, along with closely related spotted species and a number of completely different species. This is at least intuitively incomprehensible. The classic concept of Brochis is based primarily on the long dorsal fin with considerably more rays than in all other Corydoradinae. This was previously (incomprehensibly to me) dismissed as irrelevant. Let’s see how this new concept of Brochis, which (among numerous other findings) is essentially based on the fact that the inner teeth of the pectoral fin spine are predominantly directed towards the body, will be accepted. These species are assigned to Brochis: Brochis agassizii, Brochis amandajanea, Brochis ambiacus, Brochis approuaguensis, Brochis arcuatus, Brochis bethanae, Brochis bifasciatus, Brochis britskii, Brochis brittoi, Brochis condiscipulus, Brochis costai, Brochis crimmeni, Brochis crypticus, Brochis delphax, Brochis deweyeri, Brochis difluviatilis, Brochis ephippifer, Brochis garbei, Brochis geryi, Brochis gomezi, Brochis haraldschultzi, Brochis heteromorphus, Brochis imitator, Brochis incolicana, Brochis isbrueckeri, Brochis lamberti, Brochis leopardus, Brochis multiradiatus, Brochis noelkempffi, Brochis ornatus, Brochis orphnopterus, Brochis pantanalensis, Brochis pinheiroi, Brochis pulcher, Brochis reticulatus, Brochis robineae, Brochis robustus, Brochis seussi, Brochis sodalis, Brochis spectabilis, Brochis splendens (type species), Brochis sychri and Brochis virginiae. To me, this Brochis group seems heterogeneous and most likely polyphyletic; it is mainly what we in the hobby call “long-snouted”. However, I would have preferred to see some of these animals (especially heteromorphus) in Corydoras s. str., but as I said, let’s wait and see.

The second “new” collective genus is Hoplisoma. This genus was also established early on for Corydoras punctatus (1838) but has so far been synonymized with Corydoras. In my opinion, Hoplisoma actually only includes the julii complex (copei, julii, punctatus, trilineatus etc.), but is defined much more broadly by the authors. Practically all so-called “round snouts” can be found here. These are the following species: Hoplisoma acrensis, Hoplisoma adolfoi, Hoplisoma albolineatus, Hoplisoma amphibelus, Hoplisoma apiaka, Hoplisoma araguaiaensis, Hoplisoma armatus, Hoplisoma atropersonatus, Hoplisoma axelrodi, Hoplisoma baderi, Hoplisoma benattii, Hoplisoma bicolor, Hoplisoma boehlkei, Hoplisoma boesemani, Hoplisoma bondi, Hoplisoma breei, Hoplisoma brevirostris, Hoplisoma burgessi, Hoplisoma carlae, Hoplisoma caudimaculatus, Hoplisoma cochui, Hoplisoma colossus, Hoplisoma concolor, Hoplisoma copei, Hoplisoma coppenamensis, Hoplisoma cruziensis, Hoplisoma davidsandsi, Hoplisoma diphyes, Hoplisoma duplicareus, Hoplisoma ehrhardti, Hoplisoma esperanzae, Hoplisoma evelynae, Hoplisoma eversi, Hoplisoma flaveolus, Hoplisoma froehlichi, Hoplisoma gladysae, Hoplisoma gossei, Hoplisoma granti, Hoplisoma griseus, Hoplisoma gryphus, Hoplisoma guianensis, Hoplisoma habrosus, Hoplisoma julii, Hoplisoma kanei, Hoplisoma knaacki, Hoplisoma lacrimostigmata, Hoplisoma leucomelas, Hoplisoma longipinnis, Hoplisoma loretoensis, Hoplisoma loxozonus, Hoplisoma lymnades, Hoplisoma melanistius, Hoplisoma melini, Hoplisoma metae, Hoplisoma micracanthus, Hoplisoma microcephalus, Hoplisoma multimaculatus, Hoplisoma nattereri, Hoplisoma oiapoquensis, Hoplisoma ortegai, Hoplisoma osteocarus, Hoplisoma paleatus, Hoplisoma panda, Hoplisoma paragua, Hoplisoma parallelus, Hoplisoma pavanelliae, Hoplisoma petracinii, Hoplisoma polystictus, Hoplisoma potaroensis, Hoplisoma punctatus (type species), Hoplisoma revelatus (only known in fossil form), Hoplisoma reynoldsi, Hoplisoma sanchesi, Hoplisoma schwartzi, Hoplisoma similis, Hoplisoma sipaliwini, Hoplisoma steindachneri, Hoplisoma sterbai, Hoplisoma surinamensis, Hoplisoma trilineatus, Hoplisoma tukano, Hoplisoma urucu, Hoplisoma weitzmani and Hoplisoma xinguensis.  In the discussion at Research Gate, Corydoras psamathos, C. hypnos and C. thanatos were also assigned to Hoplisoma by the authors; apparently an improved version is currently being worked on, a so-called Erratum, in which grammatical issues are also to be addressed.

Hoplisoma has similar issues to Brochis above. In my opinion, five or more different genera can easily be established in this group. But one must not be too impatient in such matters. Someone has to make a start, which has now been done, and there will undoubtedly be some fine-tuning in subsequent work over the next few years to examine and evaluate these points. This was the case with the former Cichlasoma, with the Barbus/Puntius relatives, with the Botia relatives etc. pp. and it will be the same here. In this respect: let’s start by relearning names, brain jogging keeps you young and fit and the Corydoradinae really do offer enough material for many a brain jogging exercise trail!

Literature:

Dias, A.C., Tencatt, L.F.C., Roxo, F.F., Silva, G.S.C., Santos, S.A., Britto, M.R., Taylor, M.I. & Oliveira, C. (2024): Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlae053, Published: 11 June 2024

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Schismatogobius risdawatiae

5. July 2024

The dragonet gobies (Schismatogobius) are small species of freshwater gobies, that reach between 3 and 5 cm length. They live in small rivulets near the coast but above the tide on sandy bottoms. Here they burry themselves very fast if necessary. The larvae devolop – as far as this known – in the sea. The ability to change coloration is phenomenal in these gobies. The genus Schismatogobius has been established in 1912, 10 species have been accepted since then. Two of them, S. ampluvinculus and S. roxasi, we have introduced to you already (see http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/?s=schismatogobius).

The year 2017 sees an explosion of newly decribed species in Schismatogobius. First, in a revision of the species occuring from Papua-New Guinea to Samoa, 7 new species have been described, shortly later, in a revision of the species from Indonesia, 4 new species.

We have imported once more Schismatogobius from Indonesia. All the species from Indonesia look very similar to each other and occur in direct neighbourhood; this makes the determination a difficult thing. The scientific deliminations of the species base on DNA-analyses and characters not visible in live specimens. We deny killing specimens for determination purposes. But we are pretty sure that our new importations belong to the species Schismatogobius risdawatiae, described in July 2017 from Sumatra, due to the very special coloration of the pectoral fins, which are visible in specimens photographed over white bottom from top. S. risdawatiae is a small species, reaching only 2.5-3 cm length (without the caudal fin). The charming animals are absolutely an enrichment for the aquarium hobby.

For our customers: the fish have code 454842 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Literature: 

Keith, P., C. Lord and H. K. Larson (2017): Review of Schismatogobius (Gobiidae) from Papua New Guinea to Samoa, with description of seven new species. Cybium v. 41 (no. 1): 45-66.

Keith, P., C. Lord, H. Darhuddin, G. Limmon, T. Sukmono, R. Hadiaty and N. Hubert  (2017): Schismatogobius (Gobiidae) from Indonesia, with description of four new species. Cybium v. 41 (no. 2): 195-211.

Rasbora kalochroma

5. July 2024

One of the undoubtedly most beautiful Rasbora species is R. kalochroma – and one of the most sensitive. They are typical black water fish which react very sensitively during the acclimatisation phase to increased bacteria contamination, which occurs almost inevitably in “normal” water. When we were now offered youngsters, we took advantage, because young fish are basically much more adaptable than adult animals. And the plan worked out! We now have very beautiful, well adapted Rasbora kalochroma in our stock.

The colouring of the fish in the photos is only a drab copy of the colouring they show in well equipped black water tanks; unfortunately you cannot photograph in such water or the colours would appear completely unnatural. In the past, R. kalochroma was considered to be the adult form of the dwarf rasbora (Boraras maculatus); however, the similarity is not very great from today’s point of view (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/boraras_maculatus_en/). Rasbora kalochroma becomes about 8-10 cm long and is a peaceful fish that appreciates the company of conspecifics.

For our customers: the animals have code 452301 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hemibagrus wyckii and H. wyckioides

5. July 2024

These large predatory catfish from Southeast Asia usually grow to around half a meter in length. The maximum length given for H. wyckioides is up to 130 cm and 86 kg in weight, while “only” around 90 cm is given for H. wyckii. They are important food fish and are highly prized for their excellent meat, which is also very healthy. For this reason, they were introduced into aquaculture relatively early on in order to be independent of the irregular wild catch. The juveniles that are occasionally imported for specialized aquarists, zoos and show aquariums come from such aquacultures.

Externally, especially juveniles of H. wyckii and H. wyckioides are very similar. This is already indicated by the species name wyckioides ( = similar to wyckii). Juveniles of both species are dark gray on the body and fins, the barbels are white and the caudal fin is edged in white above and below. Adults become jet black and look different at the species level, as the white-edged caudal fin is then black in H. wyckii and red in H. wyckioides. However, there are two features that can be recognized on closer inspection even in commercially available juveniles of a few centimetres in length: the longest maxillary barbel – positioned towards the rear – extends at most to half of the dorsal fin in H. wyckii, whereas in H. wyckioides it is significantly longer and extends to half of the adipose fin. And the spine of the dorsal fin (this is the first ray of this fin) is very strong in H. wyckii, in H. wyckioides only as wide as the following soft ray.

In terms of care, it doesn’t matter which of the two species you get; both grow large, are very voracious and are splendid candidates for large Asian tanks; however, some individuals can prove to be territorial and aggressive towards other inhabitants. The chemical composition of the water does not matter to them; any water suitable for drinking is suitable for keeping them. The water temperature should be between 22 and 28°C, values above and below this should only occur rarely and for short periods. Little is known about the natural reproduction of Hemibagrus species. In aquaculture, the fish are stripped and the spawn artificially fertilized. It is assumed that both H. wyckii and H. wyckioides in the wild migrate to flooded areas during the rainy season and spawn there. There have been no reports to date of any kind of brood care.

For our customers: H. wyckii has code 437504, H. wyckioides code 421352 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia parkinsoni

5. July 2024

Melanotaenia parkinsoni is one of the few species of rainbowfish that are offered relatively regularly in the trade. The home of this maximum 14 cm long, but usually much smaller animal is in Papua New Guinea, in the Central Province. There are only confirmed specimens from the Kemp Welsh River, which is sometimes also referred to as the Wanigela River. The species was first collected in 1978 by Gerald Allen, who described it scientifically in 1980.

They are very similar to other rainbowfish species, which makes it very difficult to identify specimens from the pet trade (where the natural origin is unknown). The population originally collected by Allen, from which the majority of the animals living in aquariums around the world today probably originate, differs from all other species by its single-colored orange or yellow fins in combination with a dark border. There are yellow or orange horizontal stripes on the posterior body. In males, these stripes can merge to form large patches, which also only occurs in M. parkinsoni. Otherwise, the species is very similar to the widespread and extremely variable M. rubrostriata, but does not become as high-backed as the latter in old age.

In the hobby there is a color variant that is bright red instead of yellow/orange. As far as we know, this is a morph created by selection breeding. For some time now, however, there have also been morphs in which the differences to M. rubrostriata are very indistinct. Sometimes these animals show the plain yellow fins that are so typical of M. parkinsoni, but some also show a dot pattern in the fins on a blue or blue-green background, as is known from M. rubrostriata; all these colours appear within a batch.

As far as we know, only offspring of M. parkinsoni are available in the trade. We do not know whether the animals with the spotted fins are descendants of a more recent collection, a mutation or hybrids. As many rainbowfish species interbreed in the aquarium, it is the breeder’s responsibility to keep only one species in the breeding aquarium at any one time. Otherwise a mishmash can occur and the species may be lost to the hobby for a long time. 

For our customers: M. parkinsoni has code 428503 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chindongo socolofi “Albino” ( = Pseudotropheus socolofi)

28. June 2024

The question of whether an ornamental fish species is particularly popular can often be answered with “yes” if breeding forms exist. Breeding forms, whose characteristics either do not occur at all in nature or only occur extremely rarely in individual specimens, usually only arise when the natural form is bred on a large scale. The statistical probability of a spontaneous mutation occurring then increases considerably. Such a mutation can affect body color, body shape or fin development. 

One of the most common spontaneously occurring mutations is albinism, i.e. the complete or partial absence of color pigments. Albinos occur in all animals, including humans. The attitude towards albinos among pet owners could hardly be more different. For some, albinos in their pure white are a symbol of innocence, for others albinos are simply ugly. Because this ambivalent attitude means that only a part of the potential aquarist clientele is a potential buyer, it is no exaggeration to describe Chindongo socolofi “Albino” as a very popular ornamental fish, as it has been successfully bred in ornamental fish farms for over 20 years and – after all, that’s what matters – the animals always find their buyers!

In terms of care, expected final size, etc., the albinos do not differ from the stock form, which you can find out more about here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/chindongo-socolofi/

For our customers: the albino Socolofi have code 573211 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Parambassia lala

28. June 2024

The Indian glass perch (Parambassia lala, often placed in the monotypic genus Pseudambassis) is actually an old acquaintance (first introduction: 1905), but an incredible amount of nonsense has been and still is spread about it. For example, the rumor persists that the species is a brackish water fish. But it is not, it is only found in pure freshwater, where it lives in shoals. Due to confusion with other, similar species, it is also often claimed that P. lala grows up to 8 cm long. This is also wrong, P. lala never grows larger than 3-4 cm. 

The males of P. lala have beautifully bright blue, shining fringes in the dorsal and anal fins. When in breeding condition, three vertical black bars stand out clearly, which are otherwise often only indistinctly recognizable. Mating males turn a beautiful golden yellow and have orange tail fins, while the first dorsal fin turns a deep black. Care is easy, but P. lala does not eat dry food and must be offered frozen or live food. P. lala is completely peaceful with each other and with other fish.

For our customers: The animals have code 441282 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Opsarius koratensis

28. June 2024

Typical open water fish are very rarely kept in the aquarium. There is a simple reason for this: they are usually quite colorless. The Opsarius koratensis, which can grow to a maximum length of 10-12 cm (some sources even state 16 cm), is no exception. However, keeping these fish can still be very rewarding, as Opsarius koratensis are real “eye-catchers” in sufficiently large aquaria because they are extremely lively. 

The animals form a hierarchy among themselves; they should therefore be kept in as large a group as possible, from about seven specimens upwards. Opsarius are completely unproblematic when it comes to feeding. Due to their extreme agility, however, they have a high nutritional requirement and should therefore be fed several times a day. Scientific studies have shown that Opsarius koratensis prefers warmer water (around 30°C). However, the species is still very lively even at 22°C. Opsarius koratensis is indifferent to other species of fish, although slower species are easily coming too short when feeding. Plants are ignored. The chemical composition of the water is relatively unimportant, but the water should not be markedly acidic; pH values in the neutral to slightly alkaline range should be aimed for.

Opsarius koratensis is relatively widespread in Southeast Asia and colonizes the river systems of the Mekong, the Chao Phraya and the Xe Bangfai (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and parts of China). Clear to turbid, but always flowing waters are the species’ habitat. 

For our customers: the fish have code 439913 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Geophagus sp. Alto Sinu

28. June 2024

In 2016, French aquarists in Colombia discovered a new eartheater, which they named after the place where it was found in the Rio Cauca inlet – a Rio Sinu. However, this Rio Sinu is not identical to the much larger Rio Sinu of the same name in Colombia! For the exact locality see the article by Uwe Werner in DCG-Info 9/2023. This new Geophagus is a redhump eartheater ( = closer relationship of Geophagus steindachneri, G. crassilabris and G. pellegrini) with particularly splendid flank coloration. The entire group of redhump eartheaters needs to be revised and it must also be clarified whether they should actually remain in the genus Geophagus or whether they should be separated and transferred to a separate genus. Geophagus sp. Alto Sinu is considered by all aquarists to be clearly different from G. steindachneri and is therefore seen as an undescribed species. All redhump eartheaters grow to a length of 15-20 cm, burrow quite heavily at times and are maternal mouthbrooders.

Geophagus sp. Alto Sinu is a very typical redhump eartheater, but a particularly beautiful one. As with all redhump eartheaters, reports on its compatibility are contradictory. Some keepers describe it as extremely aggressive at times, others as lamblike. It is not sufficiently clear why this is the case. We can only say that the photographed animals, which are about 7-9 cm long and apparently sexually mature, are very peaceful with each other. They are German offspring.

For our customers: the animals have code 676574 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Gastromyzon sp. “Bloody Mary”

20. June 2024

The hillstream loaches of the genus Gastromyzon have developed an enormous diversity of species on the island of Borneo. The ichthyologist Tan first analyzed this diversity in 2006 and described no less than 15 new species in his book “The Borneo Suckers”. Since then, a total of 36 species of the genus have been known from Borneo, but more have already become known aquaristically. We have now been able to import three species that have apparently not yet been scientifically recorded, and we would like to introduce you to the most spectacular of these first: Bloody Mary.

However, our Gastromyzon does not kill anyone like Queen Mary I, who was given the gruesome nickname because of her persecution of Protestants in the mid-16th century. Its nickname refers to the blood-red markings at the base of the dorsal fin and on the upper side of the caudal peduncle. If you follow Tan’s group classifications according to anatomical features, you will find that a postoral pouch is missing, as is a secondary rostrum (a rostrum is a snout process), and the gill opening is angular. This leads to the Gastromyzon fasciatus group, which consists of two described species: G. fasciatus and G. praestans. Bloody Mary is not identical to either species.

Our supplier gave us the area of Pankalan Bun, in the very south of Borneo, as the origin of the three species. However, only Bloody Mary and the species G. sp. “Blue” (to be presented later) occur together, while G. sp. “Red” (we will also present this species shortly) is found in another body of water in the area. Both sexes of G. sp. “Bloody Mary” show the same coloration, and both sexes also have the horny snout pimples. The females are only slightly smaller and slimmer. As the fish (there were 2.2 in the photo tank) were busy mating here and probably also spawning, we can say that the males become very dark, almost black, during courtship. During courtship, the male rides up to the female and sometimes almost completely covers her body.

The new spectacular sucker is by no means sensitive; although the animals were severely infected with Picinoodinum, they survived this dreaded infection without any losses. So we can only hope that Gastromyzon sp. “Bloody Mary” will become a permanent addition in the aquarium trade.

For our customers: the animals have code 416597 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia fasinensis

20. June 2024

The Bird’s Head Peninsula is part of the large island of New Guinea. It is located in the northwest of New Guinea and belongs politically to Indonesia (West Papua). For rainbowfish enthusiasts, it is currently the holy land, as the Bird’s Head Peninsula is a hotspot of diversity for this group of fish. The most well-known rainbowfish from there is the blue-yellow Melanotaenia boesemani. Almost all species only occur in a comparatively small or very small area, although it should be borne in mind that it is anything but easy to travel there and collect fish. Nevertheless, it is important to take a very close look at the population development of the fish in the region. Due to the Indonesian resettlement policy, which consists of creating a great incentive for people from overpopulated regions (especially on Java) to move to sparsely populated areas, many new residents come to the Bird’s Head Peninsula, bringing their favorite food fish with them. These are mainly African cichlids (Tilapia), snakeheads (Channa striata) and gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus). These are released locally and pose an extreme risk of extinction for the native fish fauna; invertebrates and aquatic plants are of course also affected.

One of the brightest stars of the birdhead rainbowfishes is Melanotaenia fasinensis. This beautiful fish was scientifically described in 2010 and first collected alive in 2013 by Hans-Georg Evers and Jeffrey Christian. The species name “fasinensis” refers to the river (in Indonesian, a river is called Sungai) Fasin. Since then, many rainbow fans have been dreaming of this magnificent species, which is obviously tricky to breed on a large scale.

Observing these beautiful fish in the aquarium, one involuntarily thinks of a chameleon, as they change color quickly and frequently. This and the difficulty in distinguishing the sexes are certainly the reasons why this fish is still comparatively rare and expensive. Of course, every child can recognize a mating male by its magnificent red-orange colouring, but discoloured animals (e.g. when caught) do not make it easy for the observer. In addition, there are obviously slender and high-backed males, but also high-backed females; in many other Melanotaenia species only the males are high-backed. Apart from that, however, we think it is only a matter of time before these beauties are available at affordable prices for all interested aquarists.

For our customers: M. fasinensis has code 427494 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Canthophrys gongota ( = Somileptus gongota)

20. June 2024

The moose faced loach from India is a very unusual representative of its family. Although there are many loach species that burrow, Canthophrys gongota has perfected this behavior. In its natural habitat, the rivers in the north of Bengal, it lives where the bottom is made up of fine sand. Here it likes to bury itself completely and only its eyes, which protrude high above its head, look out of the sand. 

The areas of origin are higher regions. The animals therefore require temperatures of 16-24°C and very clean, low-germ water. The pH value and hardness are of secondary importance (in nature pH around 7, hardness around 8°GH). The fish are very peaceful, their maximum size is 12 cm. C. gongota will eat pretty much any common ornamental fish food, but you have to be very careful with some types of food. Poor quality frozen food can lead to explosive bacterial growth, which will quickly kill the loaches. Inadequately washed Tubifex will also quickly send such fish to fish heaven. Similarly, too much dry food should not be given, as leftover food can quickly lead to a high bacterial load. For these reasons, moose faced  loaches are to be classified as demanding fish for experienced enthusiasts.

For our customers: the animals have code 455393 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Tanichthys albonubes Gold-Red

13. June 2024

A new breeding form of the well-known white cloud: Gold-Red. It is very interesting that you can recognize all possible intermediate stages of the two parent forms by this not yet completely bred form: the golden white cloud, which shows mostly black pigmentation in the belly area with a basically yellowish body coloration, and the long finned form with a particularly high red portion in the coloration, which is often called “linni” in the trade (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/tanichthys-zuchtform-linni-schleier-xxl/). This is unusual insofar as crossing between two breeding forms/mutations usually does not result in intermediate forms (i.e. forms lying between the two initial forms), but usually one of the colour forms dominates in colour over the other, so that the offspring look uniform in colour despite their crossbreeding character. Intermediate colourings are usually only obtained by crossing two species, not by crossing two breeding forms (which belong to the same species).

Well: probably very few aquarists care about genetics, but simply enjoy beautiful, lively and colorful fish. And these are Tanichthys albonubes Gold-Red – they come from a German breeder by the way – definitely!

For our customers: the animals have code 457523 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Caridina multidentata “Yellow”

13. June 2024

After the new breeding forms “Snow” and “Orange” (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/31-crayfishes-shrimps-crabs-snails-mussels/caridina-multidentata-orange-and-snow/), the Asian professional breeders have now apparently established a third color form of the Amano shrimp: “Yellow”.

The yellow Amano shrimp (zoologically speaking, all Amano shrimps belong to the same species, namely Caridina multidentata) also has no care requirements that differ from the original form. All four color variants (natural, snow, orange and yellow) can be wonderfully combined with each other to create a varied picture. General information on the Amano shrimp can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/31-crayfishes-shrimps-crabs-snails-mussels/amano-shrimp-now-also-available-as-german-offspring/

We have also made a short movie about these shrimps, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSAE-gBQz-g

For our customers: the Amano shrimp Yellow has code 481510 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Rineloricaria eigenmanni

13. June 2024

There is no consensus among ichthyologists (= fish experts) as to the correct generic name for the whiptail catfish of the narrower Rineloricaria relationship. Some group all species together as Rineloricaria, others divide these fish into Rineloricaria and Hemiloricaria. Rineloricaria in the broadest sense is very species-rich, currently 64 species are recognized and there are many more that have not yet been scientifically recorded. DNA studies have shown that Rineloricaria in the broadest sense is polyphyletic, meaning that it will have to be divided into several genera in the long term. However, as there is still a long way to go, we are calling everything Rineloricaria for the time being.

We often receive shipments of beautiful Rineloricaria from Colombia, consisting of two to three species. The only certainty is that they come from the Orinoco catchment. We were told that they were found in the Rio Chacu, but we have not yet been able to locate that river. The current checklist of Colombian freshwater fishes (DoNascimiento et al., 2017) only lists two species for the Orinoco, R. eigenmanni and R. formosa. The occurrence of R. lanceolata (or a possibly still undescribed species that looks very similar to R. lanceolata) is also relatively well documented. In addition, we occasionally receive a fourth species from the Orinoco of Colombia, which has so far successfully resisted all attempts at identification. 

Sometimes they come mixed, sometimes well sorted, such as Rineloricaria eigenmanni at the moment. The species is easily recognized by the broad dark stripe in the dorsal fin, which can sometimes be reduced to a deep black spot at the front base of the fin and another in the upper quarter of the fin. The three other Colombian species from the Orinoco have a clearly different dorsal fin pattern: R. formosa has only a black dot at the tip of the dorsal fin, in R. lanceolata the front vertical half of the dorsal fin is heavily pigmented and in R. sp. the dorsal fin pattern consists only of an irregular, fine dot pattern.

Males of R. eigenmanni in full mating season develop a dense bristling not only as a cheek beard, but also on the back and on the upper side of the pectoral fins. Apart from this, the sexes can best be distinguished from above. In females, the line between the pectoral and pelvic fins is always slightly convex, in males straight to very slightly concave. 

For care and breeding of these beautiful fish, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10b-catfishes-suckermouths-plecos-and-l-numbers/hemiloricaria_eigenmanni_en/ 

For our customers: Rineloricaria eigenmanni has code 287754 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hydrolycus armatus Orinoco

13. June 2024

Once more we were able to import this breathtaking animal from the Rio Orinoco. Anyone who is interested in this species should take the chance now, because this fish is available only a few weeks each year.

For more informations on the species please see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hydrolycus_armatus_en-2/ and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hydrolycus_armatus_en/

For our customers: the animals have code 259362 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Betta unimaculata

7. June 2024

Modern labyrinth fish science began in the 1980s. At that time, enthusiastic labyrinth fish enthusiasts joined together to form international associations. The world opened up to travelers and areas in Southeast Asia could be visited that had previously only been known from maps. One of the first Betta species to enter the hobby at that time was Betta unimaculata – or what was thought to be Betta unimaculata. 

This magnificent fighting fish is a very peaceful species. It is mouthbrooding and can reach lengths of around 10 cm. The only real difficulty in keeping them is preventing them from jumping out of the aquarium. In the wild, they inhabit small streams where they often have to jump over small waterfalls and feed mainly on flying terrestrial insects. These fighting fish have therefore perfected their jumping skills to perfection and can unerringly find any gap in the aquarium cover, no matter how small. 

Today we know that there are more than 30 species/subspecies/location variants of these large fighting fish on Borneo. Horst Linke has just published (May 2024) a splendid monograph on these fish. Some species in the narrower relationship group are easy to recognize, such as Betta macrostoma, while others can hardly be distinguished even by the most sophisticated specialists. Unfortunately, the latter includes Betta unimaculata, which has at least one barely distinguishable sibling species: B. ocellata. 

The first “Betta unimaculata” that Horst Linke brought back from Tawau on Borneo in 1980 (and this strain still exists in the hobby today!) were/are, according to current knowledge, B. ocellata. The countable and measurable values that have been investigated so far overlap in B. unimaculata and B. ocellata. Until 2005, B. ocellata was therefore considered a synonym of B. unimaculata. In a study on the fighting fishes from Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, the scientists Tan & Ng removed B. ocellata from the synonymy. The most obvious difference between B. unimaculata and B. ocellata is said to be the pattern of the caudal fin of the males. In B. unimaculata the intermediate fin membranes are clearly striped or spotted, in B. ocellata they are colorless. Unfortunately, however, this characteristic also appears to be quite variable. Almost all Betta of this group reported as “Betta unimaculata” in the aquaristic literature before 2005 were B. ocellata according to current knowledge. The animals we can offer right now are “true” B. unimaculata, if you go by the fin coloration, B. ocellata, if you go by the head profile – or a still scientifically undescribed species, because a lot of research is still needed to clarify this species complex satisfactorily.

We currently have a fully-grown stock from a private breeder. They are perfect for catching the virus of labyrinth fish enthusiasm in general and fighting fish enthusiasm in particular – an extremely pleasant and long-lasting “disease”!

For our customers: the animals have code 392104 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Xyliphius cf. lepturus and X. cf. melanurus

7. June 2024

Once again we succeeded in importing some specimens of these strange, naturally almost blind banjo catfish, this time from Colombia. For our first import and further information see here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10c-catfishes-remaining-catfish-from-south-america/xyliphius-cf-lepturus/

This time there are apparently two species in the import. Unfortunately, only one specimen probably belongs to the species Xyliphius melanopterus, recognizable by the light dorsal stripe. The remaining specimens appear to be X. cf. lepturus. However, two color forms can be found here, which are described in the book “Banjos, Dorads and Woodcats” by Steven Grant (2021) as males (unicolored) and females (bicolored).

We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-FaAFNxh_w

For our customers: X. cf. lepturus have code 203464, X. cf. melanurus has 299454 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hypancistrus inspector “L102, Snowball Pleco”

7. June 2024

L102 is one of the plecos that has long been known in the hobby and was given its L number back in 1992. These animals originated from the lower Rio Negro in Brazil and were soon given the popular name “Snowball Pleco” because of the large white spots on a black background. The species was scientifically described 10 years later, in 2002, based on specimens from the Rio Casiquiare, which connects the Rio Negro with the Orinoco, usually up to 15 cm, sometimes even up to 20 cm long. The locality was about 10 km upstream of the Rio Negro in Venezuela. 

There are a whole host of color variations in this Hypancistrus, even within one population. Some “inspectors” even have their own L-numbers. Nobody knows whether these are selected animals, locality variants, ecotypes or even genetically distinct species or subspecies of H. inspector. They all have the typical dark fringe along the dorsal fin.

The fact is that specimens with relatively small spots have been on the market for some time now. We are therefore delighted to have received some real “snowballs” from Brazil that really deserve this name!

You can find more information about some forms here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10b-catfishes-suckermouths-plecos-and-l-numbers/l102_hypancistrus_inspector_en/ and here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10b-catfishes-suckermouths-plecos-and-l-numbers/l501-hypanacistrus-sp-mitu-2/

For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 102-3 on our stock list and are 8-11 cm long. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Microglanis “poecilus”

10. May 2024

The genus Microglanis consists of small to very small catfish with a maximum length of between 2.5 and 8 cm, depending on the species. All species come from South America. Until 1950, only 6 species were differentiated; currently the number of species is 30, with 17 species alone being described after the year 2000. Only 3 species are known from the north of South America, i.e. Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas: M. iheringeri, M. poecilus and M. secundus. It is extremely likely that there are still a number of undescribed species there too. In the trade, the Microglanis from Colombia are fairly uniformly referred to as M. poecilus. However, it is very often M. iheringeri or a species that is very similar to M. iheringeri; both hardly differ in color from M. poecilus. M. secundus is also very similar to the species mentioned so far. As can be seen from the introduction, it is currently almost impossible to correctly identify Colombian dwarf bumblebee catfish, but this is not so important, as none of the species appear to exceed 5 cm in total length, and most of them remain considerably smaller. Only those with breeding intentions should take care to always purchase specimens from a single import in order to avoid accidental production of hybrids.

Microglanis are sociable and completely peaceful animals, but very greedy. This must always be taken into account. Fish up to about half the body length of the Microglanis are regarded as food. The dwarf bumblebee catfish are nocturnal and like to hide during the day. After acclimatization, however, they also come out of their hiding places during the day when they are fed. Breeding is rarely practiced, but is possible. These animals do not practice broodcare. The spawn is deposited in portions on aquatic plants etc. In terms of water parameters, Microglanis are completely undemanding, any tap water is suitable for keeping them, but soft and slightly acidic water is required for breeding. The water temperature can be between 22 and 28°C. They will eat any standard ornamental fish food of a suitable size, Microglanis do not care for plants.

For our customers: the Microglanis from Colombia have code 268401 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia splendida

10. May 2024

The second species of rainbowfish of the genus Melanotaenia that was ever scientifically described was M. splendida. This was in 1866 and the description of the species is based on specimens from the Fitzroy River in Queensland, Australia. The species seemed so unusual to Peters, who first described it, that he even created a new genus for it, Nematocentris. However, he overlooked the fact that the genus Melanotaenia had already been created by Gill in 1862 for the very first species of this genus – described as Atherina nigrans in 1843. While the generic affiliation of M. splendida is undisputed today, there is no consensus on how the numerous locality forms in Australia should be evaluated. Depending on which species concept the individual scientists follow, they are seen as either variants, subspecies or independent species.

The beautiful M. splendida that we received from Singapore show quite clearly that these are not purely academic debates, but that these things also have a practical significance. Unfortunately, the population to which the ancestors of these fish belonged is not known. All over the world, fish species are dying out because their environment is being altered. Many species of fish that are extinct in the wild or highly endangered can only be preserved for future generations of humans by breeding them in aquaria. This is already quite successful, but it is also necessary to breed on a population level and absolutely species-pure. After all, the distant goal is that these animals will one day be able to swim freely in their original habitat and be part of a natural ecosystem. 

If you are simply interested in colorful fish and perhaps want to earn your first spurs with breeding, M. splendida from Singapore is a very good choice; they are beautiful fish! However, if you are more interested, you should turn to specialized communities such as the IRG (Internationale Gesellschaft für Regenbogenfische) or the ANGFA (Australian New Guinea Fishes Association). However, we in the trade also endeavor to pass on this important information to our customers whenever we are offered locality forms.

For our customers: the M. splendida from Singapore photographed for this post have code 428903 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Clithon sowerbianum “Pink Lady”

10. May 2024

Like most neritine snails, Clithon sowerbianum, known as the mini neritine snail, is extremely variably colored. As early as the 19th century, a number of variants were therefore scientifically named, but these are no longer considered to be of systematic importance. However, it must be clearly stated that the identification of the 57 accepted Clithon species (according to the international scientific database WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species)) is a matter for specialists.

Ultimately, however, the exate species identification of Clithon is rather irrelevant from an aquaristic point of view, as all species remain small (around 2 cm), live in fresh and brackish water, are good algae eaters and do not reproduce without special breeding aquariums with seawater. They are therefore similar in their care requirements.

More recently, in Southeast Asia, the home of these snails, the exporters have begun to  sort them according to color. A particularly popular color sorting of Clithon sowerbianum is “Pink Lady”, in which a deep pink base coloration is the selection criterion. However, the shell colouration of C. sowerbianum is so variable that you can actually recognize almost any individual by it. It seems to behave like the fingerprints of us humans. Fascinating, isn’t it?

For our customers: “Pink Lady” has code 485490 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Rineloricaria cf. sanga

7. May 2024

We received Rineloricaria from the Brazil-Uruguay border region. The genus Rineloricaria is extremely species-rich with currently 72 accepted species and new species are constantly being added. Unfortunately, there is no complete overview of the genus, making identification extremely difficult. The southern Rineloricaria are also particularly tricky because only a few live observations have been made to date.

The majority of our freshly imported specimens exhibit a combination of features that are quite rare within the genus, namely a ventral side completely covered with bony plates and an elongated upper caudal fin filament. Of the species described, only Rineloricaria sanga fits this description. This whiptail catfish was described in 2008 from the catchment area of the Rio Uruguay (more precisely: Iraí, Sanga das Aguas Frias, about 100 meters from the Uruguay River, 27°12’S, 53°17’W, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). The largest specimen measured was 10 cm long (without caudal fin). Accordingly, our specimens should be fully grown.

Due to the complexity of identification, we have decided to refer to our imports as R. cf. sanga, as we cannot rule out the possibility that it is a very similar species that has not yet been scientifically recorded.

It is also interesting that the import also contains a few specimens of a second Rineloricaria species that cannot be classified at all. In this species, the upper caudal fin filament is also elongated, but the belly is only covered with bony plates on the sides. The species is also flatter and has a different pattern. We have given this species the provisional name Rineloricaria sp. Uruguay. Unfortunately, the two species are very similar in their fright coloration. To tell them apart for sure, you have to examine the ventral plates.

So far, keeping these fish has not caused any difficulties. It is to be expected that they can be bred as easily as the other Rineloricaria.

For our customers: the animals have code 289120 on our stocklist. It is not possible for us to sort the two species R. cf. sanga and R. sp. Uruguay. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Panque suttonorum ( = P. suttoni)

7. May 2024

In the 1980s, the blue-eyed Panque was one of the most common loricariid catfishes on the market. Incidentally, the correct name is Panaque suttonorum. For unknown reasons, the animals are hardly available nowadays. There are a lot of rumors that an environmental disaster is to blame or that a madman has poisoned the river or that the Colombian drug mafia controls the fishing area. Be that as it may, fortunately the species cannot be extinct, as we occasionally get a few specimens from Colombia. We also currently have beautiful specimens with bright blue eyes in our stock, which are around 18-22 cm long.

The different spellings of the species name (suttoni/suttonorum) are based on Latin grammar. The describer of the species, Leonard P. Schultz, named the species in 1944 in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Sutton, to whom Schultz was very grateful for their hospitality during the time he lived at the Lago Petroleum Corporation camp on Lake Maracibo in Venezuela. So the species was described in honor of two people, ergo the plural gender must be used, which ends in -orum, while the ending -i represents the singular gender.

For our customers: the animal has code 275006 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Fundulopanchax gardneri nigerianus

7. May 2024

Fundulopanchax gardneri nigerianus is one of the very few species of killifish that are regularly found in the trade. It is highly likely that many of the fish bred today still originate from the old strain from Akure in Nigeria, which was introduced to Denmark in 1957. In 1963 Clausen described Aphyosemion nigerianum scientifically on the basis of specimens collected in a swamp near Arum.

Nowadays, it is assumed that there are several subspecies of the species Fundulopanchax gardneri, which are represented in the hobby with different locality forms. Care should always be taken to breed these fish “unmixed”. The outwardly easily recognizable difference between nigerianus and other subspecies is the colouring of the anal fin. In nigerianus it is adorned with a red central band, the edge of the fin is yellow. In the other gardneri subspecies, this fin is dotted red and/or has no yellow edge.

This robust killifish is easy to care for and breed. Life expectancy is 2-3 years. The males are constantly engaged in rivalry with each other. These exhibition fights are basically harmless, but always lead to slight fin damage, which heals quickly without the need for treatment. The maximum size of the species is around 7 cm.

These fish should not be kept too warm (18-24°C) and they need plenty of food because they grow quickly. Well-planted aquaria with floating plants on the surface and dead leaves on the bottom ensure that the wonderful colors of the fish are shown to their best advantage.

For our customers: the animals have code 308404 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras reticulatus

6. May 2024

We are once again able to offer fully grown Corydoras reticulatus from Peru. C. reticulatus can be easily distinguished from the similar species Corydoras sodalis (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10a-catfishes-corydoras-co/corydoras-sodalis-2/) by the deep black spot on the dorsal fin.

The maximum length of C. reticulatus is around 6-7 cm in total, including the caudal fin. The species makes no special demands on care. Medium water values, temperatures in the range of 22-26°C and a sandy bottom, company of conspecifics: these are the key data for successful care. A special feature of this species are the extremely pointed fin spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which make it very easy for them to get tangled in the net. The risk is reduced (but by no means eliminated) if the nets used are as fine-meshed as possible. However, it is better to catch these animals with a large cup.

For our customers: the animals have code 243506 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Notropis lutipinnis

6. May 2024

The small fishes of North America are rather unknown in Europe. Yet the genus Notropis alone includes 91 accepted species! Many of them are very colorful at spawning time. In their native country Notropis species are called “shiners” in the sense of a shining object, so much do the colors of these fish shine. But unfortunately they only show this from time to time. Especially the juveniles are quite inconspicuous. 

Notropis lutipinnis is native to the Atlantic side of the continent in the USA and is found from the Santee River in North Carolina to the Altamaha River, upper Chattahoochee River and upper Coosa River system in Georgia; further occurrences are known from the Little Tennessee River system in North Carolina. Here it inhabits smaller standing and flowing waters with rocky bottoms and clear water in the headwaters of the above rivers. The species reaches a length of about 7.5 cm including the caudal fin. They are peaceful schooling fish, roughly comparable in aquarium biology to our native minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus). Feeding is done with all common ornamental fish food of suitable size, any tap water suitable as drinking water is also suitable for the care of the fish.

We can now offer for the first time offspring of this beautiful species and thank the breeder very much for providing us with pictures of the courtship active parents. The whitish animals are by no means the females, but simply specimens that are not in spawning mood. Females that are ready to spawn differ only slightly in color from the males.

According to their origin, Notropis lutipinnis are “energy-saving fish” that do not require additional heating in the indoor aquarium. In summer they can also be kept outdoors. The occurrence of the species between 35°N – 33°N corresponds – very roughly speaking – to the climate in the Mediterranean region, i.e. with mild winters, in which, however, snow may well fall once in a while.

For our customers: the animals have code 439691 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text Frank Schäfer, photos Aquarium Glaser & Frank Schäfer

Apistogramma norberti

6. May 2024

The 1990s were a decade in which many new dwarf cichlid species were discovered and scientifically described. This was made possible by the combination of good travel opportunities and tolerant export policies, the emerging Internet and the resulting considerably simplified global communication. Apistogramma noberti, a species from Peru that was scientifically described in 1991, was also discovered in this way.

This beautiful species with mostly blue basic coloration is a typical representative of the cockatoo group (Apistogramma cacatuoides complex). A. noberti is reliably distinguished from the other species in this group by a black spot in the soft part of the dorsal fin and a rounded caudal fin. This combination of markings does not occur in any other Apistogramma male.

Since A. noberti was found by traveling aquarists and scientists, there is a detailed description of the location where it was found, a left-sided tributary of the Quebrada Nuevo Horizonte, which belongs to the drainage of the lower Rio Tahuayo. In the wild, this species inhabits a 1-2 m wide forest stream.It was collected during the dry season, when there was little water in the stream bed.The ground was covered with fallen leaves and dead wood and the Apistogramma hid among the leaves. At the time of measurement (11 a.m.), the water was clear, yellowish, 24°C, had a conductivity of 10 microsiemens, a KH of 2° dH and a pH of 5.9. The most important measurement is certainly the temperature, because in the rainy season, when the stream has a lot of water, it is certainly much cooler.

A. noberti is often shy in the aquarium at first, but this will change after acclimatization.Like all Apistogramma species, it should be kept on a sandy substrate. Apart from that, all the usual conditions that you should normally provide for these rightly very popular fish in the aquarium apply.

For our customers: the fish have code 625203 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Nannostomus trifasciatus

6. May 2024

Sometimes you almost forget how incredibly beautiful traditional aquarium fish are due to the large number of interesting and colorful new imports. 

The Threestripe pencilfish, Nannostomus trifasciatus, is one of the most beautiful of them all. According to the huge distribution area of the species (Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana and Peru), there are numerous color variants that could one day turn out to be independent species. The photographed animals that we currently have in stock come from Brazil and are exported via Manaus.

For our customers: The fish have code 272305 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Nannostomus: from ancient Greek, means “with a tiny mouth”. trifasciatus: Latin, means “with three stripes”.

Common name: Threestripe pencilfish

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Serrasalmus eigenmanni

6. May 2024

The systematics of piranhas is undisputedly one of the most complicated and complex sub-disciplines of fish science (ichthyology). There are several reasons for this. Piranhas are extremely common and conspicuous fish that are very easy to catch. As early as the 18th and 19th centuries, several species were described and named, often based on individual specimens and characteristics that we now know are unsuitable for distinguishing species. In the course of their lives, piranhas also change their body shape and coloration considerably. Genetic studies (DNA) have also shown that there are more species than previously thought, many of which have not yet been scientifically studied. As a result, in many cases a living piranha, whose location is usually either completely unknown or only vaguely specified, can only be assigned to one of the currently 44 generally accepted species, which are divided into 5 genera, with great reservation. 

The coloration of the caudal fin has proven to be a very reliable characteristic in piranha identification. In the size classes 5-25 cm – and these are the sizes usually encountered in aquaristics – the coloration of the caudal fin appears to be species-specific. In smaller animals it is often not yet pronounced, in larger ones the caudal fin can become completely black. 

The combination of V-shaped markings in the caudal fin, which has no dark edge, a relatively deep body and a comparatively short head makes it very likely that the beautiful piranhas we have from time to time stocked from Brazil belong to the species Serrasalmus eigenmanni. However, this species name probably conceals several species in reality. We do not even want to completely rule out the possibility that our animals are a Pristobrycon species that has not yet been scientifically identified. The silver-colored fluorescent spot on the caudal peduncle is particularly peculiar in our animals. 

Serrasalmus species are solitary animals, unlike the well-known Pygocentrus piranhas. Please do not be tempted by the photos to try keeping them in pairs. This only works for a few hours, then the shreds fly. This is to be understood literally. S. eigenmanni should grow to around 20 cm in length and develop long fins during the spawning season.

For our customers: the animals have code 291605 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia goldiei „Kafiamke“

6. May 2024

This species of rainbowfish from Papua New Guinea was scientifically described as early as 1883. However, it was not until around 100 years later that the first specimens were introduced into aquaria outside Australia, although M. goldiei is one of the most common and widespread species in the southern part of the island. As is usual with rainbowfishes with a wide distribution, there are numerous locality variants, some of which differ considerably in color. As these animals grow slowly and juveniles are inconspicuously silvery, this species is rarely found in the trade. The adult specimens that we can currently offer are captive-bred from Indonesia; we have no further information on these impressive animals.

With a maximum total length of around 14 cm – females generally remain somewhat smaller – M. goldiei is one of the larger species, but they usually only grow to a maximum length of 12 cm. Old males are extremely high-backed. Color differences between the sexes are often only slightly pronounced; it is best to look at the second dorsal fin, which is significantly less colorful in females than in males. Like all rainbowfishes, this species spawns in fine plants etc. and does not breed. In most M. goldiei habitats, the water is slightly alkaline or neutral and the temperature is between 24 and 30°C. The fish are generally considered to be very adaptable and well suited to aquarium maintenance.

For our customers: the fish have code 427533 (8-10 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Gasterosteus aculeatus

3. May 2024

The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is one of the species native to Europe that everyone should know and every aquarist should have kept at least once. Entire books could be written about this incredibly adaptable fish – and many have been.

Nevertheless, it is still poorly understood from a purely scientific point of view. The freshwater form – as we offer it from domestic pond breeding for the trade – is seen by some authors as a separate species, which would be called Gasterosteus gymnurus. However, the majority of scientists do not follow this view and see G. gymnurus as a synonym of G. aculeatus.

Because so much has already been written about sticklebacks, we will only give the aquaristically relevant key data here: Water temperature 10-25°C (completely hardy in the open); water values basically unimportant, but medium values are most favorable; structurally rich and well-planted aquarium, preferably with sandy bottom; outside the breeding season schooling fish; males during brood care with deep red throat and extremely territorial, then if possible keep only one male and several females per aquarium. The male builds a nest of plant material at the bottom of the aquarium in which it spawns with several females; the eggs and young are guarded by the male until they are free swimming. Dry food is usually disdained, but frozen food is readily accepted. 

Our animals are kept outdoors; they can be placed directly in garden ponds. If you plan to keep them indoors, you should allow 2-3 days to acclimatize the fish to the higher temperatures as slowly as possible.

Please remember that fish from the trade should never be released. This also applies to native species in particular, as they can inadvertently introduce many diseases into a wild population, leading to mass mortality among the original native wild animals!

For our customers: The animals have code 884004 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Heros sp. Turquoise Lago Juá

3. May 2024

The genus Heros is in urgent need of scientific revision. The current five generally recognized species only represent a small part of the populations now known. It is often almost impossible to choose a reliable species name, which is why in many cases it is now simply omitted. They are called Heros sp. and an actual or assumed indication of origin is added.

This is also the case here. Lago do Juá is the mouth of the Rio Tapajós near the city of Santarem in the state of Pará in Brazil. Frank Warzel and fellow travelers brought animals from there to Germany back in the 1990s (which was completely legal at the time!) and also bred them. At that time they were called Heros sp. Tapajós. There have been several reports about these fish in the hobby press, the most recent of which appeared in DCG-Info 11/2022, pages 282-290 by Uwe Werner.

Turquoise (or blue) heros have also been known for a while, although their origin is not entirely clear. They are said to come from the Rio Madeira inlet. In both forms (i.e. the one from the Tapajós and the blue one) the males usually show a deep red worm pattern on the face, females usually have no markings there. 

We have now again received very beautifully colored heros, already colored in early youth as “Turquoise Lago Juá” from a European breeder. The animals photographed are 7-9 cm long, Heros species consistently reach 15-20 cm in length. We first received such fish from this breeder in April 2023. We do not know whether this is a selective breeding or a pure wild form; incidentally, two different forms of Heros have since been identified from the Rio Tapajós. What is striking, however, is that the males of the “Turquoise Lago Juá” have large red spots on their faces and no worm line pattern, as is the case with the two other Heros from the Tapajós and also with the “Blue Heros” from the Madeira.

Heros sp. Turquoise Lago Juá are in any case beautiful fish. Care and breeding are the same as for other Heros in the region, i.e. relatively high temperatures (28-32°C) and clear, very clean water, which should be soft and slightly acidic, at least for breeding. Heros need a high proportion of plant food in their diet, which is important to bear in mind. Heros species have been permanently represented as classics in the aquarium hobby for over 100 years, so there is plenty of good specialist literature on these fish.

For our customers: Heros sp. Turquoise Lago Juá has code 682988 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Caridina haivanensis

3. May 2024

Dwarf shrimps of the genera Caridina, Paracaridina and Neocaridina have become an integral part of the aquarium hobby. In countless wild species, color variants and cultivated forms, they delight nature lovers all over the world. It is hard to believe that these little animals were practically unknown in the hobby 30 years ago! Parallel to the aquaristic discovery of dwarf shrimps, the focus of science turned to these small creatures and new species were and are constantly being identified and described.

One such species is Caridina haivanensis, named after the high-altitude Hai Van Mountain Pass between the provinces of Thua Thien – Hue and Da Nang in central Vietnam. This was done in 2010 by the Vietnamese scientists Do Van Tu and Dang Ngoc Thanh; it should be noted that in these cases the surname is given first. The scientific citation of the species is therefore Caridina haivanensis Do & Dang, 2010, and not, as is sometimes read, Caridina haivanensis Tu & Thanh, 2010. In the hobby, the species became known from 2012 as “Princess Bee”, which refers to the “little crown” that the species displays in contrast to other similar bee shrimps. It is probably also identical to the “Racoon Tiger Shrimp”. We import these animals from Vietnam.

In accordance with its origin, this bee shrimp should not be kept too warm. 16-22°C is a favorable temperature range, some current is good, the water should be rather soft and in the slightly acidic to neutral range. Plenty of dead wood, dead leaves and stones are suitable as furnishings. The animals, which are a maximum of 35 mm long (males always remain smaller), also find plenty of natural food here. Otherwise they will eat all the usual foods that have proved successful in dwarf shrimp keeping. The juveniles are relatively small and for good breeding results should therefore also be fed with dusty food.

For our customers: the animals have 481692 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterophyllum “Zebra”

3. May 2024

We do not know exactly when and where the zebra scalar was bred. In his monograph on angelfish, completed in 1977 but not printed until 1979, Paepke states that he was unable to find any sources. At this time, there were already several breeding lines of the zebra scalar, whose characteristic breed feature is the presence of an additional vertical stripe in the body pattern. The zebra angels most probably originated in the 1960s in the large scalar breeding facilities in the USA, where several other variants were also bred.

The animals that we have just received from one of our German breeders are – in our opinion – particularly pretty. They have red irises, lots of attractive spots on their bodies and beautifully marked fins.

For our customers: the animals have code 695002 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Amatitlania (formerly Cichlasoma) nigrofasciata Marble

3. May 2024

The Convict cichlid Amatitlania (formerly Cichlasoma) nigrofasciata is no longer a novelty: it has been kept and bred in aquaria since 1939. The first aquarium specimens of this fish, which is widely distributed in Central America, came from Lakes Atitlan and Amatitlan in Guatemala. The genus to which the greenfin cichlid currently belongs was named after the latter.

As early as the 1960s, a unicolored flesh-colored variant appeared in breeding and since then the “little pigs” have also found their fans. The marble variant is “new”. It emerged by chance in 1992 in large breedings of the single-colored animals in Florida and became quite popular locally. They first spilled over the pond to South East Asia, where the industrious professional breeders are always on the lookout for interesting novelties, from there to Europe and the animals we are currently offering were obtained from a Czech breeder.

Apart from the coloration, which is different for each individual, they are typical Convict cichlids that roam the aquarium like a pack of wild boars, investigating every corner for food and are always up for a fight. You can almost hear them squeaking…

For our customers: the animals have code 655922 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Chaca chaca

26. April 2024

These catfish have their funny name due to the fact that they make croaking sounds when taken out of the water. These sounds are decribed onomatopoeicly as „chaca“ by the natives. Usually Chaca chaca is imported from Bengal; the species is pretty common, but only seldom available, as it is not eaten by the local people. The up to 15-20 cm long animals are considered to be to ugly to be eaten and some people also think that the meat is poisonous. Moreover the fish is feared, because one can easily step on it when it is burrowed in the sand. Then the dorsal spine stings; this is most probably not venomous, but inflicts nevertheless nasty wounds which can become easily infested by bacteria.

Chaca are sit-and-wait hunters and do not move during daytime unless it is absolutely necessary. The small skin lappets are used as bait for potential prey. The fish lies moveless and imitates a stone covered with algae. When a small fish or a shrimp tries to feed from these algae an enormous mouth opens and thats it. Chaca chaca is able to swallow fish up the half size of their own body length. When Chaca chaca is very well settled in the aquarium it also swims around in the night and searches for food actively.

One should keep Chaca chaca in tanks with sandy bottom and dead leaves. Some peaceful and quiet other fish are recommended as company. Of course they have to be large enough not be swallowed. These companions help to show the keeper that the water chemistry in the tank is fine, for Chaca will usually not show any signs of indisposition until it is too late. Although it does not fit geographically at all: angels (Pterophyllum) are good company for Chaca.

For our customers: the fish have code 408305 (18-22 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Chondrostoma nasus

26. April 2024

The nase (Chondrostoma nasus) is a carp fish, usually 25-30 cm, maximum 50 cm long, which is native to Central Europe and Western Asia. As the species has relatively high demands on water quality, populations have declined sharply in many places, but the nase is currently considered „least „concern“ overall. Unfortunately, nase has also been introduced into areas (e.g. the Rhone in France) where it was not originally native. There they are displacing originally native, smaller species and have become a serious threat to them.

In garden ponds, nase is often used when larger stones or wood are used for decoration. This is because the nase likes to graze such surfaces with its undersized mouth, thus preventing them from becoming overgrown with algae. The feeding behavior of the nase can be compared quite well with the sharks (Labeo and Epalzeorhynchus) in tropical aquariums. The nase is completely unsuitable for swampy ponds. The temperature adaptability of nase is good, they can easily tolerate temperatures up to around 24°C (at least the strains from fish farms, which are only available commercially). Nases are completely winter hardy.

For our customers: the animals have code 862003 (8-10 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Kryptopterus macrocephalus

26. April 2024

This close relative of the well-known and popular glass catfish Kryptopterus vitreolus (formerly: K. bicirrhis) is widespread in Southeast Asia. We have now been able to import this pretty species once again from Indonesia.

The main difference between the glass catfish and K. macrocephalus is that K. macrocephalus has two dark stripes along the body. In addition, K. macrocephalus grows larger, namely approx. 10 cm, while K. vitreolus only reaches a length of 7-8 cm. Otherwise, both species are absolutely comparable in terms of their way of life and habitats (black water). These schooling fish should never be kept individually, but always in as large a group as possible. Glass catfish are carnivores that prefer to eat small live food – even small fish of 1-2 cm in length – but are easy to get used to frozen and granulated food. Glass catfish are completely peaceful towards other fish and plants are not damaged.

For our customers: the animals have code 422202 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Xiphophorus hellerii Tuxedo Red

26. April 2024

When it comes to breeding forms, it’s easy to get into philosophy. This is because breeding forms of ornamental fish are an expression of cultural creativity. They serve only one purpose, namely to please. Accordingly, they reflect the zeitgeist at the time of their creation. Experience with garden plants, which have been cultivated and cared for on a broad scale for centuries longer than ornamental fish, teaches us that usually only a few of the hundreds of varieties survive for long periods of time. The others disappear without a trace and die out.

The Tuxedo Red swordtail in the original sense is rarely found nowadays. However, no attention is paid to it. Today’s Tuxedo Red are simply red fish with a black tuxedo. The tuxedo is a black, rarely dark blue suit in which the jacket is a blazer without lapels – this is the difference to the previously common tailcoat, which is only worn comparatively rarely nowadays.

The black color was introduced to the swordtail back in the 1930s. It came from wild platies, which brought this so-called seminigra coloration (semi: half, nigra: black) from nature. It turned out that the gene for seminigra could be transferred from the platy to the swordtail during crossbreeding. These green Seminigra swordtails were called the “Wiesbaden breed” because the breeder, Dr. Alfred Mombour, was a member of the Wiesbaden Aquarium Club. It was also possible to breed red Wiesbadeners, but this was laborious because only 50% of the offspring of red Wiesbadeners show the desired coloration for genetic reasons. 

According to the sources, the “real” Tuxedo was bred in Sri Lanka and first imported from there by the Tropicarium in Frankfurt in 1956. The extent of the black color on the body is much greater than that of the Wiesbadener, and the original Tuxedo-Helleri was also bred in red with black tail fins (wagtail). The red Tuxedo-Helleri currently on the market usually have red tail fins.

So even though horizontal half-black-red swordtails have undergone some changes over the last 90 years, what has remained is the name “Tuxedo” and the enthusiasm of countless ornamental fish enthusiasts all over the world. That’s pretty impressive when you consider the political and social changes that have taken place since the 1930s, isn’t it?

For our customers: Swordtails Tuxedo Red have code 420453 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Vieja zonata

23. April 2024

We mistakenly received a Central American cichlid species from South East Asia under the name “Cichlasoma cyanoguttata”. After the 5-6 cm long fish had swum in a little, we went about identifying them and came to the conclusion that they were probably a Vieja species, most likely V. zonata.

In such cases, however, it is always advisable to seek further opinions, which we do whenever possible. In this case, we asked Uwe Werner, an outstanding expert on Central American cichlids, for his opinion. He wrote: “These are indeed Vieja, and according to American researchers also V. zonata. However, Breidohr, Stawikowski and I caught other fish in 1983 near Niltepec, the type locality of V. zonata (Pacific side of southern Mexico), of which I am sending a picture. The ones you imported are certainly from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where they look slightly different in each river (one form was described as V. coatlicue). The American scientists already mentioned consider V. coatlicue to be a synonym of V. zonata. Rico Morgenstern once had a report in the DCG-Info, according to which the V. zonata were not collected at Niltepec at all, but I don’t believe this; I think yours are the ones we called “red-tailed theraps” at the time. As we brought back several of the species we found as babies, which we thought were the same species in the field and therefore mixed during transportation, we unfortunately can’t say exactly where the red-tailed came from.”

So there are still many exciting observations to be made on this Vieja form, that much is certain. These are magnificent animals that can reach a total length of 25 cm (females remain smaller). They are open-breeders with a parental family. Vieja species are considered to be comparatively peaceful cichlids from the Cichlasoma relationship, provided they are kept in large aquaria. V. zonata is somewhat of an exception, as this species in particular has a large number of extremely intraspecific aggressive animals. A large tank and the company of other, preferably very differently colored, large Central Americans are the best way to keep the aggressiveness within limits. The fish are undemanding in terms of water values and diet. In the wild, water temperatures of 26-28°C, a hardness of 12-20°dGH and a pH of around 7.5 prevail, but V. zonata are adaptable and thrive in the aquarium in any standard drinking water.

For our customers: the animals have code 688592 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Uwe Werner & Frank Schäfer

Oryzias pectoralis Vietnam

23. April 2024

The wild forms of the currently very popular medaka (Oryzias) also appear in the trade from time to time in the wake of imports of the cultivated forms of these animals, whereas they were previously very specialized fish. The genus Oryzias – in addition to the popular Japanese name “medaka”, they are also known as rice mollies – currently comprises 34 recognized species. 

One of the still mysterious species among them is Oryzias pectoralis, which was scientifically described in 1998. Tyson Roberts, who described the species, tells the story of its discovery as follows: „The type series was obtained from a young girl walking on the roadside one or two km south of Laksao town with a small basket mainly filled with mollusks but also with aquatic insects, prawns and fishes that she had caught in a rice paddy nearby, hence the specimens are only in fair condition.( FS note: this should definitely mean: only in moderately fair condition). Apart from the type series, I have seen a somewhat larger sample with some much smaller individuals, every one with a black spot on the pectoral fin base (this sample was obtained near Laksao during aquatic impact assessment by consultants working for Team Consulting Co. and the Nam Theun 2 Project Development Group). The spot is therefore characteristic of quite small juveniles as well as adults of both sexes.“

Since the only reliable distinguishing feature that Roberts gave in relation to other Oryzias species is the black spot at the base of the pectoral fin, the validity of O. pectoralis has often been questioned. However, we currently have Oryzias in stock from Vietnam, all of which show the famous black spot. Unfortunately, there are only relatively few specimens (approx. 50 specimens). It is very interesting that there are animals with bright blue and copper-red eye rigs in the shoal. This characteristic is apparently not sex-specific.

Perhaps these Oryzias will end up in the hands of enthusiasts who, through long-term breeding, will find out which hereditary rules are behind the different colored eyes. 

The care and breeding of this small species, which is only 3 cm long at most, is simple, they are completely peaceful fish with no special requirements in terms of water composition and will readily accept any suitable, sufficiently small ornamental fish food. The water temperature can range from 22-28°C, a little more or less won’t do any harm. 

For our customers: the animals have code 339792 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hemirhamphodon phaiosoma

19. April 2024

Once more we could import this very beautiful halfbeak from Indonesia. The halfbeaks of the genus Hemirhamphodon are adapted to blackwater in the wild. Thus they need – at least for the time of acclimatisation – very soft and acidic water. Maximum length of the species is around 6 cm (male), females stay smaller.

The natural distribution area of H. phaiosoma is on the islands of Bangka and Biliton as well as on the west coast of Sumatra and Borneo (Indonesian part, Kalimantan). According to the exporter, our animals originate from Borneo.

For our customers: the fish have code 421413 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Tylomelania sp. “Pure Orange”

19. April 2024

Not only beautiful dwarf shrimps come from Lake Poso on Sulawesi (formerly: Celebes), but also these large cousins of the well-known tuberculate snail (Melanoides tuberculata). The bright color of the soft bodies of this Tylomelania, which is apparently a scientifically undescribed species, is particularly striking; occasionally the name Tylomelania scalariopas is used for them, but we do not know if this has been scientifically verified. In any case, this name is misspelled, the scientifically described species is correctly spelled Tylomelania scalariopsis (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897).

Tylomelania species are not algae eaters, but feed on mulm and detritus. It is therefore essential to have a few muddy corners in the aquarium, otherwise the snails will starve to death. They are sexually separate, so there are males and females. However, there are no externally recognizable gender differences. All Tylomelania species are viviparous.

The animals are kept at relatively high temperatures (26-28°C) and a pH value between 7.5 and 8.5.

For our customers: the animals have code 488945 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras pantanalensis C5 Bred

19. April 2024

Highly sought-after, large, magnificent and rarely on offer: this is Corydoras pantanalensis, which was given the code number C5 before its scientific description. For general information on the species, see here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/corydoras-pantanalensis-2/

We are very pleased to be able to offer some offspring of this species in the 3-4 cm size. The fish were bred in Taiwan. 

For our customers: the fish have code 240612 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Melanotaenia lacustris

17. April 2024

The rainbowfishes are a fascinating group of freshwater fishes from Australia and New Guinea; some smaller islands between these two major areas are also colonized by rainbowfishes, evidence that Australia and New Guinea once formed a common landmass when sea levels were much lower than today. This prehistoric landmass is called Sahul.

Rainbowfish are almost always very colorful. But – and this is a big but – they only show these colors from a certain age and grow comparatively slowly. Rainbowfish show their most intense colors during courtship and spawning. Both can be observed very often in the home aquarium, but unfortunately not in the trade, at least not on order. As a result, the semi-adult rainbowfish offered in the trade often appear boring and silvery to the layman. Only a few species are already very colorful as relatively small animals and these species are accordingly part of the standard range in the trade.

Melanotaenia lacustris is one of these few species that color early. Often – but not always – these animals develop an ultramarine blue upper half of the body and a very pale belly. However, there are also many other possible colorations and this species could justifiably be called a chameleon rainbowfish. During courtship it gets really crazy, then the males also get a sulphur-yellow or reddish stripe over the head. Otherwise, the sexes differ only slightly in color. A better distinguishing feature of the females is their much slimmer body shape.

Melanotaenia lacustris are easy to keep and breed. Ideal are pH values above 8 and clear water between 20 and 25°C with plenty of plants, but the fish are very adaptable and tolerate pH values down to 7 just as well as higher water temperatures. The aquarium strains consist exclusively of captive-bred specimens. Melanotaenia lacustris is endemic to the largest lake in Papua New Guinea, Lake Kutubu and its outflow. The lake is of volcanic origin and is home to the largest number of endemic fish species in Papua New Guinea, including five Mogurnda species alone. Unfortunately, all of the lake’s species are now considered endangered. Natural gas is being extracted around the lake, which has already led to enormous water pollution and fish mortality. In addition, the workers brought sport fish for fishing. These alien species are decimating the remaining populations of the native, smaller species. Melanotaenia lacustris also only grows to a maximum length of 12 cm, but usually remains under the 10 cm mark.

For our customers: the fish have code 428003 (4-6 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Scabies crispata

17. April 2024

We have imported this pretty small freshwater mussel from Thailand again now. The species has a wide distribution in Asia. It is recorded from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India and China. Nevertheless very little is known about the species. Scabies crispata is a member of the Unionidae family. The central european large freshwater mussels of the genera Anodonta, Margeritifera, Pseudanodonta and Unio are also members of that family. Like these Scabies crispata (which is by far more attractive and with a maximum length of 5cm much smaller) has an unpleasant property: they can cause a fish disease! The larvae of the Uninidae are called Glochidia and they are fish parasites. Depending on the species the glochidia live parasitically on the fins, the body or the gills.

When the glochidia have attached on the skin they encapsulate themselves. Medical treatment is impossible as any substance that is able to kill the glochidia in the skin will for sure also kill the fish. A few glochidia, which look a bit like Ichthyophthirius-spots for the bare eye, do not harm any fish. But mass-infection may become fatal. Our native mussel species are host specific and even more than that: they are population specific. This means that the very same fish species can serve as a perfect host in one population whereas specimens of other populations of the same species may be completely immune. Very little is known on Scabies crispata in this respect, except that it has unhooked glochidia which are typically found in gill parasiting species.

Most often Unionidae have different sexes, eg males and females. The males release the sperm in the open water from where it becomes breathed in by the female. The eggs are produced in sacks in the gills and become fertalized here. But it is also known the the uppermost (nearest to the spring) specimens in a flowing water can be hermaphrodites that are able to produce both sperm and eggs. It is not known wether this is genetically determined or an ontogenetic phenomenon.

May it be as it is: Scabies crispata are highly interesting animals and allow a lot of fascinating observations. You must have an eye on them to hinder the glochidia to do harm on the fish. Glochidia are released over a period of several days or weeks. So if you spot some on your fish you should separate the mussels for some time from the fish and keep them in an extra aquarium. As already mentioned, an otherwise healthy fish will not become harmed by some glochidia. Scabies crispata is a filterer, so it must be fed with a solution of yeast and water that has to be placed near the mussels by a pipette.

For our customers: the animals have code 487852 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Nemadoras elongatus

17. April 2024

The thorny catfish are a very interesting and diverse group of catfish. Once again we were able to import the slender species Nemadoras elongatus from Peru, which can reach a total length of around 12-15 cm. At first glance, the fish are very reminiscent of the Hassar species, which they also resemble in terms of behavior. They are peaceful schooling fish that are always on the move and appreciate a certain amount of current in the aquarium.

According to current knowledge, there are three Nemadoras species: N. elongatus, N. hemipeltis and N. humeralis, all three of which are found in the Amazon catchment of Peru, Colombia and Brazil, some of them also in Bolivia. The three species look very similar and all grow to a length of 15-20 cm. N. hemipeltis can be distinguished from the other two species by the fact that in this species the lateral bony plates begin well before the base of the dorsal fin; we have not yet seen this species here. In the other two species the lateral bony plates begin below about the middle of the dorsal fin. In N. humeralis the lateral bony plates are extended upwards and downwards, in the other two species they are not (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/nemadoras-elongatus-2/). All other species formerly classified as Nemadoras now belong to the genus Tenellus.

Nemadoras are undemanding omnivores that can be fed with all common aquarium fish foods, although the emphasis should clearly be on meaty foods. The water composition only plays a subordinate role in their care. The animals can be kept in any tap water.

The aquarium for Nemadoras should have plenty of free swimming space. Plants are not damaged, but with very dense plant growth there is a risk of the fish becoming entangled in the underwater plants. Nemadoras are ideal community fish for larger aquariums with tetras etc..

For our customers: the fish have code 272482 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

Fundulopanchax walkeri (formerly: Aphyosemion w.)

12. April 2024

The 6-7 cm long killifish Fundulopanchax walkeri was once very popular and widespread among enthusiasts of this group of fish, although it was not introduced to aquariums until 1952. This beautiful fish originates from Ghana, where it lives in the jungle. Geographically, the occurrence of F. walkeri is remarkable, as it is the only species of its kin group that occurs west of the so-called Dahomey Gap (a dry savannah zone). Although the habitat of F. walkeri is tropical and humid, the eggs undergo a long development, which is typical for species whose habitat dries out from time to time. The eggs are only ready to hatch two to three months after being laid.

Unfortunately, Fundulopanchax walkeri is rarely offered at the moment; we last had it here 8 years ago. We are delighted to finally see this old companion again. Incidentally, the animals are fully grown captive-bred specimens. In contrast to many other killies, F. walkeri can also be kept in cleverly set up and stocked community aquaria. Co-inhabitants should be calm and peaceful. The aquarium should not be too brightly lit and should have dense plant growth and a dark substrate. The water temperature should be in the range of 22-24°C, although higher or slightly lower temperatures can be tolerated from time to time. However, this should not be a permanent condition. The killies prefer strong food, i.e. frozen and live food, but will also accept dry food.

For our customers: the fish have code 316003 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Poecilia salvatoris

12. April 2024

The Liberty Molly is an old acquaintance in the aquarium, but until recently it was considered to be a mere variant and synonym of the common Central American shortfin molly (Poecilia sphenops). Only in recent years have efforts been made to shed light on the darkness that makes the systematic classification of these fish so difficult using the latest methods, including DNA examinations (see also our entries on Black Molly and Poecilia butleri). Since then, Poecilia salvatoris, which was already described as a separate species from El Salvador in 1907, has been “rediscovered” as a good species. These fish have been scientifically documented from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. 

The Liberty Molly first appeared in aquariums in 1935. The animals were a very beautiful orange-finned variety from Yucatan, although it is not clear whether this refers to the peninsula or the Mexican state (although the peninsula is more likely). William Innes even produced a color illustration of the attractive animals, which was very expensive at the time and shows how beautiful the fish are. Unfortunately, the strain at that time proved to be extremely incompatible with other fish.

It was given the name “Liberty Molly” because the three-colored dorsal fin of the males reminded imaginative people of the colors of the French tricolor and the American flag – both symbols of liberty.

In the meantime, almost 100 years of selective breeding have resulted in relatively peaceful animals. Similar to Tiger barbs (Puntigrus) or Red Rio Tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus), group size is also important in this respect. Animals kept in groups that are too small can become real pests in the aquarium, constantly harassing and bullying other fish.

Liberty mollies are ideal for larger community aquariums with cichlids, catfish and larger tetras. These fish do not put up with anything from the Mollys and also prefer to live in the middle and lower water layers, whereas the Mollys – as in nature – prefer to swim close to the surface; however, it can often be observed that well-acclimatized Liberty Mollys swim along the entire water column. All in all, Liberty Mollies are a beautiful and lively wild form of livebearers, but the special behavioral characteristics mentioned above must be taken into account.

For our customers: the animals have code 280563 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus

12. April 2024

Hemirhamphodon are among the most sensitive aquarium fishes. They especially do not tolerate transport well. They come from very soft, acidic water, so called black water. The conditions there are almost hostile to life, which means that there is hardly any bacterial contamination, because even for bacteria the food supply there is too poor. It is therefore hardly surprising that fish which tolerate such an environment are sensitive to bacterial contamination, which cannot be avoided during transport. So Hemirhamphodon require careful and long acclimation. After that, however, they thrive well in the aquarium. Hemirhamphodon reproduce viviparously. 

We have just well acclimated Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus in stock. This species usually grows to about 6 cm long, but there have been reported specimens as long as 10 cm. The species lives in the peat swamps of southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. These fish always swim just below the water surface; they go deeper only briefly and exceptionally. The best food for Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus is mosquito larvae of all kinds, but dry food is also eaten with pleasure. Towards all fishes Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus are peaceful, but eventual tankmates must not be too robust, because the Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus are a bit shy and skittish. Males among themselves can be quite quarrelsome.

For our customers: the animals have code 421404 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Mastacembelus armatus favus

12. April 2024

The large spiny eels of the Mastacembelus armatus complex are found practically throughout South and Southeast Asia. Within this huge distribution area very differently patterned animals occur. Some of them have been scientifically described as independent species, such as the very strikingly colored spiny eel with the large, circular spots on its flanks. It was described as early as 1923 as a variant “favus” of M. armatus, later accepted by some ichthyologists as an independent species M. favus. This has been contradicted by other ichthyologists. Recent DNA studies show that M. favus from Vietnam is clearly different from M. armatus, whose DNA is deposited in an international gene database. Unfortunately, it is not clear who determined the “real” M. armatus in the gene database and whether this determination is correct – a shortcoming that many DNA-based studies have.

All large spiny eels of this group can probably reach around 90 cm in length, even if only very rarely such large specimens are known. Usually they become 50-70 cm long. Similar to snakes, spiny eels do not require particularly large tanks, their physique always allows them sufficient freedom of movement to remain physically and mentally healthy. As a guideline, the tank length should be 1.5 – 2 times the body length, the tank depth 0.5 – 1 times and the height 30-60 cm, depending on the size of the specimen; younger animals need more space than larger ones, they are more agile and have a higher metabolism. Among themselves, the animals are peaceful, often even gregarious. They are predators, feeding only on strong live and frozen foods, and consider small fish and shrimp as food. Spiny eels are free spawners without brood care, external sex differences are unknown, however males generally remain smaller and are considerably slimmer in build.

For our customers: the mentioned spiny eels have code 426302  on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Brotia pagodula

12. April 2024

This very attractive snail species reaches us from Southeast Asia. Brotia pagodula is a viviparous snail that is endemic to the Moei, a border river between Myanmar and Thailand. The shell of this species becomes 4-5 cm long. The species is sexually separate, but the sexes are not externally distinguishable.

Its strongly coiled shell with numerous spines gives it a bizarre appearance. It grazes on all available surfaces in search of algae. In the aquarium it also eats flake and granulated food (in our facility), as well as cucumbers and other green food. Live aquatic plants are not touched. However, we sometimes hear that the animals avoid normal fish food; this is possibly due to the fact that two externally indistinguishable snail species most likely live together in the biotope, as DNA studies have shown. It is possible that these two species have different diets. This could explain why some snail keepers describe the species as micro-filterers, while others describe them as strict Aufwuchs feeders. Intensive observation of one’s own animals enables the keeper to meet the needs of the snails in both cases.

As algae growth is usually only available to a limited extent in the aquarium, herbs such as dandelion, chickweed, unsprayed (!) lettuce etc. should always be fed. When completely fresh, these plants are often too hard for the snails, which is why some enthusiasts scald the plants with boiling water before feeding them. Under water, however, these land plants also wither over time and thus become tender and edible, it just takes longer than with scalded specimens. 

It is very important for the care of the animals that a pH value below 7 is not tolerated in the long term. The pH should therefore be around 7.5-8.5. The water temperature can be between 18 and 26°C, whereby sudden drastic temperature changes should be avoided.

For our customers. The animals have code 481301 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer and Klaus Diehl

Danio choprae ( = Danio choprai)

12. April 2024

Danio choprae, also known as the ruby or glow-light danio, comes to us from rivers and streams in Myanmar. At a length of 4 cm, they are already fully grown. As with many schooling fish, the effect on the observer increases with the size of the school. A group of 30 animals roaming lively through the aquarium is simply impressive. 

Glowlight danios are easy to keep and breed in neutral, medium-hard water. They do not have any special dietary requirements, they are adequately supplied with standard flake food, but they should also be allowed a certain amount of variety. Due to their small size, they can be kept in aquariums from 60 cm in length. They can easily be socialized with other fish and are a nice alternative to the frequently kept zebrafish.

The habitat of D. choprae can become quite cool at certain times of the year. It therefore makes sense to keep this species temporarily without additional heating; room temperature (approx. 18-20°C) is perfectly adequate. In summer and for breeding, the temperature can also be 26-28°C. 

There is confusion about the correct spelling of the species name. In the scientific description (Hora, 1928), the spelling “choprae” is used. The name honors a man, Bashambhar Nath Chopra (1898-1966), an Indian zoologist. Grammatically correct, the Latin ending for a man in the genitive should have been -i, while -ae is the feminine genitive. This is why people with a better knowledge of Latin later changed the name to choprai. Today it is assumed that hardly anyone still knows Latin anyway and that it is therefore generally better to use the spelling used in the original work, i.e. choprae.

For our customers: the animals have code 413252 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Photos F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl & F. Schäfer

Tenellus leporhinus

5. April 2024

The thorny catfishes of the genera Doras, Hassar, Hemidoras, Leptodoras, Nemadoras and Tenellus look quite similar at the first glimpse and have often been confused with each other in the past, both in scientific and aquarium literature; accordingly, there are always small question marks behind the identification of rarely imported species.

From Colombia we have now for the first time received delightful juveniles (3-5 cm) of a species that we refer to as Tenellus leporhinus (formerly: Nemadoras leporhinus) on the basis of the shape of the head and the pattern of the dorsal fin spine. This is a medium-sized species that reaches a standard length of around 8 cm (excluding caudal fin).

The juveniles are extremely lively and highly active. They are great fun to watch. As far as care is concerned, all the basic rules for keeping Corydoras catfish apply. However, adult Tenellus are more active at dusk. They should always be kept in shoals, as they always seek the company of conspecifics. They are completely peaceful towards other fish. They pay no attention to plants.

For our customers: the animals have code 272771 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Carassius auratus Goldfish Comet red

4. April 2024

Spring is approaching and with it the garden pond season. The simple goldfish breeding forms are best suited to this for a number of reasons, while high breeders (Oranda and Co.) have special requirements. But even with the “simple” forms – i.e. normal goldfish, comets, shubunkin and wakin – it is important to note that the water temperature in the pond for new purchases must be at least 15°C at all times, as these animals are bred in warm countries. Goldfish that have spent the summer and fall in the garden pond are completely winter hardy.

Due to the extremely complicated inheritance processes in goldfish, very different-looking specimens are produced within each brood. This is also the case with the red comet. Some look almost like normal goldfish (especially females), others have all their fins elongated into delicate veils. There are all imaginable intermediate stages between these extremes. But regardless of whether they have strongly or less strongly elongated fins, whether there is a certain amount of white in their coloration or not – they are the fish of children and the mentally young at heart and have been giving people pleasure and relaxation for thousands of years. 

For our customers: Red comets in the size 10-12 cm have code 808004 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Devario maetaengensis ( = Danio m., = Inlecypris m.)

4. April 2024

The Danios are a very species-rich group of small to medium-sized carp fish, usually less than 10 cm in length. Most species have bright, iridescent colors and are excellent aquarium fish, some of which are standard in the global ornamental fish trade. The variety of forms makes it extremely difficult to get a complete overview of the Danios, especially as dozens of species are still awaiting scientific study and therefore do not even have a proper name. For a long time, therefore, no genera were distinguished at all and all Danios were assigned to the genus Danio (type species: Danio dangila), sometimes small species with an incomplete lateral line were placed in Brachydanio (type species: D. albolineatus), but then Brachydanio was merged with Danio again. The often somewhat larger species without conspicuous barbels were then separated into the genus Devario (type species: D. devario) and particularly conspicuously vertically striped species into Inlecypris (type species: D. auropurpureus). As there is still no study that examines all species comparatively, there is also no consensus among scientists about the genus classification. Two genera are recognized as the minimum compromise, so to speak, namely Danio and Devario. Within Devario there are at least two groups that can be distinguished on the basis of the color pattern, namely one in which the anterior half of the body shows only vertical stripes (Inlecypris) and a second that also shows a horizontally arranged stripe or dot pattern in the anterior half of the body (Devario). It can be considered certain that at least 5 further genera must be distinguished in an overall revision of the complex.

As a result, the small Danio D. maetaengensis, which originates from Thailand and was only scientifically described in 1997, has already been classified in three genera, namely originally in Danio, then in Devario and then in Inlecypris, and finally in Devario again. Fortunately, from an aquaristic point of view this doesn’t really matter. They are very pretty, lively Danios that can reach a maximum length of 5 cm, but usually remain somewhat smaller. Incidentally, the species was discovered in 1933 by R. M. de Schauensee about 50 km north of Chiang Mai. This also shows that there is a backlog of research on Danios. D. maetaengensis occurs exclusively in the drainage of the Nam Mae Taeng River in northern Thailand.

In the wild, these Danios inhabit small flowing waters without underwater plants. Care and breeding do not differ from other Danios, any drinking water is suitable for keeping them. The animals love to play in the current. The water temperature should be in the room temperature range (20-26°C) and not permanently high.

For our customers: the animals have code 414412 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hemigrammus rubrostriatus

4. April 2024

In the past, we were only able to present this beautiful tetra, which was only scientifically described in 2015, as a rare by-catch (e.g. https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/hemigrammus-rubrostriatus/). However, we are now able to import these beautiful fish from Venezuela on a regular basis, as we have done again recently. The approximately 4-5 cm long animals are fully grown and fully colored. They are certainly among the most beautiful of all small tetras. The tail pattern with the blood-red fluorescent spot is reminiscent of the well-known head-and-tail-lights (Hemigrammus ocellifer and H. falsus), the wonderful red longitudinal stripe is in no way inferior to that of Hyphessobrycan amapaensis and the yellow belly shines like that of the kitty tetra, Hyphessobrycon heliacus. It also has pretty red and white markings on its fins. You could be forgiven for thinking that this fish was designed as an ideal ornamental fish!

In terms of care, Hemigrammus rubrostriatus, for which we suggest the common name „Redstriped Tetra“, is no different from the members of its genus that have been firmly established as aquarium fish for almost a century. They are peaceful social fish that prefer to move around in a group with their own kind. The water composition is of secondary importance for their care, any drinking water is suitable, but soft, slightly acidic water and the addition of humic substances from leaves, peat, alder cones, roots, etc. will enhance their coloration.

For our customers: the fish have code 257473 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterophyllum “Platinum”

4. April 2024

White animals exert a special attraction on many people. In myths and fairy tales, it is often white individuals of a wild animal species that have magical properties. This explains why white rabbits, white pigeons, white mice etc. also have a special status among pets, and ornamental fish are no exception.

The loss of color is often linked to a gene that leads to complete albinism. As a result, these animals have red, somewhat light-sensitive eyes. Many people find red eyes disturbing. The Pterophyllum “Platinum” is a snow-white breeding form of the common aquarium angel fish, which is usually referred to as Pterophyllum scalare. However, as it is highly likely that several species were involved in its development, it does not make much sense to use a scientific species name. 

Platinum angels are a relatively young breeding form that we first received from Sri Lanka in 2006. They are now available from almost all large ornamental fish breeders. In terms of expected final size, temperature, food, general care requirements etc., they do not differ from the usual aquarium angel.

For our customers: the animals have code 691172 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Luciosoma setigerum

4. April 2024

The barb Luciosoma setigerum with the extremely aerodynamic shape originates from Indonesia. Despite the size the fish can reach – up to 25 cm – the peaceful and splendid colored fish is an ideal inhabitant for a community tank with other large barbs from Asia, like Bala sharks (Balantiocheilus) or Sahyadria denisonii.

For our customers: the fish have code 425002 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Freshwater rabbitfish

28. March 2024

The rabbitfishes of the genus Siganus are well known to marine aquarists. They are beautiful animals that usually grow to 15-30 cm in length and eat mainly vegetable food. Until now no freshwater species of the genus was known, only Siganus vermicularis is regularly found as juvenile in the brackish water of river mouths.

Now, for the first time, we have been able to import a rabbitfish species from the only freshwater lake in the Easter Islands in the Pacific Ocean – Hare Lake – where it appears to be fully adapted to freshwater life due to geographic isolation. The species was recently scientifically described as Siganus iocatus. Our, about 15 cm long specimens are already sexually mature and even spawned in our fishhause. Interestingly, the eggs were colorful, there were red, yellow, blue and green eggs, some even had spots and squiggles.

For our customers: the animals have code 666666 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Veiltails – as colorful as Easter eggs

28. March 2024

Easter is just around the corner, it’s getting warmer. Goethe has his Dr. Faust say on his Easter walk: 

“From the ice they are freed, the stream and brook,

By the Spring’s enlivening, lovely look;” (translation by Edgar Alfred Bowring, 1853)

and this also applies to garden ponds. For many, garden pond time is also goldfish time. However, the stocky, large and double-finned breeding forms of goldfish, known as veiltails, are not very suitable for typical garden ponds. They should be kept in special aquariums or ponds where their sensitivities can be taken into consideration. These animals should never be kept in an unheated outdoor tank as long as the water temperature is permanently below 16°C. Zoologically, veiltails are goldfish (Carassius auratus) and therefore tolerate water temperatures between 10 and 30°C. However, most veiltails on sale in the pet trade are bred in tropical regions where the water temperature never falls below 22°C. The fish must be acclimatized to low temperatures. Acclimatization to low temperatures must therefore take place very gradually over several weeks to months. Failure to do so will inevitably result in serious illness. This applies to acclimatized veiltails as to frost-sensitive potted plants such as oleander or orange trees: the winter quarters should be bright and cool, but frost-free.

Properly cared for veiltails get into the breeding mood at Easter time, when the days get longer and warmer. The males are always slimmer and have comparatively larger fins. During the breeding season, they also develop a so-called spawning rash. These are small spots on the gill covers and on the hard ray of the pectoral fin, which at first glance are somewhat reminiscent of white spot disease (Ichthyophthirius), but are completely harmless and normal. The veiltail males often become downright love-struck and pursue a female incessantly – often several at a time. They nudge the adored female in the rear flank area and direct her in the direction of aquatic plant bushes. There the very numerous eggs are spawned and immediately fertilized. Afterwards, goldfish no longer care for their offspring, except to eat the caviar.

The veiltails shown here as an example are a sexually mature, 8-10 cm long pair of a white breeding form with red eyes. White goldfish have been around for hundreds of years, but they were not popular in East Asia, as white is considered the color of mourning and death. It was only when goldfish were exported to the West that these color variants became interesting for Asian breeders. When veiltails of the same breed are bred together, the majority of the young are similar to their parents, but many different genes are responsible for fin and color development in goldfish. In hobby breeding, where only a tiny fraction of the several hundred eggs – even thousands in the case of large animals – are reared for reasons of space, selection often takes place unconsciously. This is because the most robust and fast-growing specimens have an advantage here and these rarely correspond to the ideal image of the breed. The situation is different for professional breeders. There, as many of the offspring as possible are reared to a certain size, in which the traits are clearly recognizable. Only then are animals with particularly desirable traits selected. This is why veiltails are only sold from a size of 4-5 cm.

For our customers: Mixed veiltails (“Oranda”) in the size 8-10 cm have code 812005 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Mastacembelus unicolor

28. March 2024

Some time ago we were able to introduce you to the large, magnificent Mastacembelus unicolor, which was sent to us by mistake as M. erythrotaenia (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/22-spiny-eels/mastacembelus-unicolor-2/). The animals at that time were too large for the photo aquarium, so we were only able to take photos from the regular sales tank.

Now we have been sent another specimen, but this time in the more manageable size of 25-30 cm, which still fits well in the photo tank. Apparently M. erythrotaenia and M. unicolor occur together in Indonesia, at least in some places. In principle, M. unicolor also looks like a M. erythrotaenia which lacks the red. The coloration of the pectoral fins also appears typical of the species. For more information on M. erythrotaenia see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/22-spiny-eels/mastacembelus_erythrotaenia_40_45_cm_arrived_en/ and here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/22-spiny-eels/mastacembelus_erythrotaenia_en/

For our customers: M. unicolor has 426725 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade. Only one specimen available!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hemigrammus hyanuary Wild

28. March 2024

In 1957, when the first Green Tetras or Neon Costello (Hemigrammus hyanuary) were imported, the tetras were absolute fashion fish. Otherwise the comparison with the neon or cardinal tetra can hardly be explained, because H. hyanuary – which by the way is named after Lake Hyanuary in Brazil – is really nicely colored, but it has little in common with a neon fish. Much more striking is the animal’s contrasting tail root pattern.

The Neon Costello is widely distributed in the upper Amazon region. Mostly bred ones are offered, we have currently pretty Peru imports in stock. In aquariums with sandy bottom and subdued light, as it can be well achieved by floating plants, the animals are most beautiful. They should be kept in a group (10-20 specimens) at temperatures between 23 and 25°C (for breeding 2-3°C higher). 

For our customers: the animals have code 256492 af our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Andinoacara pulcher “Neon Blue”

28. March 2024

Exactly 10 years ago, a new star appeared in the ornamental fish sky. A beautiful sky-blue (to stay in the picture) cichlid conquered the world. It was first offered to us in February 2014 under the name “Nannacara Neon Blue” from Singapore. However, it was clear from the outset that it was not a representative of the genus Nannacara, but a cichlid from the closer Aequidens relationship. There is currently a consensus among those involved with the animal that it is a mutation of Andinoacara pulcher; the additional name “Neon Blue”, which is meaningless from a scientific point of view, has become established internationally.

The animals, which usually grow to a maximum length of 10 cm (males are usually slightly larger than females), are also recommended for planted community aquaria with certain restrictions. A maximum length of 15-17 cm is given in the literature for the parent species A. pulcher, which is why it cannot be ruled out that even very old specimens of the “Neon Blue” can reach such a length in huge aquaria. However, we have never seen such large specimens and they are not offered by our suppliers. 

The chemical composition of the water is irrelevant for A. pulcher “Neon Blue”, any drinking water is suitable for maintenance and breeding. Any common ornamental fish food is readily accepted. As a substrate breeder, the species burrows relatively little, but very delicate plants can be disturbed or dug up in the course of breeding. Although A. pulcher “Neon Blue” is generally a relatively(!) peaceful fellow by cichlid standards, both parents defend their fry very vigorously. As several broods per year are to be expected, any roommates should not be too squeamish, but should be able to take a knock. The water temperature for this fish can be in the range of 22-28°C, it will also tolerate slightly higher or lower temperatures from time to time, but this should not become a permanent condition.

For our customers: the animals have code 609521 (3-4 cm) and 609522 (4-5 cm) on our stocklist. Young animals are already colored exactly like the old ones, the pictures show 4-5 cm long specimens. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Auchenipterichthys coracoideus (formerly: A. thoracatus)

25. March 2024

A few decades ago, the Zamora catfish was the most commonly imported driftwood catfish. At that time it was identified as Auchenipterichthys thoracatus. It was not until 2005 that it was discovered that although the species A. thoracatus exists, it is not identical to the Zamora catfish. Its correct name is Auchenipterichthys coracoideus. While A. coracoideus is widely distributed in Amazonia (Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador), A. thoracatus is restricted to the upper Rio Madeira (Brazil and Bolivia). There are no significant differences in color between A. thoracatus and A. coracoideus. The former usually has more than 25 divided anal fin rays, A. coracoideus typically less than 26 (there are exceptions in both cases). More important is a feature that is hardly recognizable in the living animal, namely the part of the coracoid bone above the skin, a bone of the shoulder girdle that protrudes on the ventral side between the pectoral fins. The (visible part of the) coracoid is a good twice as long in A. thoracatus as in A. coracoideus.

Much more important than the name is the question of how to care for and breed these pretty animals. Fortunately, both are completely problem-free. Any tap water suitable for drinking is sufficient for keeping them, the temperature should preferably be in the range 24-28°C. These catfish are undemanding omnivores that ignore plants. Very small fish are regarded as food by the catfish, which grow to a maximum length of 13 cm, otherwise they are peaceful. Unfortunately, A. coracoideus are strictly nocturnal and can usually only be seen outside their hiding places during the day when feeding. 

Zamora catfishes belong to the group of the driftwood catfishes and carry out internal fertilization. For this purpose, the foremost anal fin rays of the males – similar to those of livebearing toothcarps – are transformed into a thickened mating organ. This makes it easy to distinguish the sexes. In addition, the dorsal fin spine of A. coracoideus males is elongated at spawning time. The females spawn in caves without the male being present and appear to guard the clutch until the young hatch; it is certain that they often stay in the spawning cave and do not eat the spawn. For breeding, it can be helpful to lower the pH to the slightly acidic range (pH 5.5 to 6.5), but whether this is absolutely necessary has not been researched.

For our customers: the Zamora catfish has code 209704 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pseudosphromenus cupanus

25. March 2024

What are the reasons for choosing this or that fish for your home aquarium? In the beginning, it’s probably basically the colors. Over time, you develop a feeling for the wealth of shapes in the realm of fish, then swimming behavior and body shape are added to the selection criteria. And finally, you delve deeper into the life history of the fish and study their behavior, look at evolution and zoogeography, i.e. the question of how today’s fish distributions can be explained by geological history.

If you take an unbiased first look at the black spiketail paradisefish (Pseudosphromenus cupanus, formerly Macropodus cupanus cupanus), you will think: what a gray mouse! The fish, which is a maximum of 6 cm long, usually shows hardly any color and especially when it is disturbed – i.e. in an unfamiliar environment – it switches to camouflage mode and is then (hard to imagine, but true) even less attractive.

Acclimatized specimens in somewhat dim, but well-planted and structurally rich aquaria develop pretty red tones in the fins and often a ruby-red eye. Things get really interesting when the animals get into a breeding mood. Then the male (recognizable by longer fins and a slimmer belly line) becomes light ash-grey, the female coal-black. The bubble nest builder likes to build its nest near the bottom under large plant leaves or other shelters such as coconut shells, flower pots etc. In contrast to most other labyrinth fish, the female is involved in caring for the brood and often even takes over completely if the male drops out. The zoogeography of this species, which is only found in southern India and Sri Lanka, is very interesting. In the Indian state of Kerala, it lives together with the second Pseudosphromenus species, P. dayi, although the ecological separation of the two extremely closely related species is completely unexplored. Interestingly, when P. cupanus occurs together with P. dayi in the same habitat, they adapt to this species in terms of color within the limits of their possibilities and then appear much more colorful than their conspecifics in areas inhabited by them alone.

ll in all: a really exciting gray mouse, of which we can now offer adult offspring. These completely peaceful animals are very easy to care for, any drinking water is suitable for keeping and breeding and any usual ornamental fish food is readily accepted.

For our customers: the animals have code 446503 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Poecilia butleri

22. March 2024

The species of the Poecilia sphenops complex – P. butleri, P. mexicana and P. sphenops – are among the most common, most widespread and most diverse livebearing toothcarps in Central America. The diversity of forms both geographically and within each population is enormous. There are almost always large and colorful so-called alpha males and (from a human point of view) puny, small males, which often only show the inconspicuous female coloration, are thus not noticed by the enormous magnificent ones and as a result are also successful in reproduction.

It is obvious that it is very difficult to find anatomical or morphological species differences in such complex conditions. And so, over the last 130 years or so, a great many species have sometimes been differentiated or the entire wealth of forms has been merged into a single species (P. sphenops). As is so often the case, the most likely solution lies somewhere in the middle. At present, there is a majority opinion among those involved in the study of these animals that in Mexico (and probably also in other parts of Central America, which have not been collected nearly as intensively as Mexico) there are two species of the complex on each side, which hardly differ in color. These seem to differ ecologically – in this case in their food preference. As is well known, Central America can be imagined – very simplified – as an elongated mountain range, with one slope facing the Atlantic and one facing the Pacific. On each side lives one species with single-pointed teeth and one with three-pointed teeth. On the Atlantic side these are P. sphenops (three-pointed) and P. mexicana (single-pointed) and on the Pacific side also P. sphenops (three-pointed) and P. butleri (single-pointed). P. butleri also differs from the other two species by a morphological feature, namely only 8 rays in the anal fin, whereas P. sphenops and P. mexicana have 9 rays there. Of course, this can only be verified in juveniles and females, because in males the anal fin is known to be transformed into a mating organ (gonopodium). At this point, of course, the facts are only presented in a very abbreviated and simplified form; in nature, other species are involved and the distribution pattern is more complex.

For some time now we have been able to offer P. butleri, a species that (for understandable reasons) is very rarely reported on in the aquarium literature. We obtain the animals from a breeder in Thailand who likes to include rarely offered wild forms of livebearers in his assortment. P. butleri is very salt tolerant and occurs more frequently than the other two species in brackish water, but is also often found in pure freshwater. There are hardly any differences in color to P. sphenops and P. mexicana. As with these species, the alpha males often have a broad orange fringe on the caudal fin. During rank order fights, the fins turn dark and a striped pattern appears on the flanks.

All in all, Poecilia butleri is a nice addition to the range and invites those interested in the natural sciences in particular to conduct further behavioral studies. Like all mollies, this species should be kept in the largest possible aquaria in larger groups. Only then can these lively animals develop properly and display their wide range of behavior. As with other mollies, breeding in an indoor aquarium is not easy. The animals often degenerate after a few generations. To counteract this, temporary outdoor keeping in summer is highly recommended. Apparently, direct sunlight has a very positive effect on the fish. The vitamin-rich algae food, which is available to the animals indefinitely in the open air, is certainly also very healthy for the mollies. However, you should not forget to bring the animals back indoors in good time in the fall; the water temperature should not fall below 18°C permanently and a heating option should be provided in the outdoor aquarium if necessary.

For our customers: the fish have code 280555 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pseudorinelepis sp. L95a

22. March 2024

At present, only one species of Pseudorinelepis is recognized by scientists, namely P. genibarbis. According to this assumption, the species is widely distributed in tropical South America and occurs in the Amazon and its tributaries as well as in the Orinoco and its catchment system. According to this theory, the color differences observed in living Pseudorinelepis are rather due to individual color adaptation to different substrates, age and sex differences.

In aquarium practice, however, the situation is somewhat different. The most sought-after animals with light grey ground coloration, strong spots, orange cheeks and fin rays are only found in the Rio Demini in Brazil (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/pseudorinelepis-sp-l95-2/); specimens from the Ucayali in Peru are dark brown with large, irregular spots. And the Pseudorinelepis from the Rio Purus in Brazil are usually almost black, as are those exported from the Orinoco in Colombia. These color differences led to L-numbers, namely L95 for animals from the Demini and L152 for those from the Orinoco. The fish from the Purus have not yet received an “official” L number and are referred to as L95a in the trade.

In fact, L95a are also very variable in color. The two specimens photographed for this post come from the same shipment, are roughly the same size (11-14 cm) and show quite clearly how differently individual animals can be colored. 

Pseudorinelepis grow to a comparatively large final size of 35-50 cm and are often very territorial in old age. Only really large aquaria are therefore suitable for the long-term care of these predominantly herbivorous fish. We are not aware of any successful breeding, but this has probably never been attempted as the relatively low demand is easily covered by imports.

For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 095A-3 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Ancistrus sp. LDA45 / L349

22. March 2024

Hardly any other genus of loricariid catfish, often referred to as L-catfish, is as widespread and important in aquariums as Ancistrus. Practically every aquarium is home to a few of these problem-free animals, which do an excellent job of cleaning the glass, look bizarre and hardly disturb other fish. But when it comes to identification – oh dear! 76 species are scientifically accepted, but there are many, many more. Even specialists are often unable to identify an Ancistrus without exact details of its origin.

LDA45, which was later given the L number 349, is a welcome exception. Its – for Ancistrus very untypical – slender shape and the species-typical pattern with small dots on the head and significantly larger dots on the body are very characteristic, although this Ancistrus can also be very variably colored. Our current import from Peru has very striking red eyes, but we are not sure whether this is always the case. In many specimens the spots on the head have a greenish shimmer, but this characteristic seems to be rather individual.

In terms of behavior, this Ancistrus, which as far as we know has not yet been scientifically identified, is also special. Many Ancistrus are addicted to hiding and initially quite shy, driving photographers crazy. It often takes several weeks of acclimatization before they become photogenic. If you try to outwit them with bare tanks, the Ancistrus will respond with bland frightful colors. Not so with LDA45, which shows no shyness whatsoever and also gambols around the aquarium during the day!

Our animals are currently 4-5 cm long and still have juvenile markings. The white corners of the caudal fin are reduced to the point of unrecognizability with age. According to the literature, this Ancistrus species reaches a total length of 10-12 cm and loves strong currents, which is also indicated by its slender body.

For our customers: the animals have code 26480-LDA 045-1 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Astronotus Red, Albino Red and Red Chili

20. March 2024

Oscars (Astronotus) are naturally very variable in color. In addition to wild-colored animals, cultivated forms have also enjoyed great popularity for decades. Why is the Oscar called Oscar? To be honest, we don’t really know. But it is certain that the name originated in the USA. In 1936, an article by E. W. Clarke on Astronotus appeared in the specialist journal “The Aquarium”. Clarke owned a pair called Lena and Oscar. In 1949, Gene Wolfsheimer reported in “The Aquarium Journal” that aquarists in California referred to Astronotus cichlids as Oscars (Wayne Leibel, Aquarium USA Annual 2001). But it is also conceivable that the word “Oscar” is a corruption of the scientific name (i.e. Astronotus) or of the Tupi word for all kinds of larger cichlids “Acara”. Tupi is the language of the people who originally lived in Brazil before the arrival of Europeans in America.

The Red Oscar, a breeding form, has a dark head, dark fins and most of the scales on its body are copper-red in color. There are individual variations, sometimes individual specimens of the Red Oscar are almost completely black. An albino breeding form of the Red Oscar with red albino eyes and a red body has existed for some time, but the fins still show a black pattern of varying intensity. The latest breeding is certainly descended from the “Albino Red” and is identically colored, only much more intense: the breeders call the variant Red Chili.

Despite its impressive size – it can grow to over 45 cm long and weigh 1.5 kg, although such giants are very rare; Oscars are usually 25-30 cm long – the Oscar is a popular aquarium fish. Few fish species combine such splendid colors and so much charisma. Oscars are also quite intelligent, at least by fish standards, and at some point become much more of a pet than an aquarium fish.

For our customers: the animals have code 632702 (Red), 633112 (Albino Red) and 632753 (Red Chili) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterophyllum “California”

20. March 2024

The freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum) is one of the most popular ornamental fish of all. The species name Pterophyllum scalare is usually chosen for the cultivated forms, although this does not describe the situation correctly from a scientific point of view. The cultivated forms, which were mainly created in the 1940s to 1960s, are partly based on mutations – i.e. sudden, spontaneous changes in the genetic material – but also partly on the crossing of different wild forms. For this reason, the names of the cultivated forms of the angelfish – similar to roses and other garden flowers – are better written without the scientific species name, but only the genus name and the variety.

We do not know exactly when the cultivar “California” was created. It first appeared in our stocklist in February 2012 and has been firmly established in our assortment ever since. So far, at least we have only obtained it from European offspring. It is a side line of the marbled angel that has been known for decades. Another name for the “California” is “map angel“. We have not yet been able to find out where the name “California” originally came from; it may have been a breeder from California who first marketed it under this name.

There are no two specimens of the “California” that look exactly the same. This results in a very varied appearance and explains the popularity of this breed. Care and breeding are no different from other angelfish, so keep them in groups in spacious aquaria with well-maintained, low-germ water at 22-28°C and you will have a lot of fun with them.

For our customers: the animals have code 693832 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterodoras granulosus

20. March 2024

The Thorny Catfishes (Doradiae) are a small family of exclusively South American catfish. Currently 41 genera containing 127 species are known, but continuously new species become discovered. The largest species attain a maximum length of more than 100 cm. The world record for Opsodoras niger is 120 cm and a weight of 20 kg. The smallest species – Physopyxis lyra –becomes only 3.5 cm long. Most species attain a maximum length between 10 and 20 cm.

Pterodoras granulosus from Peru is a large species, which can become around 70 cm long. However, we obtained juveniles of 7-10 cm. This species is as peaceful as any species of thorny catfish, but one should keep in mind that the fish has a large mouth and smaller fish will vanish there of course… 

For our customers: the fish have code 286583 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Geophagus taeniopareius

15. March 2024

In 1981, the first report appeared on a Geophagus species imported as by-catch, which the author, Rainer Stawikowski, initially referred to as the “Yellow Cheek-Stripe Eartheater“. The relatively slender species is very much out of the usual range of Geophagus, both physically and in terms of brood care behavior. Nevertheless, it took until 1992 for the species to be scientifically named Geophagus taeniopareius. The type locality is the Rio Orinoco, Raurales de Atures (rapids), east bank, state of Amazonas, Venezuela. The species is widespread in the Orinoco catchment area of both Colombia and Venezuela, but, as can be seen from its late discovery, is rarely caught in fishermen’s nets.

We currently have beautiful wild catches of the species from Colombia in stock. The fish are currently 6-8 cm in size and fully sexually mature. Males have longer pelvic fins and a much slimmer belly than the females. The maximum length of G. taeniopareius is approx. 15 cm. In contrast to most other Geophagus in the region, where mouthbrooding behavior is the rule, G. taeniopareius are open breeders, meaning they spawn similarly to Cichlasoma and Aequidens relatives. However, the Geophagus are more likely to be classified as agam, i.e. “husbandless”, as they do not form a close pair bond. Once both parents have finished caring for their brood, they spawn the next time with any other partner.

What is particularly striking about this species is its restless, very elegant swimming style and peacefulness. Territorial males do hunt fiercely, but always without consequences, i.e. there are never any bites.

For our customers: the animals have code 682102 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pethia conchonius (formerly Barbus or Puntius conchonius)

15. March 2024

The rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) was first brought to Germany in 1903 and has since developed into a worldwide classic among ornamental fish. It is one of the 100 most commonly traded species. They are hardly ever wild-caught, although these fish are so common in their native country India that they are traded in large quantities as food fish at traditional fish markets, despite their small size of usually only 5-6 cm (maximum length: 8 cm). As the saying goes: Every little helps…

Nowadays it is rare to find wild-colored animals, i.e. those in which the males have a green back, a red body and black fin tips in the dorsal, ventral and anal fins, while the females are silvery and only have pale pink fins. In the breeding forms “Neon Red”, “Neon Green”, “Super Red”, Blood Red” and “Gold”, the fish start to change color at a younger age and the females are more colorful; all breeding forms are also available with veil fins.

Now we once again have wild-colored animals from domestic breeding in our stock, as our great-grandparents already knew them and as they already inspired in Kaiser Wilhelm’s time! Rosy barbs are absolutely contemporary fish, as they do not need additional heating in the aquarium in living rooms. Their natural temperature tolerance is between 14 and 28°C, whereby drastic temperature changes should of course be avoided. Rosy barbs will eat any common ornamental fish food and any drinking water from the tap is suitable for keeping them. Delicate aquatic plants are nibbled on. Rosy barbs should not be combined with long-finned and calm fish, as the lively and playful, often even pushy rosy barbs are unsuitable for this.

By the way: from a scientific point of view, our rosy barbs are probably not P. conchonius at all. More information on this topic can be found here: https://www.aqualog.de/blog/pethia-conchonius-114-jahre-prachtbarben-im-aquarium-und-kein-bisschen-weiser/ (unfortunately only available in German).  We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGp29yZvbGM

For our customers: the wild-colored animals have code 369224 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Pterophyllum sp. “Rio Nanay” bred

15. March 2024

Like so many cichlids, angelfish also develop different-looking forms within their large distribution area. Whether these forms are classified as independent species, as subspecies or as color variants is ultimately a matter of taste and a philosophical issue. There are also individual differences within each population; in the case of the angelfish of the Rio Nanay in Peru, these are reddish or yellow spots on the body.  In addition, many animals develop yellow marbling which is often referred to as “honey spots” by enthusiasts of these fish.

Not every angelfish from the Rio Nanay has these spots to the same extent. In some specimens they are barely recognizable, others are literally covered in them. The characteristic has been found to be hereditary, but is only visible in larger animals. We have now received beautiful offspring of such honey-spotted scalars. The pictures show the parents (many thanks to the breeder, who wishes to remain anonymous) and the young that we currently have in stock.

For our customers: the animals have code 699742 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Panaque from Colombia: L190, L191, L330

15. March 2024

We can currently offer all three striped Panaque from Colombia, namely L330 Panaque nigrolineatus laurafabianae (Colombia: upper Rio Guaviare drainage), L190 Panaque nigrolineatus nigrolineatus (Colombia/Venezuela: Rio Meta and lower drainage of the Rio Guaviare) and L191 Panaque cf. titan (Colombia: Rio Caguán, drainage of the Rio Caqueta). We have comparable sizes of all three forms here and in this post we present all three in the size 4-6 cm.

All three species/subspecies grow to a length of 30-40 cm and are wood-eaters. Adult specimens can become quite rough with each other. Large aquariums with plenty of wood and lots of hiding places and extremely powerful filtration are therefore a basic requirement for the long-term care of these wonderful animals. The water temperature should be in the range of 26-28°C or slightly higher, the water values are of secondary importance. Any drinking water is suitable for keeping them. Apart from wood, the animals are mainly given pieces of vegetables (potato, sweet potato, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber, carrot etc.). They will of course also nibble on all frozen and dry food, but such food is only suitable as an exceptional treat for fish with long intestines and a sensitive biome that are adapted to an extremely low-nutrient diet.

For our customers: in sizes 4-6 cm, L330 has code 26480-L 330-1, L190 274402 and L191 Green Titan 274422 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer