New toy for me, tetraroge niger, freshwater leafy stone fish!

capapretum, Brachyplatystoma Lundberg [J. G.] & Akama [A.] 2005:501, Figs. 1, 2, 8 [Copeia 2005 (no. 3); ref. 28312] Rio Tefé sand beach, Lago Mucura, Supiã-Pucu, Tefé, 3°22'S, 64°43'W, Amazonas State, Brazil. Holotype: MZUSP 78481. Paratypes: ANSP 178101 (1), 179218 (1), 179758 (1), 180484 (1); INPA 10302 (2); MZUSP 55516 (2), 78478 [ex MZUSP 5634] (1). Plus many non-type specimens. Type catalog: Ferraris 2007:330 [ref. 29155]. •Valid as Brachyplatystoma capapretum Lundberg & Akama 2005 -- (Ferraris 2007:330 [ref. 29155]). Current status: Valid as Brachyplatystoma capapretum Lundberg & Akama 2005. Pimelodidae. Distribution: Widespread in the Amazon River basin: Brazil and Peru. Habitat: freshwater.

This fish I imported a few years back, about 4"

filamentosus, Pimelodus Lichtenstein [M. H. C.] 1819:60 [Zoologisches Magazin (Wiedemann) 1819, v. 1 (pt 3); ref. 17526] Brazil. Syntypes: ZMB 2973 (1, poor condition). Type catalog: Silfvergrip & Paepke 1997:169 [ref. 24006] with a holotype, Ferraris 2007:330 [ref. 29155] with a holotype. Lundberg & Littmann in Reis et al. 2003:434 [ref. 27061] regard ZMB 2973 as the holotype. •Valid as Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Lichtenstein 1819) -- (Ortega & Vari 1986:14 [ref. 9708], Burgess 1989:282 [ref. 12860], Cervigón 1992:379 [ref. 23827], Gómez & Chebez 1996:60 [ref. 23791], Le Bail et al. 2000:84 [ref. 24549], Camargo & Isaac 2001:145 [ref. 27639], Ferraris 2003:857 [ref. 26999], Lundberg & Littmann in Reis et al. 2003:434 [ref. 27061], López et al. 2003:60 [ref. 27366], Menni 2004:83 [ref. 28131], Lundberg & Akama 2005:498 [ref. 28312]). Current status: Valid as Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Lichtenstein 1819). Pimelodidae. Distribution: Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of Guianas and northeastern Brazil: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Habitat: freshwater.

The fish below is the true filamentosum, the price is higher than an Asian arowana at this time, and hardly obtainable.  Notice the distribution of spots on the back, rotation of the mouth. Also notice the length and thickness of the barbel. 

A modern rarity, a rare update of a rarely seen rare cichla, a rare sight.

Although fish keeping is very individualized, just like everything else including the clothes we wear and accessories we use, is also influenced by the opinions of others. 

In my years of fish keeping, collecting, buying and selling over about 30 years now, I am finding fewer and fewer pure hobbyists that share the same enthusiasm as I do in finding a new fish.  Most people just follow others, and the "trend".  I just wish that in the near future I can find and explore the frontier and find something new.  With the invention of the internet and being in the import/export business, most desired fish have come and gone with ease, and a few harder to find ones eventually obtained.  I'm now on the quest to find the ones that people have not even heard of or seen! 

Here is one of the "trendy" fish, peacock bass, Cichla sp., which includes over a dozen of different species, which most we have kept in recent years, including the rare Cichla melaniae "Xingu".  There leaves only less than a handful that we have never seen in the hobby, its a race against time to see who will be the first to bring them in!

I now present to you Cichla sp. which has been absent from the hobby for over 7 years, and no records of any surviving adults in the US.  Some in Japan, but are no longer heard of, and there are a few in Europe at this time. 

 

My latest rant about hand washing and hygiene, which I also think is over emphasized as a whole.  I felt compelled to write this after using the public urinal at the airport last night, since I was wearing these thin khakis, and sandals, I felt every drop splashing back from the urinal, and also dotted up and down my khakis.  It contained probably mostly my own urine, but also urine from the bowl that wasn't flushing properly.

So people who love their dogs, and kiss them on their lips, or let their dog lick their face, don't dogs lick their own assholes and balls when given the chance to do so?  You can draw your own conclusion

How about people who wear their shoes in their own house, how much urine do you pick up on your shoes at the fancy restaurant bathroom, and poop from the park where you walk your dog? 

Do you know of any animals that wash their hands, especially with chemicals or products?  Besides having sticky fingers after I've dipped my hands in a bucket of KFC, or fingers into something else, there really is much reason for hand washing. 

However we are so fascinated and fixated that washing our hands will somehow save a life, or that is the slogan at my work.

Reality check, the fact is in many parts of the world, people do not practice the same type of "personal hygiene" that we do here in the US.  Same with halitosis, body odor, nose picking, burping, slurping, farting, or any other gastronomical feats.  We have identified, and marketed products after our own ideas of perfection.  However, you and I are not directly profiting monetarily from it or benefiting from it, unless you work for Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, or Sanofi Ltd. 

Abbotina rivularis-we collected these back in 2009, the males get a beautiful tall dorsal fin, and they are very peaceful and easy to  maintain. 

Sarcocheilichthys parvus-this is another little gem from China that has been over looked, the fish pictured is not in its full breeding color.  During breeding season the fish easily rivals the most color tetra from South America, with bright red in all fins, and blue color dotting the lateral line.  Their max size is less that 8 cm, and very peaceful and easy to keep.  Will accept a variety of frozen and dried food. 

Leptobotia elongate, this is still my favorite fish, ranking in the top 5 out of 10.  I started with long roads to obtain them, much money invested.  They have given me so much enjoyment and so much grief, and makes me want to get some more of them, even more.  I will once again trek to the grounds where they hail from and look for the giant monster I've always wanted, a 36" wild specimen! 

The one pictured here is 12"

Finally a wild 14" specimen!

 

 

Tribolodon brandtii-this is probably the only cyprinid that inhabits brackish to saltwater.  Here is a youtube video and picture of some wild ones found on the internet.  The first picture is a group maintained by my friend at PlatinumSeas, and brought in from Osaka, Japan by myself. 

 

 

 

 

Update on some mahseers

Tor "mosal" undescribed specie from India

Tor soro "real Malaysian red"

Tor putitora "real Indian golden mahseer"

Update on some Rhinogobius sp. from China

Here is an update from the fish room. The green silver dollars have turned into something rather nice, the males have red flank and lips, like a lipstick dollar. The females retain the ultra long anal fin and its black in color, so black hook dollar. These fish are very peaceful and slower moving compared to the other silver dollars.