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.