Jump to content

Protomelas spilonotus Chimawalani Reef


5uka

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 56
  • Created
  • Last Reply

There was discussion that Protomelas spilonotus - Chimwalani Reef is the same fish as Protomelas spilonotus - Mara Rocks

P. spilonotus Mara Rocks is located at Eccles Reef which is also known as Chimwalani Reef.

It ,at be worth comparing the two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have bought by name on two seperate occasions in the past,,,, spilo chim and spilo mara.

My observations showed definite distinctions of the fish I had putting aside googled images and other people's thoughts/discussions.

Mara rocks and most other spilos narrower top to bottom in depth.

Maras have a definite yellow top to every male.

Maras like rest of spilo grow to a particular medium size.

Chims have different amounts of yellow on top from one male to another, while a occasional male may possess nearly no yellow on top.

Chims grow much and I mean much larger than any other spilo variety.

Chims in proportion get deeper bodied top to bottom and laterally fatter.

Chims have a more robust mouth.

Chims seemed more peiceful than any other spilo variety for me.

Juvenile and female markings in both these species are a little different to each other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ad made the following reference.

The best know species of this group is Protomelas spilonotus. This species is frequently collected at Mbenji Island and is know in the aquarium trade under the misleading name of 'Haplochromis ovatus". The type locality of P. spilonotus Is at Chilumba. the populations at Chilumba and Ruarwe are indistinguishable from those at Mbenji Island,and Eccles Reef (Malawi) and Nkhungu Reef, Nkhungu Point and those at Lumessi (Mozambique) and likewise identical to those found at Magunga Reef, Tanzania. There is no doubt that we are dealing with the same species.

There is an inclusion of a photo of P. spilonotus "Mara Rocks"
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the pic you posted Ged is the chim look for broadness and body shape but it's not at full difference yet as its kind of fairly mature but still has a bit more size to put on untill body proportions show some considerable difference.

Though the pic you posted has a lot of orange in the scale edges on the flanks and a orange looking top.

Where as the ones I'm use to are more yellow and Definetely don't have orange flanks like that, though I have seen a little orangey glow as a hint behind the gills.

Sometimes what can make things confusing also are color mutations in individuals that show up then taken advantage of by line breeding the mutation as a better ornamental quality.

Again as I've said before, the "diversity" attracts a forever fascination and discussion. Isn't it great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Ad is saying every one is all the same look ????

I've got both spilo tanz and spilo tanz (lieuli)

Lieuli have a bigger eye with a fatter stripe in it when breeding.

Lieuli also have extra long fin extensions

Lieuli have extra and more vibrant yellow underside.

Lieuli Definetely more aggressive, though it could be a genetic trait in my bloodline rather than a specie difference.

Sometimes I wonder if others notice as much as I do,, I don't even have to look at my fish for long at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buccal he goes on to say that

However, in between these locations we find very similar but different species. In Tanzania P. sp. "spilonotus tanzania" occurs south of the Ruhuhu River and has been seen at Thumbi Point, Hongi Island, Lundo Island and Mbamba Bay Island. At Undu Reef, Tanzania, and Wikihi and Londo, Mozambique, another species P. sp. "spilonotus mozambique", occupies the same niche. yet another species, P. sp. "spilonotus likoma" is found around Likoma and Kande Islands, and also Chilucha Reef near Metangula.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the pic you posted Ged is the chim look for broadness and body shape but it's not at full difference yet as its kind of fairly mature but still has a bit more size to put on untill body proportions show some considerable difference.

Though the pic you posted has a lot of orange in the scale edges on the flanks and a orange looking top.

Where as the ones I'm use to are more yellow and Definetely don't have orange flanks like that, though I have seen a little orangey glow as a hint behind the gills.

Sometimes what can make things confusing also are color mutations in individuals that show up then taken advantage of by line breeding the mutation as a better ornamental quality.

Again as I've said before, the "diversity" attracts a forever fascination and discussion. Isn't it great.

I suspect that lighting and post processing of the photos may have enhanced the orange tones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's still all very confusing lol.

Sometimes their exact descriptions of outings and findings still don't answer questions raised in the hobby.

Sometimes I wonder, if we got Ad to collect us a specific specie, then asked him to locate them and get the same specie again based on his findings five years later, would they really be the same stated characteristics from the beginning.... Hmmm.

I'm pretty sure the intense diversity of many species would even throw of and confuse the legends of our passion to.

I tend to describe what I see but try not come across as my knowledge being the be all and end all.

I don't care how good or how much experience someone has, to set something in concrete when it comes to locational variances the mind must be kept open.

I've been led astray by reputable people only to find I got rid of stuff that was the real deal.

Just because a little bit of juvenile or female marking is different or noses slightly sharper or blunter, it doesn't mean it's not the real thing,,,,, as genetical variances take place, especially in the aquarium bred fish as a slight mutation (not deformity) can exist in a allele and passed on to offspring as alleles don't tend to be refreshed will new bloodlines and the re-occurrence of same traits keeps carrying on.

Which is a similar effect to line breeding, except it's a desired trait that's tried for,, eg, longer fins, brighter colors and so on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the pic you posted Ged is the chim look for broadness and body shape but it's not at full difference yet as its kind of fairly mature but still has a bit more size to put on untill body proportions show some considerable difference.

Though the pic you posted has a lot of orange in the scale edges on the flanks and a orange looking top.

Where as the ones I'm use to are more yellow and Definetely don't have orange flanks like that, though I have seen a little orangey glow as a hint behind the gills.

Sometimes what can make things confusing also are color mutations in individuals that show up then taken advantage of by line breeding the mutation as a better ornamental quality.

Again as I've said before, the "diversity" attracts a forever fascination and discussion. Isn't it great.

I suspect that lighting and post processing of the photos may have enhanced the orange tones.

Yes thats true, it happens almost every time a pic of a fish is taken,, I did think that, but there's a truck load of color in those flanks.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buccal do u have any with the yellow sulfur crest on their head?

I keep most fish in absolute minimum size tanks,,,, but mind you they grow fast as each tank has three times turn over that comes in from a large bodied slow water moving sump with max exposure to benefial bacteria.

But to get the point, I had no probs getting any mature spilo to full size in 1.5-2 years and decent colony number.

Tried this in same size tank as rest of spilos, but with the spilo chim instead.

Chims got twice as big faster, mine was male heavy, I had no bigger tanks as they were occupied with worthy specimens not to give up.

Ended up with one huge male left in the end.

This one left has a big yellow crest yes,,, I now use him as a dither to crowd control with other species.

Many males were almost as good, some were only half as good, and the odd one had almost no crest but Definetely a male.

I Think there was one female and one suspected female.

I decided not to keep it going with that size tank.

Dispersed the males.

local shop here in Perth was selling them fairly big with good price I grabbed some,,,, they have to be quite big till sexing them and coloring up at bigger sizes.

Other spilo types and many other malawis,,, advanced juvies start to show almost full color (not super g) in the dominant one in the crowd.

.

The large numbers of fish in shop with males getting into color showing yellow caps, and showing all different amounts of yellow caps but mainly all better ones,,,,,,,,, shows up easy how they really are. (checking large numbers).

Thought I'd just tell a story, hope I didn't bore anyone lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes just re read it lol. So basically what u r saying is if I want a quality specimen with yellow sulphur crest I gotta get juvies and breed for it or buy an adult male. Are they easy to source??? I'm from Sydney

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You find in book unless its one that includes it.

Protomelus Spilonotus 'Tanzania'

Protomelus Spilonotus 'Tanzania' (Liuli)

Don't get confused.

Sometimes what said in your found literature sometimes on occasions will not match up with others.

Some are updated, others are different info sources,

Then there's what you have that you bought as the specie tag has said from supplier.

As long as source is reputable, there's no reason not to adhere to the specie tag.

There's a difference here in the way we class fish.

We all trade mainly in fry size which doesn't allow suffient ID with starting out.

It's either info from book or info from specie tag from supplier for determining specie correctly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest Queensland has some breeding devotion, and I'm pretty sure around the traps I've seen spilo chim for sale in Queensland.

I haven't seen any avaliable in Perth for a long while.

A bloke up in the hills here use to breed them and obtained them through reputable sources.

If you find and want these try to buy as many as you can, this way higher chance of getting good males (probability wise).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...