Topogigio Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hello,Can someone please confirm what I read recently... Synspillum and melanarus are one and the same fish, and the current name for the fish is P. Melanurus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?id=235Quote from this link......"Comments: For many years the most popular scientific name for this fish was that of its junior synonym P. synspilus, although the differences between species were not always clear. DNA analysis showed them as sister species with a low number of differences. McMahan et al (2011) have made a morphological comparison between the two species and finally determined the synonymy of them. Being P. melanurus the older name available, this name prevails, although being less popular than that now in junior synonymy." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The quote provided comes from a study conducted into Paraneetroplus melanurus and Paraneetroplus synspilus. It is worth noting that Paraneetroplus is the recognised and valid genus for the species. Paraneetroplus melanurus (Günther 1862) can be found in the Lago de Petén system of Guatemala, and P. synspilus (Hubbs 1935) in the Río Grijalva-Usumacinta system, and other systems in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Morphological differences between the two species are minor but the key one is around the characteristicsof a dark band that begins at the caudal fin and tapers mid-body. This band is reported as straight(horizontal) in P. melanurus but ventrally sloped in P. synspilus. The study concluded that they are in fact the same species and as P. melanurus was described first, 1862 compared to 1935, that all should be called P. melanurus. Whilst the study was published back in April last year I still don't think that they have been officially accepted as one species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolvo23 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 So they are not Vieja anymore? When did that change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topogigio Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Wolvo: re: vieja, i though that genus was reserved for black belts and others?Ged: I didnt know of the Parannetroplus genus to be honest, but i see it in the cichladae website now... interesting.so in essence in Australia, we have 2 races of "Quetzal cichlids" = one from Guatemala, and the other race from the rest of Central/North America... does anybody know whether we do in fact have the true Guatemalan race? as Ged put it: dark band that begins at the caudal fin and tapers mid-body. This band is reported as straight (horizontal) in P. melanurus" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 yes we do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Here is some good reading on the topic. http://www.cichlidae.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=11257&p=60147&hilit=Paraneetroplus+melanurus#p60147From this I am assuming that all are now under the banner of Paraneetroplus melanurus. Fish base still has them as separate species. Happy birthday for today by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Here is a copy of the full study paper. http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/faculty/publications/pdf/2011/McMahan_et_al2011.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topogigio Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Happy birthday for today by the way.thanks mate, and for the info... now if i can get my hands on some true Guatemalan P. melanurus in Melbourne, that will be a great present to myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishguts Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Try looking up Melanurus and synspyllum on Cichlid Room Companion....these guys know their stuff.You'll get people from all over the world.There has been quite a discussion on this subject lately or even Jeff Rapps on Tangled up in cichlids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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