Severum Questions

[TheEelKing]

In my 300 gallon tank, I have a large red-streaked severum. Yesterday, I purchased an orange shoulder severum and a gold severum. Both are small and I'm growing them out in my 55 gallon aquarium. I have a few questions, now:

1) Are orange shoulder severums, red shoulder severums and rotkeil severum all the same severum subspecies?

2) I know that my large red-streaked severum is a male. I can never sex the severums when they are small like the orange shoulder and gold severum are at this point. When they get larger, however, if one of my new severums turms out to be a female, is there a possibility of interbreeding between my severums when all three of them are in the same tank? I'm hoping for all males as I don't want an aggressive breeding pair of severums taking over any of my aquariums.

 

[TheEelKing]

Any responses?

 

[Woefulrelic]

1) red streak are another name for the Red severum. They vary greatly from rotkiel, who keep natural colors and a red patch right behind the face. My red severum pair below. The red severum males are plagued with infertility but I have heard of them producing fry.


2) Assuming you have a rotkiel the chance of breeding exists, the egg laying severum can interbreed. It's probably slightly lower because you have three different kinds but you may have to part with one or two in the future since a 55 isn't that big.

I think you are confusing red streak with red throat or red shoulder, which are nicknames for rotkiel.

 

[TheEelKing]

1) red streak are another name for the Red severum. They vary greatly from rotkiel, who keep natural colors and a red patch right behind the face. My red severum pair below. The red severum males are plagued with infertility but I have heard of them producing fry.
View attachment 1152503

2) Assuming you have a rotkiel the chance of breeding exists, the egg laying severum can interbreed. It's probably slightly lower because you have three different kinds but you may have to part with one or two in the future since a 55 isn't that big.

I think you are confusing red streak with red throat or red shoulder, which are nicknames for rotkiel.

Thanks for the responses.

1) If red streaked male severums are usually unable to reproduce, how is this strain of severum continued then?

2) What is that white cichlid with the bar going along its side? It seems to be a docile species given its in with the severums and geophagus and I'm not noticing any nipped fins. Would it also work with loaches (both clown loaches and blue botia), a datnoid, a leopard ctenopoma, a clown knife, bichirs, and bala sharks? The fish I just listed are what I have as tankmates with my severums. I think I'd like to add that other cichlid in your photo!

3) I am not confusing my severums. I have a large red-streaked severum in my 300 gallon. In my 55 gallon grow out, I have a small gold severum and a small orange shoulder severum. I was just wondering if the orange shoulder severum was the same thing as a red shoulder severum/rotkiel severum.

 

[Woefulrelic]

1) This is mostly speculation from my pov but these are to the best of my knowledge old severum bred for intense red orange colors. The earlier generations can have babies more red than themselves without the fertility issues the babies end up with because they are more genetically diverse. The parents themselves would not be as nice as the babies but still retain fertility. I'm not particularly well versed in the biological or genetic sciences and the process is somewhat secretive so I can't he sure of the farmed processes.

2) He's a chocolate cichlid and his colors are very light compared to the smaller one, the smaller one is more reclusive and the bigger one does show more color when's he eating. Hopefully they will continue to color up as they age. Festivum are another good tankmate but they stay smaller.

3) I misunderstood then. Rotkiel is the same as orange and red shoulders for sure. To avoid confusion it's a bit easier to call the red streaks just red severum and the red shoulder just rotkiel severum. Good to hear you have a 300 though, I didn't want to he the guy to tell you they will outgrow a 55 lol.

 

[Woefulrelic]

Here's a nice shot of the other chocolate asking for food.

 

[J. DEMPSEY]

1) red streak are another name for the Red severum. They vary greatly from rotkiel, who keep natural colors and a red patch right behind the face. My red severum pair below. The red severum males are plagued with infertility but I have heard of them producing fry.
View attachment 1152503

2) Assuming you have a rotkiel the chance of breeding exists, the egg laying severum can interbreed. It's probably slightly lower because you have three different kinds but you may have to part with one or two in the future since a 55 isn't that big.

I think you are confusing red streak with red throat or red shoulder, which are nicknames for rotkiel.

the one on the right in Britain is called a red spotted severum

 

[Woefulrelic]

the one on the right in Britain is called a red spotted severum

It's called that here in the US too, also called red streak, super red, etc. Since neither of these fish have relevant scientific names it comes down to trade names. Trade names tend to become whatever people want to call them or import them as, so you usually end up with loads of them and this applies to a lot of species that are properly described.

 

[J. DEMPSEY]

1) This is mostly speculation from my pov but these are to the best of my knowledge old severum bred for intense red orange colors. The earlier generations can have babies more red than themselves without the fertility issues the babies end up with because they are more genetically diverse. The parents themselves would not be as nice as the babies but still retain fertility. I'm not particularly well versed in the biological or genetic sciences and the process is somewhat secretive so I can't he sure of the farmed processes.

2) He's a chocolate cichlid and his colors are very light compared to the smaller one, the smaller one is more reclusive and the bigger one does show more color when's he eating. Hopefully they will continue to color up as they age. Festivum are another good tankmate but they stay smaller.

3) I misunderstood then. Rotkiel is the same as orange and red shoulders for sure. To avoid confusion it's a bit easier to call the red streaks just red severum and the red shoulder just rotkiel severum. Good to hear you have a 300 though, I didn't want to he the guy to tell you they will outgrow a 55 lol.

outgrow ? ive seen a blood red parrot in not much bigger than a shoebox around 10" in a pet shop and 14 yrs old. yeah its cruel but its survived 12 yrs. good filtration is the most important factor.

 

[J. DEMPSEY]

It's called that here in the US too, also called red streak, super red, etc. Since neither of these fish have relevant scientific names it comes down to trade names. Trade names tend to become whatever people want to call them or import them as, so you usually end up with loads of them and this applies to a lot of species that are properly described.

yeah. green terrors being one of the most misunderstood. it was only after buying mine I discovered he was in fact a gold saum. cracking fish however. glad I got him.