Royal Leopard is the name called by Asian people to differentiate the spot quality of the leoporldi, the same like black diamond that are found in Japan. they are somehow different in spot presentation. i was told that Black Diamond and eclipse both are exist in the wild. if you see the price list from Brazil, they group them into eclipse and black diamond too. this probably explain that the special characteristic of different leo exist in nature at certain area.
the same like discus, we have 4 main type established by welknown people such as Brown, Green, Blue, Heckel. From each of this, such as brown, it exist Currepurra, alanquer, Nhamunda.... etc.
So to have a different type/strain of ray is also logical. we have see some leo with very few small spot from wild, also getting eclipse spot type from wild, may be some of this is from a different river system. I was told also there is 2 type of p14 exit in the wild also.
Mike, you are right that is difficult to classify the eclipse leo when they are small, however the breeder should know and the pup still need to be grade. nobody will sell the leo with 50 spot above same price with the leo with only 20-30 spot. some of the spot is not truely showing white spot might dissappear as they grow up. I have got some leo pup that the breeder told me is eclipse, you can see the ring and donut spot type at 12-13cm, and they grow up to have more and more eclipse spot.
If those leo pup from your pup is with underdisc spot, then is possible to be royal leo, else should be grade as eclipse leo or Grade A Leo. the name is not important, may be you can call it grade A and grade B, but obviously the quality is different compare to some few spot leo.
i put below few photo of different type of leo for reference. the first few photo is all the leo i have bought with different price range. and the last photo is the black diamond photo not belongs to me, just use it for reference.
so with such big different in spot and color quality, that's why i think we need a standard grading for all ray.
all is only my opinion, i am not an expert in ray, so may be someone can shade some light here. ;-)
