Geophagus identification.
- Thread starter freak78
- Start date
The paragraph below is from the book SouthAmerican Eartheaters.
"The most important criterion for identifying G. surinamensis is not so much the body form, or coloration, but the locality, as current wisdom is that only specimens from Surinam, and French Guiana should be assigned to this species.
Fishes that closely resemble this species are also found in Brazil, but these should not be regarded G. surinensis."
For this reason the locality for tank breds, as well as wild fish, which resemble G.suranamensis shouuldal ways be cited.
"Characteristics which can be used to differentiate this species from other members of the genus include the absence of dark markings on the head (contrast G. proximus, G. argyrostictus, G. bracybranchus, G. harrier, G. taeniopareius, G. grammepereius) the always visible lateral spot encompassing several scales, which in adults and/or depending on mood may become pale but is still clearly visible as a light spot (contrast G. megasaema and G. proximus, which exhibit an obviously larger lateral spot, and G. altifrons, which has no lateral spot or only a very small one) the irregular spotting of the central part of the caudal (contrast G. brokopondo, with spots arranged in vertical rows, and G. megasema, with a horizontal stripe pattern on the tail) plus the deep bodied shape (contrast G. campopiesus, G harrier)."
As you can see from the complicated description above, trying to judge from a one minute video is nearly an impossible task, it might take an expert hours of intense scrutiny to discern.
"The most important criterion for identifying G. surinamensis is not so much the body form, or coloration, but the locality, as current wisdom is that only specimens from Surinam, and French Guiana should be assigned to this species.
Fishes that closely resemble this species are also found in Brazil, but these should not be regarded G. surinensis."
For this reason the locality for tank breds, as well as wild fish, which resemble G.suranamensis shouuldal ways be cited.
"Characteristics which can be used to differentiate this species from other members of the genus include the absence of dark markings on the head (contrast G. proximus, G. argyrostictus, G. bracybranchus, G. harrier, G. taeniopareius, G. grammepereius) the always visible lateral spot encompassing several scales, which in adults and/or depending on mood may become pale but is still clearly visible as a light spot (contrast G. megasaema and G. proximus, which exhibit an obviously larger lateral spot, and G. altifrons, which has no lateral spot or only a very small one) the irregular spotting of the central part of the caudal (contrast G. brokopondo, with spots arranged in vertical rows, and G. megasema, with a horizontal stripe pattern on the tail) plus the deep bodied shape (contrast G. campopiesus, G harrier)."
As you can see from the complicated description above, trying to judge from a one minute video is nearly an impossible task, it might take an expert hours of intense scrutiny to discern.
Yeah I see that. Was told that's what they were but I've also been told their geophagus dicrozoster. Collection point is Colombia.
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If they are collected in Colombia they cannot be surinamensis — it’s in the name. These fish are from two river systems in Suriname and nowhere else.
G. surinamensis is the most incorrectly used name in the South American cichlid hobby. The fish are not in trade, yet the name is still used to sell abalios and altifrons from Colombia.
Which geos in the video are you asking for identification on? There are larger fish and smaller fish.
The larger fish appear to be dicrozoster. They have black cheek marks (called preopercular marks) which exlude surinamensis, altifrons, and abalios. They also have a Y bar, which is unique to dicrozoster. You can see the two bars at or behind the midlateral spot fuse together near the base of the dorsal fin, forming a Y shape.
G. surinamensis is the most incorrectly used name in the South American cichlid hobby. The fish are not in trade, yet the name is still used to sell abalios and altifrons from Colombia.
Which geos in the video are you asking for identification on? There are larger fish and smaller fish.
The larger fish appear to be dicrozoster. They have black cheek marks (called preopercular marks) which exlude surinamensis, altifrons, and abalios. They also have a Y bar, which is unique to dicrozoster. You can see the two bars at or behind the midlateral spot fuse together near the base of the dorsal fin, forming a Y shape.