Help identify Aequidens Metae or Diadema?

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It's missing the cheek spot for diadema (which you can clearly see in Andicca's pic) or the stripe for metae ... I'd hesitantly call it A. pallidus but would want to send the pics to Alf Stalsberg just to make sure if they were mine. I know there is a stripeless A. cf. metae out there, which is why I'd send pics to the acara king to confirm.

A pic from Vinny Kutty's site of pallidus:
pallidus.jpg
 
Yeap, I seem to be getting a consensus that its a Diadema from other sites too? They were traded to me with a Metae tag, and when I picked them up in a bucket (so I only saw the tops) and took them home, thats when I started to wonder.
I still like them, but was hoping for Metaes.
Also, I sent the photos to a well known distributor and breeder and he agreed with the Diadema identification.

Thanks

Art
 
darth pike said:
It's missing the cheek spot for diadema (which you can clearly see in Andicca's pic) or the stripe for metae ... I'd hesitantly call it A. pallidus but would want to send the pics to Alf Stalsberg just to make sure if they were mine. I know there is a stripeless A. cf. metae out there, which is why I'd send pics to the acara king to confirm.

A pic from Vinny Kutty's site of pallidus:
pallidus.jpg
Click to expand...

Interesting obsevation. The plot takes an unexpected twist, you do however make a good point upon closer inspection.
 
I've just never seen a diadema not express the cheek spot before, except for being washed out by the flash. But I checked out the nonflash folder and it wasn't expressed in those pics either. That said the coloration is more metae/diadema than pallidus, but that can be from the lights. I've seen those two species look like the other depending on the spectrum of the lights overhead and had to use the cheek spot/line to tell them apart.

Andicca - Does that midlateral spot continue up into the dorsal fin? If it does, you have something much rarer and better looking than diadema.
 
Well, I added some more photos to the subfolder, if you can take a look at them. I think they show their color a little better. Non flash. They dont have the gill spot, but the male does have a mid body spot that meets the dorsal. How do I get ahold of Alf Stalsberg. I want to show him the photos and see if he can help me. I like them no matter what, but I do want to know 100% what they are, especially if they ever start to breed.

Thanks guys. I have had more responses in this forum than any. Cudos to you for that.

Art
 
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