How come EVERY geophagus species nowadays is labled as surinamensis or jurupari?
- Thread starter FluffySackson
- Start date
I agree with the jurupari answers above. They've been available a long time and you can get them from a variety of sources, although availability may be variable and seasonal. Was a time before they were described as a separate species, leucosticta were thought of as a jurupari morph by some-- one's recollection of this may well vary according to where they were back in the day and circles in which they traded fish. At present these wouldn't be the only fish to be mislabeled or confused by lfs (or casual hobbyists), it happens-- and lfs, sometimes even with owners long in the hobby, aren't always good sources for accurate fish IDs... I could tell you stories.
As far as just about everything else being labeled surinamensis-- maybe at your lfs or your area, but certainly not at all lfs and certainly not in the hobby at large. From what I've seen even a moderately knowledgeable lfs dealing in cichlids can identify an orange (or red) head tapajos or a 'red hump eartheater' (steindachneri) and happily prices them accordingly. Any number of breeders, importers, and lfs highlighting cichlids distinguish a goodly number of species from the generalized surinamensis bin. Same can be said for Brazil complex geos, a knowledgeable lfs specializing in cichlids knows they aren't suriname types.
I'd say if lfs in your area are calling everything jurupari and surinamensis it's peculiar to your area. It's not the rule in the better cichlid oriented lfs I've been to over the years in several different states here in the east.
As far as just about everything else being labeled surinamensis-- maybe at your lfs or your area, but certainly not at all lfs and certainly not in the hobby at large. From what I've seen even a moderately knowledgeable lfs dealing in cichlids can identify an orange (or red) head tapajos or a 'red hump eartheater' (steindachneri) and happily prices them accordingly. Any number of breeders, importers, and lfs highlighting cichlids distinguish a goodly number of species from the generalized surinamensis bin. Same can be said for Brazil complex geos, a knowledgeable lfs specializing in cichlids knows they aren't suriname types.
I'd say if lfs in your area are calling everything jurupari and surinamensis it's peculiar to your area. It's not the rule in the better cichlid oriented lfs I've been to over the years in several different states here in the east.
Jeff Rapps currently has jurupari 'orange lips' from Peru. Which brings to mind that jurupari (or jurupari like fish) cover a wider area and color variations than the Peruvian fish described by Kullander-- and collectors aren't necessarily limiting themselves to the exact location(s) and officially classified fish. So, sure, we could eventually end up with fish now called jurupari being eventually reclassified-- or we could end up with jurupari morphs from this or that location. But that's the same deal as a lot of other fish.
