So my local LFS has what they are selling as synspilum in one tank and in another tank red headed cichlids. The two tanks seem to have the same fish in them. Aren't the Vieja synspilum, paraneetroplus synspilus, paratheraps synspilum, and ex-cichlasoma synspilum all the same fish? I have heard various answers to this from them being separate species to sub-species and would just like a more definitive answer than google seems to be yielding me. Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me.
Synspilum Question
- Thread starter Kramer123
- Start date
Actually, the presently accepted name is Paraneetroplus melanurus. Synspilus is no longer recognized as their species name. There are two color forms, the red, and the orange. Here's a pic of mine, the orange first and then the red.
Notho - that is new to me. Could you show us where it says it's been changed?
I thought melanurus were only shades of gray and yellow ? At the very least, the (two) look very different, to me.
I thought melanurus were only shades of gray and yellow ? At the very least, the (two) look very different, to me.
Agree with Jim (notho), I have been watching with interest the speculation that synspillum and melanurus are simply color morphs of the same species. I believe it has been found within today's "best available technology" that the DNA tested on both is the same.
Although the common name "red head", is also in use interchangeably for Vieja (Paraneetroplus) bifasciatum, and maybe even fenestratus.
Although the common name "red head", is also in use interchangeably for Vieja (Paraneetroplus) bifasciatum, and maybe even fenestratus.
Here's an article from 2011 in the scientific journal Zootaxa that explains the basis for the change.
http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/kpiller/pdfs/McMahan_et_al_2011.pdf
Actually the orange form of melanurus is an extremely attractive fish which when in breeding colors is a rich orange and midnight blue. Here's pics of them when they were about a year old (not the greatest shots but you get the idea).
I am a fish hobbyist, not a taxonomist. Regardless of what taxonomists say, with or without DNA evidence, synspillum and melanuras have sufficient morphological and behavioral difference to me that they are two distinct species. In addition to having different color pattern, Syns has taller body and milder temperament, while Mel has more elongated body and aggressive behavior. I have syns, bifas and mel and among the three, syns and bifas look closer to each other than mel to either one. Jeff Rapp is in the same opinion and has communicated his disagreement with the new classification.
Fish taxonomy is a pseudo science with moving standards. One day a fish is classified in one genus, the next day is another, and another week or month it will be something else.
Fish taxonomy is a pseudo science with moving standards. One day a fish is classified in one genus, the next day is another, and another week or month it will be something else.
tiger15, I agree with you that there are MAJOR differences between the former synspilum and the melanurus. In fact, for some time I simply refused to acknowledge these findings as valid. Your comment: "Syns has taller body and milder temperament, while Mel has more elongated body and aggressive behavior" is right on. I've noticed particularly the difference in temperment, but more so when younger. And as they got older the melanurus converged more toward synspilum. The elongate shape tends to change too and they do become more "block-like" like synspilum. So I'll "go with the flow" for the time being but I have my doubts in the back of my mind.
