synspila81;2450100; said:
Just wnted to share this with synspilum lover.. i found this on the others web.. synspilum is superb.. beautiful fish indeed..
these are the bad boys. Who got fishes like these?
V.Synspilum VS V.melanurus
- Thread starter synspila81
- Start date
these are the bad boys. Who got fishes like these?
2 major differences between these fishes:
1) different collection points
2) One is fairly common in the hobby (V. synspillum).
The other (V. melanurus) is uncommon.
While there are some differences in markings/coloration in general, there is enough variability between one individual to another in both species, that can make distinguishing the 2, awfully difficult. With out knowing original collection points -----Good luck!
But I would generally assume any aqaurium strain, with unknown origins, to be V. synspillum, because it's been around and available for a lot longer, now.
1) different collection points
2) One is fairly common in the hobby (V. synspillum).
The other (V. melanurus) is uncommon.
While there are some differences in markings/coloration in general, there is enough variability between one individual to another in both species, that can make distinguishing the 2, awfully difficult. With out knowing original collection points -----Good luck!
But I would generally assume any aqaurium strain, with unknown origins, to be V. synspillum, because it's been around and available for a lot longer, now.
I just got a 'melanurus' from rapps and it has the blue eyes that someone previously said were exclusive to syn. Is it now safe to assume there is no difference in these two species? Anyone else have a 'melanurus' and pics? Not really a big deal to me as both look great.
Paraneetroplus synspilus is a Junior Synonym of Paraneetroplus melanurus
(Teleostei: Cichlidae
CALEB D. MCMAHAN1,2, CHRISTOPHER M. MURRAY2, AARON D. GEHEBER3,2,
CHRISTOPHER D. BOECKMAN2 & KYLE R. PILLER2
Zootaxa 2833: 1–14 (2011)
(Teleostei: Cichlidae
CALEB D. MCMAHAN1,2, CHRISTOPHER M. MURRAY2, AARON D. GEHEBER3,2,
CHRISTOPHER D. BOECKMAN2 & KYLE R. PILLER2
Zootaxa 2833: 1–14 (2011)
Good first post Bob, I was waiting for someone to post the scientific data, leave it to you to do the research. Cracks me up that this is your first post, you've been keeping cichlids longer than most people here have been alive.
Visual differences between the two as stated in all the good inputs provided thus far here - are 2 different species in my eyes. I have both species 3 Syns & 2 Mel (both orange but one is much darker). I have videos of both fishes featured in my signature if you want to see and most will agree that there are only some similarities, i.e. having : gills, eyes, fins, scales, etc...
Some discussion and the abstract of the paper from Cichlid Room Companion: (http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?id=235)
Comments: For many years the most popular scientific name for this fish was that of its junior synonym P. synspilus, although the differences between species were not always clear. DNA analysis showed them as sister species with a low number of differences. McMahan et al (2011) have made a morphological comparison between the two species and finally determined the synonymy of them. Being P. melanurus the older name available, this name prevails, although being less popular than that now in junior synonymy.
Abstract of that paper: McMahan, Caleb D.. 2011. "Paraneetroplus synspilus is a junior synonym of Paraneetroplus melanurus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)". Zootaxa. (n. 2833), pp. 1-14 (crc03297) (abstract)
The genus Paraneetroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) currently consists of 11 species that naturally occur from southern Mexico south to Panama. Paraneetroplus melanurus (Günther 1862) is found in the Lago de Petén system of Guatemala, and P. synspilus (Hubbs 1935) in the Río Grijalva-Usumacinta system, and other systems in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Reported morphological differences between the two nominal species in the literature are vague but center around characteristics of a dark band that begins at the caudal fin and tapers anteriorly near mid-body. This band is reported as straight (horizontal) in P. melanurus but ventrally sloped in P. synspilus. Some authors have previously suggested that these two forms are not distinct. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic morphological comparison of P. melanurus and P. synspilus to further investigate their validity. We examined meristic, morphometric, and geometric morphometric characters and failed to recover diagnostic differences between these two forms. The characters proposed to separate them do not allow for their differentiation, and we conclude that P. synspilus is a junior synonym of P. melanurus. A re-description of P. melanurus is provided on the basis of existing type material and additional material recently collected
Matt
Comments: For many years the most popular scientific name for this fish was that of its junior synonym P. synspilus, although the differences between species were not always clear. DNA analysis showed them as sister species with a low number of differences. McMahan et al (2011) have made a morphological comparison between the two species and finally determined the synonymy of them. Being P. melanurus the older name available, this name prevails, although being less popular than that now in junior synonymy.
Abstract of that paper: McMahan, Caleb D.. 2011. "Paraneetroplus synspilus is a junior synonym of Paraneetroplus melanurus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)". Zootaxa. (n. 2833), pp. 1-14 (crc03297) (abstract)
The genus Paraneetroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) currently consists of 11 species that naturally occur from southern Mexico south to Panama. Paraneetroplus melanurus (Günther 1862) is found in the Lago de Petén system of Guatemala, and P. synspilus (Hubbs 1935) in the Río Grijalva-Usumacinta system, and other systems in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Reported morphological differences between the two nominal species in the literature are vague but center around characteristics of a dark band that begins at the caudal fin and tapers anteriorly near mid-body. This band is reported as straight (horizontal) in P. melanurus but ventrally sloped in P. synspilus. Some authors have previously suggested that these two forms are not distinct. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic morphological comparison of P. melanurus and P. synspilus to further investigate their validity. We examined meristic, morphometric, and geometric morphometric characters and failed to recover diagnostic differences between these two forms. The characters proposed to separate them do not allow for their differentiation, and we conclude that P. synspilus is a junior synonym of P. melanurus. A re-description of P. melanurus is provided on the basis of existing type material and additional material recently collected
Matt
