What is this goofy fish I just bought?

[purplecandle]

I now have absolutely no doubt, that this fish is some type of chanchitto (Austroloheros sp.). It's body shape is consistent with a chanchitto, it's coloration, all of it's marking and stripes, the shape of it's fins, and it's eye......all are consistent with a chanchitto.

Like I mentioned before it has a < -shape to the first stripe (after the tail spot) right on the caudal peduncle. All the pictures I have looked at on the internet and in books, I find about 1/2 the Austroloheros specimens have this characteristic. Doesn't seem to be associatied with any particular species, but almost 1/2 the individuals in all the pictures I can find, exhibit this! I supose, just by chance a CA cichlid could just happen to have the same shape to it's first stripe.......but I have yet to see any on any picture!

Like I mentioned before, the fish has 4, maybe 5, anal spines. Not enough for a convict. PLus the shape of the dorsal, and especially the anal fin , are not at all consistent with a convict cichlid. Also, convicts, like other Cryptoheros speies, do not have a stripe on their caudal peduncle. The pictures of convicts posted by Aquamojo show this.....just like any other convict. I'm not trying to claim this as some kind of iron clad law, because i am sure there is always an exception, but you would be very, very, very hard pressed to find any convict, or any Crytoheros species for that matter, with this trait.

ok, many of the austroleheros are not identified and most that are identified have no picture/profile to go with.

Since you seem to know a little about this group-
1. Do you think it is likely that this fish will be small <6 inches?
2. Currently he is non-aggressive. Do you think that will continue? Is that behavior a part of his potential species profile?
3. Would he be best off without tank mates? Since he his so passive maybe a small school of some sort of tetra? Or should I attempt to find another like him?
4. Would a tank of 30-40 gallons suffice for him?
5. Anything about his water chemistry I should know?

 

[importracer]

ok, many of the austroleheros are not identified and most that are identified have no picture/profile to go with.

Since you seem to know a little about this group-
1. Do you think it is likely that this fish will be small <6 inches?
2. Currently he is non-aggressive. Do you think that will continue? Is that behavior a part of his potential species profile?
3. Would he be best off without tank mates? Since he his so passive maybe a small school of some sort of tetra? Or should I attempt to find another like him?
4. Would a tank of 30-40 gallons suffice for him?
5. Anything about his water chemistry I should know?

Whatever the case, the fish looks sick........I do not think the person buying the fish really understood what it was to him..........I am guessing a "RESCUE......"As for the genetics of the speciman, I beleive it is part Convict Cichlid.........Possiblity of Austroleheors order, maybe, only because of the bars along the side..........

 

[purplecandle]

Whatever the case, the fish looks sick........I do not think the person buying the fish really understood what it was to him HER..........I am guessing a "RESCUE......"As for the genetics of the speciman, I beleive it is part Convict Cichlid.........Possiblity of Austroleheors order, maybe, only because of the bars along the side..........

I don't know what you mean by "understood", but I liked the fish, I have a tank for it, so I bought the fish. If he turns out to be bigger than I anticipated, I will just buy a bigger tank.

That is why I am here, to get an ID so I can plan his tank once he comes out of quarantine. I am not some noob buying Oscars for a ten gallon tank.

He is not sick, he is underfeed and nipped on because he was in with con, jewels, firemouths and JDs at the pet store. Put any non-agressive fish in with those fish for a month and see what it looks like. Since he has been with me he has eaten every day and I have seen him poop. His fins are already starting to look better and he does not have fin rot. You can already see from the picks I originally posted and the picks I posted yesterday he is looking better.

I did rescue him in the sense that I took him out of a tank where he was getting beat up becuase he is non-aggressive. But I did not rescue him from some place like walmart where my purchase would encourage fish mistreatment.

He does look tore up, but he has no red flags for IPs, Ick, fin rot or any other disorder one would look for in a new fish. Why should I not have bought him?

Just because you don't like his coloring does not mean he is sick. Just because you can't ID him does not mean I should not have bought him. I find his personality and coloring pleasing and that is why I bought him.

 

[BC in SK]

ok, many of the austroleheros are not identified and most that are identified have no picture/profile to go with.
1. Do you think it is likely that this fish will be small <6 inches?
2. Currently he is non-aggressive. Do you think that will continue? Is that behavior a part of his potential species profile?
3. Would he be best off without tank mates? Since he his so passive maybe a small school of some sort of tetra? Or should I attempt to find another like him?
4. Would a tank of 30-40 gallons suffice for him?
5. Anything about his water chemistry I should know?

So far, 21 described species, and 5 undescribed are listed in the Cichlid Room Companion:http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/genus.php?id=201

Australoheros "oblongum" is not listed, and will not be, because it is of unknown origin. "Oblongum" is it's trade name in the hobby. Probably an undescribed Australoheros of unknown origin, but who knows for sure. It's been in the hobby for a number of years, so it is more common then most of these fishes..... seen some once for sale in Calgary, so they are around. Of course the original Chanchittos were "lost" in the hobby, many decades ago.
1.) Difficult to say for sure with out knowing which species it is.Some supposedly get to 10", others 6-7", though who knows for sure as most of these fishes are very knew to the hobby. "Oblongum" is suposed to get no more the 4-5".
2) ?? Some chanchittos are very aggressive. Some not so much, though people will have different experiences with the same type of fish. All the info i have read on the internet, everbody who haso "oblongum" claims it is very UNaggressive.
3)If the fish is very passive then things like tetras and livebeareres are probably the safest bets for suitable tankmates.
4)30-40 gallons. At the size this fish apears to be...... a small juvie, I'm sure it would suffice; at least for quite some time.
5)Suposed to be very hardy fish......so I would expect tap water (declorinated), the water it came from and is now in, should be fine. Many chanchittos come from waters that is cooler then tropical for at least part of the year, and some claim a cool down period is required for at least a few months of the year......but others claim they do fine with out it. Of course a fish like 'oblongum', who knows were it comes from.....maybe southern Brazil(???) were temps. stay warm all year (?).

While all CA/SA have great ability to alter their 'look' based on mood, status, age and sex, chanchittos in particular are known to be very chameleon-like. That characteristic also seems to fit with your fish.

 

[the animal guy]

looks like it's fading into midas/rd color

 

[BC in SK]

Just another possibility.... Austroloheros sp. "monigotes".
http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/bln/101207/541r4/3845c3f_23.jpeg?set_id=2C4000
The dark brown/black coloration and 4 spines and 9 rays in the anal fin would fit. Though, of course, a lot of CA/SA cichlids could have the very same number in it's anal fin. I would think Purplecandles' fish would be much younger then the fish in the link. Since the 'normal' coloration of purplecandle's fish is suposed to be dark, a dark colored fish might be match(?).

 

[the animal guy]

Looks like a severum X

 

[diggler81]

would say convict

 

[Batboi3000]

My first thought too after seeing the recent pics was con x texas cross. This is a pretty common tale for them to cross. But I also agree, seems like more time is needed to let it grow and color up a bit more. Looks like it will be a cool looking fish come time.