Results for “rare”

A rather rare fish in the UK hobby. It occasionally shows up as a contaminant among imports of more popular species. The taxonomic status of all species in the genus Moenkhausia is currently Incertae Sedis, meaning uncertain. The genus is currently used as something of a catch-all for a large number of small characin species. Most experts agree that a full revision is required, with the likely outcome that many of these will be placed into new or different genera....

A good species of gudgeon for the beginner, being tolerant of a wide range of water conditions, hardy and easily bred. We've even seen them spawning in dealer's tanks on more than one occasion. It's easily confused with the similar looking, but rarer Southern purple spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, a fish which is now being farmed for the trade despite being endangered in nature....

M. melanonotus is rarely imported and little information is available regarding its captive care. The shovel-like lower jaw possessed by some individuals of this species has been the cause of some confusion regarding the fishes' true identity. It was originally placed in the genus Platygnathochromis, in which it was the only species. However, Ad Konings observed that amongst wild breeding populations there existed individuals both with and without the modified lower jaw. The specimens witho...

Nannacara taenia is rarely seen for sale in local aquatic stores. Largely, because it is a fairly unremarkable fish, tending towards a drab brown appearance. You are more likely to obtain this fish through specialist cichlid dealers or amateur enthusiasts....

This is the smallest member of the genus and rarely traded in numbers, though it's a relatively common contaminant among shipments of wild fishes from Manaus. Unlike other Nannostomus spp. it does not exhibit a specific colour pattern of spots or bars at night-time, rather displaying an overall paleness. The family Lebiasinidae is included in the order Characiformes and sometimes split into the nominal subfamilies Lebiasininae a...

This species is quite rare in the aquarium hobby and is not often available in numbers, more often being exported as bycatch among shipments of the congener N. eques. Following Weitzman and Cobb (1975) it can be diagnosed by the following combin...

This species is also known as 'Marilyn's pencilfish'. It's rarely traded in numbers and more often seen as bycatch among shipments of other species, particularly Paracheirodon axelrodi. It can be identified by the following combination of characters: three dark lateral stripes (sometimes referred to as primary, secondary, and tertiary); nocturnal oblique bars relatively narrow, with the anterior bar reaching, but not extending past, the anterior base of the dorsal-fi...

This species is rarely imported. It is easily confused with N. parilus but can be distinguished by the fact that male fish lack the barring seen in the upper part of the of parilus and have dark edges to the scales on the body. Females can be distinguished by the spotting in the lower part of the caudal, which is unpatterned in parilus. We do not recommend this species to the beginner due to its very specific water and care requirements....

Ther are currently five described species of Nemadoras (N. elongatus, N. hemipeltis, N. humeralis, N. leporhinus and N. trimaculatus). All are rare in the hobby, although this species is the one most commonly seen. As well as the occasional import, it sometimes shows up as bycatch among batches of similar-looking Hassar or Hemidoras species. Of these, it is most often confused with Hemidoras stenopeltis. These two can be easily told apart as N. leporhinus has a clearwith a dark patch at the base...

This species is rarely offered for sale and often appears to be a fairly plain fish when it is seen in dealer's tanks. However, when kept in the correct conditions it is a stunning little fish that comes highly recommended.

This species is rarely seen in the trade but makes a superb addition to the smaller community tank. Often appears quite bland in dealer's tanks but, in the correct environment, is a stunning little fish....

This species is also traded as 'checker barb', 'checkerboard barb', or 'island barb', and is among the most ubiquitous species available in the aquarium trade. It is farmed commercially in enormous numbers with wild examples rarely, if ever, available. It was formerly included in the polyphyletic catch-all genus Puntius which contained over 100 species, but this situation has been largely resolved since the turn of the century.

O. stormsi was previously classified as Schwetzochromis stormsi and is still named as such by many sources. Its swimbladder is modified, being much reduced in size. This makes the fish less buoyant and therefore less likely to be swept away by the strong currents in its natural habitat. In the aquarium it spends most of its time on the substrate, where it swims in a characteristic 'hopping' fashion. Unfortunately, it is rather rare in the hobby....

Still relatively rare in the hobby, this fish was only described to science in the early 1990s. It's not yet being mass-produced in any great numbers, and demand is high, so it's quite pricey when it is available. It's a stunning fish when adult, developing bright red fin edges with filamentous extensions, and a body colour varying between blue-green and almost black. It makes a great pet as it can develop real personality and learn to recognise its owner....

P. fasciata is rarely seen in the trade and is typically available only as bycatch among shipments of Sinibotia spp., particularly S. robusta. According to current classification numerous species from several genera are considered synonymous with it.

P. deissneri was the only recognised member of the genus for almost a century following its description in 1859. As a result its name has and continues to be widely misapplied in both aquarium and ichthyological literature although it's probably always been very rare in the hobby, while a number of fishes previously identified under the name from other pa...

A rare species in the hobby, P. humilis is also the largest known species in the genus. Several morphs are available, including "Guinea" and "Liberia red". Some of these may eventually be described as distinct species, as they are quite different in colouration and, to a lesser extent, morphology. This has already occured with P. rubrolabiatus and P. signatus, both of which were originally assigned to the humilis complex but have recently been reclassified. The easiest wa...

Due to its highly amphibious nature this must be one of the most interesting, endearing species that can be kept in aquaria. Some specimens rarely enter deep water, preferring to sit in the shallows with the body submerged and eyes protruding above the surface. Others seem to favour resting completely exposed on rocks, sand or bogwood, returning to the water periodically to wet themselves. Subdominant individuals (those that are unable to secure a favourable territory) tend to attach themselves ...

Due to its highly amphibious nature this must be one of the most interesting, endearing species that can be kept in aquaria. Some specimens rarely enter deep water, preferring to sit in the shallows with the body submerged and eyes protruding above the surface. Others seem to favour resting completely exposed on rocks, sand or bogwood, returning to the water periodically to wet themselves. Subdominant individuals (those that are unable to secure a favourable territory) tend to attach themselves ...

The mouthparts of this species are highly specialised, reflecting its natural feeding habits of rasping algae and other organisms from rock surfaces. It feeds almost exclusively on unicellular algae and has very thick, extended lips and brush-like, mobile pads of teeth. The mouthparts thus form a rasping 'plate', used when the fish is feeding. It is somewhat rare in the hobby, perhaps due to its violent reputation or the fact that this is not a particularly gregarious species in nature...