Results for “fin”

As with all members of the genus sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Males are brightly-coloured, with a reddish-orange stripe extending posteriorly from the pectoral-fin, with the posterior portion of the body entirely suffused with red. A darkish band extends from behind the eye to the edge of the opercle, and the basal third of the caudal-fin is reddish-orange.

This species is one of the more commonly-encountered botiids in the hobby and is also sold as 'blue', 'orange-finned', or 'red-finned' botia/loach. It's sometimes subject to artificial colouring with bright blue or purple dyes and we strongly recommend you do not purchase such fish (they're illegal in several countries).

This species, which may also be referred to by the alternative vernacular names 'spiny catfish', 'painted talking catfish' or 'chocolate raphael', isn't particularly common in the trade and most often exported only as bycatch among shipments of Platydoras armatulus. It appears very similar to A. cataphractus with the most useful external distinguishing character being the presence of pale blotches on the dorsal surface, between the dorsal and caudal fins, in....

The genus Acarichthys remains monotypic and was resdescribed by Kullander (1986) who characterised it by the following: lack of epibranchial lobe; comparatively few (12-14)rays; pelvic fins with relatively broad tips (branches of the first ray are equal in length or the inner is slightly longer); possession of a single supraneural plus 14-15 vertebrae (these characters taken as a combination); no caudal extensions to swim bladder; no caudal ribs. Its current taxonomic position is based largel...

The genus Acrossocheilus is restricted to southern China, northern Vietnam and northern Laos. It can be distinguished from related genera by the following combination of characters: rostral fold present; lips fleshy and continuous around corners of mouth; lower lip with a median interruption; mouth inferior; horny sheath on lower jaw; two pairs of barbels; last simple ray of dorsal fin osseous with a serrated or smooth posterior margin.

The genus Ageneiosus was at one point classified in the family Ageneiosidae alongside the genus Tetranematichthys, but this was not accepted by all authors. The grouping remains poorly-studied with the last major revision having been conducted by Watson (1990) in his unpublished dissertation, in which A. inermis was included under the currently synonymous name A. brevifilis. It can be separated from the majority of the genus (except A. marmoratus) by possession of a truncate caudal fin, and from...

This species has been exported for the aquarium hobby and ranks among the smaller members of the family. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: head length 22.0-28.6% of standard length (SL); caudal peduncle depth 8.8-10.7% of SL; anal-fin base length 15.2-19.1% of SL; eye diameter 12-16% of head length (HL); nasal barbel length 57 92% of HL; posession of 3-4 serrae on the posterior edge ofspine; body patterning mottled with indistinct ...

This species is among the smaller members of the family. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: caudal peduncle length 16.1-19.8% of standard length (SL); caudal peduncle depth 6.5-9.3% SL; length of adipose-fin base 25.6-29.5% SL; interorbital distance 42.0-46.0% of head length (HL), eye diameter 13.0-20.0% HL; length of nasal barbel 44.0-66.0% HL; lateral margins of the head appear straight when viewed from above; possession of 0-5 se...

This is an exceptionally hardy and adaptable species. It's not an especially common fish in stores, but is quite widely available in hobbyist circles. The common name arises from the row of modified, paired scales that form a keel running from the base of theto the caudal fin....

This species varies in colour pattern depending on locality. Some of them are sold under several such names with the variant from Kigoma being known variously as A. compressiceps "Kigoma red", "Kigoma red fin", "Kigoma orange top" or "firefin" for example. The different populations should ideally be kept apart in aquaria and clearly labelled with collection locality in order to avoid hybridisation. Forms popular in the aquarium hobby include: - &quo...

The genus Amblypharyngodon currently contains five valid species, and A. chulabhornae can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: 42-50 (vs. 50-79) scales in the lateral row; lateral line incomplete with 6-7 (vs. 7-23) perforated scales; 4-5 scales on a transverse row between the lateral line and pelvic-fin base. All members of the genus lack barbels.

A. anatoliae is the most widely-distributed of the Anatolian Aphanius species although like most of its congeners is not easy to come by in the hobby. You are unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it may be available via specialist breeders or associations from time-to-time. While Aphanius spp. are certainly not as colourful as some of their relatives their interesting behaviour and continuous activity make them fascinating aquarium subjects and well worth a try if you possess the de...

The elongated, slender body profile, angular lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known subspecies have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Kosswigichthys in the past and it's still inexplicably listed as a species of Lebias by some sources (for the record Lebias has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003). You're unlikely to find i...

The modified lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known species have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Turkichthys in the past and it is still sometimes listed as a species of Lebias although that generic name has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003. You're unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it ma...

Phylogenetic studies have shown this species to be most closely related to A. dispar, A. richardsoni and A. ginaonis within the genus. It probably became isolated when the Red Sea flooded the Wadi Sirhan around 13 million years ago. You 're unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it may be available via specialist breeders or associations from time-to-time. While Aphanius spp. are certainly not as colourful as some of their relatives their interesting behaviour and continuous acti...

This species differs from all other described members of the genus by the presence of dark blotches at the dorsal and ventral base of the pectoral fins. Three very similar-looking fishes have been assigned the codes A106, A107 and A108 under the DATZ system and are also known in the aquarium hobby as A. sp. 'rotpunkt' (this form has been in the hobby for decades with its precise origin unclear), A. sp. 'rotpunkt Orteguazas' (the paratype form of A. alacrina) and A. sp. 'rotpunkt Guayas', respectively. It remains to be seen whether they're conspecific with A. alacrina or not since they exhibit some differences in colour pattern and morphology.

Localities known in the hobby include 'Pastaza', 'Putumayo', 'Requena', 'Río Nanay', 'Rio Napo', 'Maniti', 'Momón', 'Río Tigre', 'Río Ampiyacu', 'Shishita', 'Shushupi', 'Yavari', 'Tefé', 'Manaquiri', 'Lago do Januari', 'Mamori' (often misspelled 'Mamuri'), 'Careiro', 'Manacapuru', 'Juruá', 'Curuaí', and 'Purutu' though we've been unable to find anywhere matching the latter name within the species' known distribution, and in fact several of these names are applied incorrectly on a regular basis.

This species is assigned the codes A220, A221 and A222 under the DATZ 'A' number system with these referring to similar-looking, possibly conspecific, populations. These differ in some aspects of colour pattern, particularly the orientation of the caudal-fin markings which may be horizontal, vertical, or somewhere inbetween. One population displays an orange colouration on the belly and is som...

This species is not recommended to those lacking the facilities to house it for life. Sadly it's all too often seen for sale as an attractive, silvery 2-3" juvenile, supposedly suitable for the general freshwater community tank. To make matters worse, it is also usually given an 'alluring' name such as 'black-finned' or 'silvertip' shark catfish. The fate of the majority of these specimens is in all likelihood a depressing one.

This species is sometimes referred to as 'false corydoras' or 'sixray corydoras'. A. pauciradiatus can be distinguished from congeners by possession of 6 soft dorsal-fin rays, as opposed to 7 in other Aspidoras species, plus its distinctive colour pattern. Aspidoras species are distinguished from the very...