Results for “lanceolate”

One of the most common of the numerous species sold as 'whiptail catfish', R. lanceolata is an excellent species for the newcomer to Loricariids or catfish breeding. It's certainly not the most active species, but when settled and housed with the correct kind of tankmates is by no means shy either....

This species is included in the B. pugnax complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage of which members are notoriously difficult to tell apart from one another, but which can be characterised collectively by the following set of shared characters: relatively large head measuring 28-40% SL; live colouration usually brown with green or blue iridescent spots; male with similarly-coloured scales on opercle, sometimes extending to abdomen; juveniles and females usually brown with two central body stripes and a dark marking on the caudal peduncle; anal-fin in mature specimens pointed and often elongated; caudal-fin lanceolate.

B. pinguis is included in the Betta akarensis group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, of which members share the following set of characters: possession of pre-orbital and post-orbital stripes (the post-orbital stripe is faint or interrupted in some species); chin bar present; caudal-fin lanceolate with highly extended median rays in mature males; caudal fin usually with transverse bars; greenish or bluish iridescent scales on body of males in some species; opercle without iridescent scales except in juveniles.

It can be told apart from other members of the B. pugnax group by the following characters: chin bar present; no complete second postorbital stripe on opercle; presence of transverse bars in caudal-fin of males; caudal-fin in males broadly lanceolate; opercle scales iridescent blue; anal-fin with reddish subdistal band and black margin; caudal-fin without dark margin; 25-28 anal-fin rays; 28-31 lateral scales; 11-12 postdorsal scales; length of pelvic fins 26.6-43.8 % SL; length of head 27.5-35.2 % SL; inter-orbital width 32.4-53.0 % HL.

As mentioned above, this fish may or may not be a man-made, or even hybrid, species. There are a few theories regarding this currently in circulation. Some believe that the fish are derived from a true wild caught fish, possibly of Paraguayan origin. These wild-caught red whiptails are supposed to breed true, producing all red fry, although there is no concrete evidence that they actually exist. The second possibility is that it's a selectively-bred form of Rineloricaria lanceolata, but thi...