Third rictal barbel in C. simulatus? mistake at the catelog?

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » 14 May 2006, 00:59

these pics are from the catelog, entry:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ca ... /392_4.PHP

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ca ... /392_3.PHP

the text in the last one says:

Close-up showing third rictal barbel - zoom in

but... reading an Ian Fuller article here

First of all Corydoras simulatus can be eliminated from the equation by a simple physical attribute that both Corydoras amapaensis and Corydoras septentrionalis posses and it doesn't. That is a third pair of Rictal Barbels these extra barbels are quite small and are situated just behind the two longer pairs, they can be seen only when the other two pairs of barbels are held in a forward pointing position. As a point of note there is one other species of Corydoras that possess the extra rictal barbels and that is Corydoras geoffroy La CepÃ©de, 1803. None of the other long snouted Corydoras species that I am aware of posses these extra barbels, all have just the two pairs of rictal barbels.

then, if Ian is right, the pics at the catelog don't show a C. simulatus but C. amapaensis, isn't?

Post by **Coryman** » 14 May 2006, 12:03

Since the piece on C. simulatus was written there has been a number of developments, the first part of the confusion was because of the colour variation in some populations of C. simulatus. It was first thought that some these were indeed C. amapaensis, but it has since been proven that they were in fact all C simulatus, to add to the confusion, on closer inspection it was found that the third rictal barbel was also present.

It is perhaps time now to review some of the past articles, but then again they reflect the views at the time they were written.

Ian

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » 14 May 2006, 15:42

Do you mean C. simulatus has also a third pair of rictal barbs, being four the species with this feature????

Post by **Coryman** » 14 May 2006, 16:57

The species now known to posses the third rictal barbels are: -
C. simulatus
C. septentrionalis
C. geoffroy
C. amapaenisis

There may very well be others, but up to now I have not found any and they may only be evident in fully grown adults.

Ian

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » 14 May 2006, 17:00

Thanks, Ian

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » 14 May 2006, 21:03

I have not very clear which is the third rictal pair of barbels... reviewing the pics of fish on my HD that I have labeled as C. metae and which do not seem to have a real "long nose" I see three pairs of barbels in some of them

are the fish on these pics C. simulatus?

Post by **Coryman** » 15 May 2006, 00:58

You are looking at the normal barbels that all Corydoradinae species have, long and short snouted species alike. The barbels on the upper jaw are the rictal or maxillary barbels, the third ones that are present in the four species are small and situated as shown in the accompanying picture. The two smaller barbels on the lower jaw are mandibular barbels.

Ian

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » 15 May 2006, 02:09

Is clear now. Thanks again, Ian

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 04 Feb 2007, 11:35

Coryman wrote:It is perhaps time now to review some of the past articles, but then again they reflect the views at the time they were written.

I've now made these corrections to both catelog entries and also Ian's CotM.

Jools