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Just wanted to post these as I managed to catch one out tonight before he/she dived into the sand out of view.


Martin

Excellent photos Martin - i applaud you - it reminds me what mine look like as i so seldom see them

Richard B wrote:Excellent photos Martin - i applaud you

Thankyou

Richard B wrote:it reminds me what mine look like as i so seldom see them

Mine are very active at night (room and tank lights off), but, like you, would never guess they were in there most of the time, with the exception of when you can just see an eye or mouth peeking out from the sand.
I've got a couple of what I think could be but these are proving even more difficult to photgraph, (a) because of their small size, and (b) because they either hang out in the very corner of the tank or on the underside of leaves!
Martin

Martin S wrote:[I've got a couple of what I think could be

Parotocinclus cf_eppelyi

but these are proving even more difficult to photgraph, (a) because of their small size, and (b) because they either hang out in the very corner of the tank or on the underside of leaves!
Martin

Ahhhhh - you need an underwater fibreoptic cable camera!!!

Richard B wrote:Ahhhhh - you need an underwater fibreoptic cable camera!!!

If only!

These look like they could be Imparfinis pseudonemacheir to me.

The.Dark.One wrote:These look like they could be Imparfinis pseudonemacheir to me.

they might well be - it's not a species in cat-e-log. Is that what Imparfinus sp. 1 is? or is that a separate species, still undescribed?

Richard B wrote:

The.Dark.One wrote:These look like they could be Imparfinis pseudonemacheir to me.

they might well be - it's not a species in cat-e-log. Is that what Imparfinus sp. 1 is? or is that a separate species, still undescribed?

I'd be interested to know more about this too! I have 6 of these and are beginnning to see them more and more. I can now often spot where they are buried in the sand just by a tiny portion of the caudal fin or the mouth and eyes just breaking through the sand.
Martin

Martin S wrote:

Richard B wrote:

The.Dark.One wrote:These look like they could be Imparfinis pseudonemacheir to me.

they might well be - it's not a species in cat-e-log. Is that what Imparfinus sp. 1 is? or is that a separate species, still undescribed?

I'd be interested to know more about this too! I have 6 of these and are beginnning to see them more and more. I can now often spot where they are buried in the sand just by a tiny portion of the caudal fin or the mouth and eyes just breaking through the sand.
Martin

I can see where they are by the trail they leave in the sand, where they initially enter & where they end up.

Martin - just out of random curiosity did you see this http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 13&t=25169 - i suppose there is a vague possibility this one might surface.....?

Richard B wrote: I can see where they are by the trail they leave in the sand, where they initially enter & where they end up.

Yes, there's that too!

Richard B wrote: Martin - just out of random curiosity did you see this http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 13&t=25169 - i suppose there is a vague possibility this one might surface.....?

I did...and I do hope so! Stunning fish. Let's hope Neil gets some in at some point...if you hear anything please let me know.
Martin

It is indeed a great looking fish - we can but hope they appear in the UK

I wanted to share an observation, as it may or may not help confirm the ID. Of the six I have, I noticed last night one of the slghtly larger specimens has colouring in the lower part of the caudal fin, and although the body markings are identical in the other fish, the rest have completely clear caudal fins. I am guessing it is age-related, and as the other fish grow they will begin to have the same colouring appear.
Martin

Interesting observation Martin - i rarely see mine, particularly together so have nothing to add really at this time - that said when i got mine, i picked the 5 smallest with patterning & 4 largest which were much plainer & lighter (out of the tank of approx 100). I also had a larger one which was plain but dark & didn't deport like the rest. As i've lost 1 i might never know which it was & if it was a different species? (until i next get an opportunity to compare them all together)

Hi All

I've just heard back from Flavio Bockmann who is one of (if not the) leading ichthyologists on Heptapterids. It does match the description of I. pseudonemacheir but he considers that I. pseudonemacheir is probably a synonym of I. stictonotus (Fowler, 1940) - although this possible synonymy needs further clarification.

Do any of you know where they are supposed to be being caught?

The.Dark.One wrote:Hi All

I've just heard back from Flavio Bockmann who is one of (if not the) leading ichthyologists on Heptapterids. It does match the description of I. pseudonemacheir but he considers that I. pseudonemacheir is probably a synonym of I. stictonotus (Fowler, 1940) - although this possible synonymy needs further clarification.

Do any of you know where they are supposed to be being caught?

Thanks for that - very interesting.
I don't, but am sure NHA might be able to help. I will call them and see if they can shed any light on where these came from.
Is this something for Jools to consider for the CatElog?
Martin

Thanks. If you find out, please let me know and I will feed back to Flavio.

I would perhaps wait until we know a bit more about where they are from.

The.Dark.One wrote:Thanks. If you find out, please let me know and I will feed back to Flavio.

Yes, will do. I have emailed them this afternoon, so hope they can give me some more info on capture location etc.

The.Dark.One wrote:I would perhaps wait until we know a bit more about where they are from.

Yes, agreed.
Thanks again
Martin

great picture and a very cool looking fish.

Just heard back from NHA and these were shipped from Columbia - hope that helps.
Martin

Martin - did you submit the original pics to Jools for Cat-e-log? If not i think you should...

I didn't no - only because there are quite a few pics of them already - I must admit though to enjoying seeing my photos stored for prosperity....
Thanks Richard

Martin S wrote:Just heard back from NHA and these were shipped from Columbia - hope that helps.
Martin

I'll check with Flavio and see what he says. It may pay just to hold on a short while (until he comes back to me) before giving it either name in the cat e log.

The heptapterid ichthyologist Flavio Bockmann has just come back to me. He confirms that it matches Imparfinis pseudonemacheir, but that species will probably be synonymised with Imparfinis stictonotus in the near future. So the fish in these images are Imparfinis stictonotus (which may end up back in Nannorhamdia!).

http://acsi.acnatsci.org/base/getthumbn ... get=135950

Many thanks. I will post this in the bugs/suggestions forum and let Jools decide what to do from there.
[EDIT]MatsP beat me to it [/EDIT]
Thanks again
Martin

The.Dark.One wrote:The heptapterid ichthyologist Flavio Bockmann has just come back to me. He confirms that it matches Imparfinis pseudonemacheir, but that species will probably be synonymised with Imparfinis stictonotus in the near future. So the fish in these images are Imparfinis stictonotus (which may end up back in Nannorhamdia!).

http://acsi.acnatsci.org/base/getthumbn ... get=135950

Cool & pass on our sincere thanks to Flavio, if you will.

Imparfinis sp(1) is a catfish I collected in the Rio Orituco, Venezuela. I had not identified it as P. pseudomachir as it's occurrence in the Orinoco and Ucayali River basins seemed erroneous. I. stictonotus range is described as Ucayali, Mamoré/Madeira and Paraguay River basins - if it's the same as sp(1) then it occurs across all of tropical South America.

I agree that Martin's fish is the same as that which I collected and photographed, and that is backed up by the fact that several species that I collected in that river, have been seen in the trade (some for the first time) in the last few months.

I would add it as sp(1), but I need more to affix sp(1) to a described species.

Jools

I don't really feel I can go back and question Flavio when he appears convinced that the fish in Martin's photograph is I. stictonotus. He is one of if not the leading ichthyologists on Heptapterids so i don't really feel comfortable in asking again. Certainly the fish in Martin's photo does match I. pseudonmacheir (= I. stictonotus) in terms of colour and pattern at least.

I'll leave it to you Jools whether to change the ID or not.

The.Dark.One wrote:I don't really feel I can go back and question Flavio when he appears convinced that the fish in Martin's photograph is I. stictonotus. He is one of if not the leading ichthyologists on Heptapterids so i don't really feel comfortable in asking again. Certainly the fish in Martin's photo does match I. pseudonmacheir (= I. stictonotus) in terms of colour and pattern at least.

I'll leave it to you Jools whether to change the ID or not.

No, but you could go back and confirm the collection locale of the species in the cat-elog and ask for his view on that. He may find it useful to have further evidenced occurrences.

I won't however accept the synonymy unless it's published and preferably replicated/accepted- meantime however I think changing I. sp(1) to I. pseudonmacheir seems sensible although how many other fish only occur in those two disparate systems!?!?

Jools

OK Jools, I agree. I will feed back to him and see what he says. It may pay to change his mind, or give him some more data for his work.
I agree with your view about the synonymy; his synonymy has not been published yet.

Managed to catch them with my new camcorder, so though you might like to see a couple of these feeding.
It's cropped from a longer video, but this is the best 'action' bit.
Enjoy!
Martin