PlanetCatfish.com

This one needs to be tackled at some point. What we call Microglanis iheringi in the hobby is not. Microglanis iheringi is restricted to the Lake Valencia/Rio Tuy systems of northern Venezuela. I did collect them there on one occasion, but did not photo them.

is more likely the real Microglanis iheringi. What the fish that is commonly imported as Microglanis iheringi really is I have no idea.
-Shane

Do we have any knowledge as to where the common Microglanis originates from?

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Mats

Colombia, collected around Leticia (Amazon). They are on Colombian lists as M. iheringi, marbled catfish, pacamu. A box from Bogota ships 300-500 of these, hence their commonality in the trade. I do not have any recent Brazilian or Peruvian exporter lists at hand, but would not be surprised to see them shipping out of both if this is an easily collected Amazonian species.

Useful link maybe
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ni/v3n4/v3n4a15.pdf

-Shane

Just noted an entry in CLOFFSCA that M. ater is a common aquarium fish.

More refs possibly of interest

Description M. malabarbai
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ni/v3n1/v3n1a02.pdf

Description M. leptostriatus
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/zt01302p042.pdf

Description M. carlae
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ni/v6n3/a16v6n3.pdf

1946 Review of Microglanis
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream ... /OP494.pdf

Description M. pellopterygius from Ecuador
http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/149895

Description M. pataxo
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=s16 ... ci_arttext

A couple more:

Microglanis minutus Rio Barra Seca basin, Brazil.
http://www.vertebrate-zoology.de/vz60-3 ... Ottoni.pdf

Microglanis robustus from Rio Tocantins
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02632p066f.pdf

Birger

Hi Shane

I tend to disagree. The review states iheringi are from Venezuela and Colombia (one of the paratypes being from Colombia). Also the holotype of iheringi has the two large pale patches, one on the cheek:

http://acsi.acnatsci.org/base/getthumbn ... get=135109

Visible on this adult male:

http://www.scotcat.com/thedarkone/pseud ... eringi.jpg

These patches are present in some other species but dont tend to be as large. The only thing that gives me doubt is the dark striplings in the pale bands that are present in some of the types but I have seen this on some female 'M. iheringi'.

IMO the third photo in the clog under iheringi (listed by Mark Smith) is not the same species as the others in the profile. Mark's fish has a different pattern and has pointed caudal lobes unlike the 'iheringi'.

Steve,
Let me take a harder look at this, but there are very few spp endemic to both the Lake Valencia/Tuy system and the Orinoco (let alone the Amazon basin). This is because they are separated by the Serrania del Interior, a branch of the Andes that runs along much of coastal Venezuela. It seems more likely to me that any specimens from Colombia identified as M. iheringi are misidentifications.
It is all really difficult dealing with such cryptically colored fish. The cheek patches may prove to be significant, or may prove to be a common feature in the genus.
I do realize that you have put much more time into studying this family than I have and was hoping this thread would draw your attention.
-Shane

Hi Shane

Yes I can see the logic and bow to your experience and knowledge of the area and the fish fauna. I'm not 100% sure of my own view point. I think if one of the paratypes didn't come from Colombia then I would be even less sure than I am. The cheek pattern can vary in size but tends to be an ever present in the 'iheringi' from Colombia. Perhaps they have the same recent ancestor and have been separated and have evolved into 2 similar species?

Steve

In an effort to help sorting this out (well, making it easier to see what species do exist, and their distribution, references etc), I've been adding some of the known species of Microglanis. I'm about half-way there. Will try to do the rest on Monday.

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Mats

Great Mats. It may be a while before I can tackle this one, but still worth having a place holder out there as "something that should eventually be cleared up."

-Shane

Well, having all species scientifically described in the Cat-eLog can't be a bad thing, even if we have no pictures or much information beyond author, type location, distribution and hopefully a few more bits... If nothing else, it shows to people that there are more than one species ... ;)

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Mats

I think we have all scientifically described species in the Cat-eLog now (at least, that's my intention, anyone spot one that is missing, let me know!)

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Mats

Great job. Anyone want to mine the above links for data to fill out the entries?
-Shane

malabarbi, pellopterygius pataxo, carlae entered. Mats had added much of the data on some of these.
-Shane

What is the rule on copyrights? This 1978 paper has nice diagrams


Description M. pellopterygius from Ecuador
http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/149895

-Shane

Unfortunately, a 1978 paper would definitely be under the copyright of the publisher/author.

An interesting observeation is that most of the species are described rather recently - 13 of the 19 descibed species are described after 1970.

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Mats

MatsP wrote:Unfortunately, a 1978 paper would definitely be under the copyright of the publisher/author.

Yes, but there is the issue of fair use and, also, I could find no copyright statement for the document. I think we can use these pics.

Jools

Jools wrote: Yes, but there is the issue of fair use and, also, I could find no copyright statement for the document. I think we can use these pics.

Jools

Ok, you da boss! ;)

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Mats

I picked up some Colombian Microglanis for my friend that are different to the norm. 2 species: one specimen of one undescribed species that has no markings on the head whatsoever! The others are related to iheringi and indeed seem closer to the true iheringi than the ones in the trade, however they have a light patch in the anterior black body band, and the band does not extend as far down ventrally.





The weird one!


After discussing the issue of iheringi's identity with an ichthyologist working on the genus he has stated that there is a complex of species in the north that all look like iheringi.

Mees in the description of pellopterygius (1978) seemed to identify the fish we see as iheringi as the true iheringi but in view of the above comment, we will see. This is a huge female 'iheringi' that is about 8.5cm SL.



What I noticed recently was the pale nape band in the holotype is in a different position in relation to the head than it seems to be on the fish in the hobby known as iheringi. The inclusion of the specimen from Colombia in the type series confuses things slightly. In the future I'm sure this will be sorted out.

Steve,
I am off to Luanda in the morning, but will try to remember this thread when I get back. I just remembered that I have a paper on these fishes that has a good drawing of M. iheringi from the Rio Tuy system buried in my files...
-Shane

Thanks Shane

This is where Mees discusses (and figures) the ID of Colombian 'iheringi' though I don't think this is the last word on the subject:

http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/149895

Looks like I'll have time to find the paper in the morning. Got the airport tonight and they informed me that the Brussels to Luanda fight was cancelled until the 9th. It was either have a four day layover in Brussels... or just turn around and come come.
-Shane

Did a good search of my paper holdings and came to two conclusions, 1) I can't locate the paper I was thinking of and 2) My paper holdings are a complete mess.

What literature I did find, mostly river system surveys, were all over the place. They either claim that M. iheringi is restricted to the Lake Valencia system or is widely spread through the llanos (Orinoco feeders). I can state from my own collections that it also occurs in the Rio Tuy system, but could not find this published anywhere. It really should not be a suprise though as probably 80% or more of the fish fauna is shared between the two drainages. My understanding is that they were connected even in historic times.

I do not think we will get any clarity on this until someone surveys these fish and sorts them all out.
-Shane

Hi Shane

Yes, I agree. Someone needs to do a paper on the northern species and sort it out.
Steve

Key to the species of from the rio Amazon basin from "Two new species of Microglanis (Siluriformes: Pseudopimelodidae) from the upper-middle rio Araguaia basin, Central Brazil", William Benedito Gotto Ruiz; Oscar Akio Shibatta

1. Absence of light transverse band on nape; presence of melanophores surrounding the neuromasts of superficial lines, forming series of black dots ....................................... 2
1'. Presence of a light transverse band on nape; absence of melanophores surrounding the neuromasts of superficial lines .......................................................................................... 3
2. Dark brown trunk with light brown stripes imparting a ground color similar to tree bark; absence of light marks on nape; snout length 11.4-12.9% SL ........
2'. Light brown trunk with dark brown saddles below dorsal and adipose fins; light cordiform blotch on nape; snout length 9.1-10.7% SL ..............................
3. Very wide dark-brown stripes on fins ................... ......................................................

3'. Dark brown stripes on fins absent or narrow ..................... 4

4. Lateral line long, reaching the vertical line through middle of adipose fin; number of pores 14-20 ........................ ..................................................................
4'. Lateral line short, not reaching the vertical line through middle of adipose fin; number of pores 3-9 ......................... 5
5. Tip of pectoral-fin spine bifurcated ...................... ...............................................................
5'. Tip of pectoral-fin spine undivided ................................... 6
6. Caudal fin rounded; all anterior serrae of the pectoral spine retrorse, except the last antrorse ...........
6'. Caudal fin slightly bilobed; upper lobe of caudal fin more developed than lower lobe; anterior serrae of pectoral-fin spine antrorse and retrorse, with a single Y-shaped serration in between ............................................................ 7
7. Lateral line reaching the vertical through middle of dorsal-fin base; 5-7 total gill rakers in the first branchial arch; 6 pleural ribs; i,12,i caudal-fin rays ........................... .................................................................
7'. Lateral line reaching the vertical through base of dorsal-fin spine; 3-6 total gill rakers in the first branchial arch; 4-5 pleural ribs; i,10,i or i,11,i caudal-fin rays ..................... .................................................................





And today I learnt that cordiform means heart-shaped!

Jools