Heros Heroes

A new thread's highlights:

Heros efasciatus


Heros sp. "Rotkeil"


Heros efasciatus


Photo credit goes to Japes and Blairo1

Kullander's Groupings

A new thread:

Cichlasomines: Acaronia, all Central American genera, Astronotus, Australoheros, Caquetaia, Chaetobranchopsis, Chaetobranchus, Cichlasoma, Heroina, Heros, Hoplarchus, Hypselecara, Mesonauta, Pterophyllum, Retroculus, Symphysodon, Uaru.

Acara: Aequidens, 'Aequidens', Bujurquina, Cleithracara, Crenicara, Dicrossus, Guianacara, Ivanacara, Krobia, Laetacara, Mazarunia, Nannacara, Taeniacara, Tahuantinsyoa.

Geophagine: Acarichthys, Apistogramma, Apistogrammoides, Biotodoma, Biotoecus, Geophagus, 'Geophagus', Gymnogeophagus, Microgeophagus, Satanoperca.

Other: Cichla, Crenicichla, Teleocichla.

I agree with the opening comments on Retroculus:

Retroculus: This one stumps me. In a newer paper, Kullander provided DNA evidence stating that this genus is a Cichlasomine, indeed much closer to Cichlasoma than to any Geophagine genera. Despite having the gill arch needed for inclusion for the Geophagines, as well as the Satanoperca like shape ... these are now believed to be a result of convergant evolution (different fish in similiar type areas devoloping similiar evolutions) versus direct evolution (descended from eartheaters).

A Comment

Heros notatus


I've gotten a question on the length of my notatus:

The tanins give off a more natural feel. How large is your Heros notatus?

The H. notatus actually isn't visible for the entire video... I'll upload a video of him later. I'd say a good 5 inches of pure body length and 6 or 7 with finnage included. Slightly larger than my efasciatus.

According to Fish Base this is about the top length for the species.

A Look at my 200

Current inhabitants:
1 Astronotus ocellatus
1 Uaru amphiacanthoides
1 Heros efasciatus
1 Heros notatus
2 Cichlasoma sp. 'Guyana' (1 who may actually be something else despite the protestations of the store I bought him from - beautiful anyway. My guess is some species of Aequidens)
9 Unknown - possibly an Astatheros variety
3 Acarichthys heckelii (temporary residents)
1 'Geophagus' steindachneri (temporary resident)

Music: I'm playing the piano for this while my sister took the video. It is a bastardized excerpt from the song Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum from Gregor Mendel's "Children's Corner."

Beautiful Tank

Geophagus sp. 'Tapajos Red Head' is one of my favorite eartheaters. I prefer G. camopiensis though. Its more subtle coloring gives it a very beautiful delicate appearance.