At the same time bought two females of Cichlasoma synspilum from two breeders, but they are very different. Are they both Cichlasoma synspilum?
Cichlasoma synspilum
- Thread starter sarmatian07
- Start date
Both look like syns, ones just more colorful, likely a dominance thing.
They both appear to be the same species to me, because there are many color, and location variants.
Those from Laguna Bacalar in the Yucatan, can look very different from those in forested area rivers in Belize.
Beside that......
The species "name" synspillum, is no longer considered valid.
DNA testing has determined synspillum and melanurus are simply color and location variants of the same species, which may account for the color differences in your fish.
The reason synspillum was dropped, is because melanurus was described first in 1862 by the scientific community, the term sypillum was not described until 1935 (or there about).
Whatever name was scientifically used first, trumps the other.
Those from Laguna Bacalar in the Yucatan, can look very different from those in forested area rivers in Belize.
Beside that......
The species "name" synspillum, is no longer considered valid.
DNA testing has determined synspillum and melanurus are simply color and location variants of the same species, which may account for the color differences in your fish.
The reason synspillum was dropped, is because melanurus was described first in 1862 by the scientific community, the term sypillum was not described until 1935 (or there about).
Whatever name was scientifically used first, trumps the other.
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Here is an example of one species I kept, both pics are Chuco intermedia, but each is from a different river.
I'm looking at getting another tank in the new year and i want to keep the vieja synspillum, I love their colours. However, my research kept throwing the term "melanurus" into the mix and it started doing my head in, to such an extent that i PM'D
duanes
to clear it up for me, which he did.
If you put "synspillum" or "melanurus" into a search engine you come up with the same pictures, and they also share another name, "the redhead cichlid".
They can't have the same scientific name but they share the same common name! As if cichlids aren't complicated enough, lol.
duanes
to clear it up for me, which he did.If you put "synspillum" or "melanurus" into a search engine you come up with the same pictures, and they also share another name, "the redhead cichlid".
They can't have the same scientific name but they share the same common name! As if cichlids aren't complicated enough, lol.
The second specimen is a variety Vieja melanurus formerly called synspilum.
The first one does not look like any proper Vieja species. I would not even be sure if a melanurus (ex synspilum) is involved in the mix.
It does not show enough black in the belly and the back to be melanurus. No matter how faded or colored up they are they always show some black scales in these areas.
And the black stripe apears quite long for a melanura.
The first one does not look like any proper Vieja species. I would not even be sure if a melanurus (ex synspilum) is involved in the mix.
It does not show enough black in the belly and the back to be melanurus. No matter how faded or colored up they are they always show some black scales in these areas.
And the black stripe apears quite long for a melanura.
