Crimson loach species, one or the same?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:51 pm
This might be one that The.Dark.One will want to look at. Two very similar looking loaches, which may even be the same species, imported on the same week, under two separate names. One was imported as Crimson loach - Schistura sp. 'crimson', the other as Scarlet loach - Nemacheilus nilgiriensis. They look identical to me, but their vastly different behaviur makes me question this. The ones imported under Schistura sp. 'crimson' have created nothing short of a blood bath in their tank, yet in the same conditions, a few tanks away, the ones imported as Nemacheilus nilgiriensis have been completely peaceful. In both cases, there have been good sized groups, and they have had the same amount of space, decor, foods etc. When I went to catch out some specimens of each to put into my photo tank, I had great difficulty in finding any S. sp. 'crimson' that was not damaged in some way. Most have big chunks or rips in the dorsal fins (this is males and females). Yet there is honestly not a single bite mark on the ones imported as N. nilgiriensis.
Here are some pics, the colours have faded a little upon being put in the photo tank.....
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male (this one had the best dorsal, but is clearly damaged)
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Just to clarify, this behaviour difference is not imaginary. Both batches of fish have been in at the shop for over 2 months, and I often observe them after hours. Can they really be the same? Could they be different populations of the same species, but evolved with a different aggression level?
Emma
Here are some pics, the colours have faded a little upon being put in the photo tank.....
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male (this one had the best dorsal, but is clearly damaged)
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - male
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Schistura sp. 'crimson' - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - male
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Nemacheilus nilgiriensis - female
Just to clarify, this behaviour difference is not imaginary. Both batches of fish have been in at the shop for over 2 months, and I often observe them after hours. Can they really be the same? Could they be different populations of the same species, but evolved with a different aggression level?
Emma