Loaches Online Forum

hi cup
you take it as s. sp "spotted"? or s. albisurea?
if you look at one of mine the difference is small - only a different pattern on the back. isn't it? albisurea pictures in the description of J. Freyhof show two close rows of black spots along the sides.



that's why J. Freyhof doesn't exclude "spotted" being albisurea!!! . closer scientific research is on the way.
cheers charles

I see, I see.

this fish was purchased as sp spotted.

thanks for the insight.

I just got first pictures of albisurea made by dale newcomer. thanks a lot for the permission to post them.
I'll try to compare the short way:
albisurea has a very different spotting, finer black-spotted rows, just one lateral row; the form of the paired fins remind me of spotted (first row, last picture) not of lineolata
(second picture). details of the head show the difference clearly. underside pictures: albisurea is said not have a cavitiy around the mouth. not to decide by this detail, but lineolata at the right is clear with the classic structures. snout-outline is different too in this view.








hope to have cleared things a little. of course it comes even more clear having the original descriptions side by side.
enjoy them dale
cheers charles

Do you reckon albisurea get as big as spotted Charles?

hi plaalyle
yes. the holotype mesures 44.3 mm SL = about 55 mm TL, that would be lineolata-size, but the biggest albisurea was as large as 64 mm SL = about 74 mm TL. that's about the size of my largest spotted male.

another remark: I just found: albisurea and lineolata are syntopic, with a small aerea for albisurea. the lineolatas found together with albisurea could easily be of a little diffferent pattern than the standard lineolata. see farid's specimen.
(the best explanation is always the one that looks logic during my studies I used to call it the "persuasive power of the sufficient argumentation"; but now it's time for a sleep)
cheers charles

Thanks Charles!

...a beauty!!!