Loaches Online Forum

Emma Turner wrote: The average size of these is 9-10cm TL. Is the above specimen definitely a V. maassi and is just not displaying the dorsal surface stripe because it's still settling in? Or is it V. cinnamomea? Some are like this, others are the more typically purpley body colour (like in the earlier in-tank pics) with a prominent orange dorsal stripe.



Emma

Hi Emma

The ones without the stripe could be cinnamomea although the colour of the type specimens were brown (but this could be down to preservation), and was supposed to have two bars near the pecs. Probably the easiest way to tell is to count the anal fin rays. The picture of the ones with the stripe that you posted earlier in the thread have the right amount for maassi but I can't see the anal fin properley on the one without the dorsal ridge stripe. Can you count the anal fin rays on that fish or post a picture of the fin?

Of all the rotten luck! I've never seen these beauties in person despite having live in the Philippines.

Hi Laura , i remember keeping V.Eupipterus in a small group , but never witnessed any fighting , but somtimes the tank layout can have a bearing on this ! i.e territories to fight over ? BUT cant see them being aggresive to the point of not being able to share a tank , if i were getting these i'd aim for a group .

Just thought I'd post an update on the V. maassi. All are doing well and seem to be behaving very sociably for now. Here are a few pictures I took - the first 3 were taken in the photo tank and the rest are in the stock tank itself:







This first one feels like it needs a caption! (feel free to suggest )


Most of these aren't as sharp as I'd have liked, but a large number of them were gathered together at the back of the tank underneath a shady bit of bogwood which made focusing impossible. So I had to focus on something else that was in more light and at the same approx distance away from camera as the V. maassi, move the camera across and hope for the best!













And for The Dark One, here are a few pics of one of the specimens that are not showing such prominent dorsal markings. This one, which didn't seem to mind being photographed and came right to the front to check me out actually seemed a lot shorter in body length (despite the same girth as the stripy V. maassi):





Anal fin:




Different species or a sexual difference

Hope you enjoyed looking through them,

Emma

Hi Emma

Lovely photo's as usual!

From the images of the ones without the stripe they look like they have 9 or 10 anal fin rays which ties in with cinnamomea and not maassi. I would say with some conviction that the 'stripeless' ones are cinnamomea.

Nice find!!!!!

Excellent, thank you, that confirms what I thought this morning when I put this comparison pic together:





Emma

Stunning pics Emma , and great detective work from the Darkone !

piggy4 wrote:Stunning pics Emma , and great detective work from the Darkone !

Thanks piggy

Emma, the maassi also appear to have more dorsal fin rays than the cinnamomea, which also ties in with Kottelat's description.

That actually makes perfect sense, what with the V. cinnamomea having a shorter total body length.

Emma

Yeah, they're quite obvioulsy shorter in body proportionately. This is another nice new find to go on the species index. Did you decide whether to put that Pangio filinaris on? If so could you please try and put my (human) name on the image(s)?

Thanks

Yes, I (or one of the other mods) need to get both profiles up on the site as soon as possible. Do you want to add your name onto your pics and then send them to one of the mods, or would you like one of us to add that in for you? I am annoyed that I can't remember your human surname (I did know it - honest!).

Emma

Emma Turner wrote:Yes, I (or one of the other mods) need to get both profiles up on the site as soon as possible. Do you want to add your name onto your pics and then send them to one of the mods, or would you like one of us to add that in for you? I am annoyed that I can't remember your human surname (I did know it - honest!).

Emma

Could you please add the name please? My imaging software is very old and I've forgot how to do it. My human pseudonym is Steven Grant. (Hasn't quite got the same ring as my other names below has it??)

No problemo, Mr Grant.

I managed to get a few more pics of the other Vaillantella species yesterday:







Before I start work on the new species profile, are we all 100% sure that these are definitely V. cinnamomea and not V. euepiptera, given that all known Vaillantella species are found in Borneo? I've read and re-read Dr Kottelat's descriptions and am wondering if we need close ups of the caudal fin and maybe better shots of the anal fin? There seem to be a lot of areas that correspond to his description of V. euepiptera.... I probably just haven't had enough sleep!

Emma

What a wonderful sight!!!

Drool.....