Parosphromenus-Newsletter No. 106 
Bielefeld (Germany), December 23th, 2012
Dear friends, Christmas 2012 is around the corner, just as the new year. We send a last newsletter in the old year.
1. We welcome new members to the project
The following people have become new members (double entries please excuse):
– David Cook from Corby (Northants) in England
– Ryan Petrie from? the U.S.
– David Rabelius from? in Sweden
– Ingo Jüdes from Bramsche in Germany
– Enrico Oltolina from? Italy
– Lars Liversen from Denmark
– Joseph A. Zdinnicki from Detroit (Michigan), Canada
– Rudolf Taylor from Romania
– Anne Tremblay Rivere-Du-Loupe (Quebec), Canada
All are welcome!
2. Addendum to the Fall 2012 Census
Some friends have advised us of omissions in the published results of the last census, which have different reasons. They are all happened by mistake and we have to apologize for it. However, this can be done at the plethora of complex data, which come together in such a census, slightly. We mention the most important additions and corrections that have become known to us:
This time, the stock of Hans Schellein (Italy) is not registered:
P. spec. aff. bintan “Sumatra” 10 times 90 15female fry
P. spec. “Langgam” 8 male 7 female 15 fry (see # 6 below)
Also missing the parvulus stock of Helene Schoubye
P. parvulus trade: 3 pairs, 3 young males, 3 females and young fry further
It also lacks the stock of Stephan Menzel (Schierke / D):
P. nagyi Kuantan: 2/1, and about 40 young growing
P. linkei: 2/1, and about 50 young growing
The fish listed under the name “deissneri” at Valdesalici (Italy) and Hards (UK) are not likely to be of this species, but likely a form of the bintan-type.
3. Upgrade succeeded
We are particularly pleased that the necessary but difficult, given our extensive trilingual website upgrade has succeeded to the latest Joomla version and is complete by now. It has been performed by a professional software engineer with costs, and we have to use residual funds from our donation pot. But for Helene Schoubye a lot of work had been left, because not everything worked perfectly in any language. Now the most has been completed and we thank Helen for an outstanding job!
4. Furthermore, commercially available: P. spec. Ampah
Our joy at a first import of genuine deissneri was as we now know premature. However, it is understood that this confusion occurred because the animals initially showed no color, and structure actually reminded deissneri. Factually, they are located in the neighborhood of filamentosus, also geographically: They come from a supply of fish by Patrick Yap (Singapore) originating from Kalimantan Tengah, north of the known filamentosus-area, from the area around Ampah. We therefore call now to have a neutral, but clear name, P. sp. Ampah. The fish are still available at the company Tropicwater Ltd.. info@tropicwater.eu (shipping to other countries, too) in Germany. Meanwhile, the species has also occurred in trade in other countries in trade (as eg in the U.S.).
5. AAGB a special issue published in January about Licorice Gouramis
In English-speaking countries especially a great lack of good information on printed Licorice is reported. This will soon improve now: David Armitage of the AAGB (UK) had the idea of editing a special issue of the British magazine “labyrinth” in which it’s all about the Paros. All scientifically described species, plus some additional forms that appear more frequently in the trade are presented there in the English language. For this, the texts are used that Peter Finke has written for our site of the Parosphromenus-Project. Partially for legal reasons other images were used. Moreover, the most important texts for aquarium keeping and breeding (the water, the food and the establishment of a specific aquarium) were added, which are also published on our website. The whole thing we have dedicated to Allan Brown to honor his and his wife Barbara´s prominent role as Paro pioneers.
The special issue is expected to cost including shipping approximately 5.00 Euros (4.00 pounds Sterling). In these days it is sent to the printer. Please, look at our website: If the booklet is available, we will let you immediately know, tell order address and the exact price including postage costs.
6. Two new species now described
Our members Ingo Schindler and Horst Linke have two forms of Sumatra, the first time in 2008 the latter had brought with him to Europe and apparently actually two new species were described as new to science. P. spec Danau Rasau is now P. gunawani and spec. Langgam has become P. phoenicurus. Both species have so far not shown up in the ornamental fish trade.
The detailed bibliographic information for new first description are: I. Schindler / H. Left: Two new species of the genus Parosphromenus (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) from Sumatra. Vertebrate Zoology 62 (3) 2012, 399-406. The type specimens of both species were deposited in the Museum of Zoology Dresden (Senckenberg Natural History Collections).
While P. gunawani unfortunately could not be maintained permanently after having been first imported, and currently is only after a new journey of H. Linke to Sumatra present in a small new wild-caught population, the highly attractive P. phoenicurus has been bred following it´s first introduction to good numbers. Meanwhile, the species swims in the tanks of a number of friends already in the third or fourth generation.
Until the next newsletter, best wishes for the holidays and a Happy New Year 2013 to all of us, your steering group.
Responsible: Peter Finke (Bielefeld / Germany).
(We are always open to suggestions for improving the newsletter. Language versions were created with the help of machine translation. Apologize therefore possible linguistic errors).