Two new species of licorice gouramis described

As our member from the Netherlands, Bartian, already posted rightly in this forum, the scientific description of two more species of the genus Parosphromenus has just appeared (online at December 10th, 2012) in Vertebrate Zoology 62 (3) 2012, pages 399-406: Ingo Schindler and Horst Linke have described the hitherto “other forms” P. spec. Langgam as P. phoenicurus and P. spec. Danau Rasau as P. gunawani. We congratulate them to their work and shall integrate two new pages into our species accounts in due time. Until then see “other forms” for short accounts.

Therefore science knows 20 species of this genus presently.

It is not accidentally that these two forms have been selected by the authors. Among the many new forms especially found on Sumatra they were most likely clear hitherto undescribed new separate species; most others look more or less like diverse local forms of the bintan-type; if they are nobody knows. P. gunawani resembles that species too, but differs nevertheless in many respects, f.i. the colouration of the caudal fin and the whole structure of the body: much stouter and more powerful. P. phoenicurusresembles undoubtedly P. tweediei, but differs mainly and clearly in the structure of the caudal fin. Although young animals have a rounded caudal, it becomes more elongated and even a bit pointed with greater age, at least in most individuals. Remarkable is the variation of the extent to which the red colour covers the unpaired fins. Whereas the original fish that were wildcaught by H. Linke at the Langgam-location still had large blue parts and white margins (see his picture at our front page), in the later fish blue and white faded to nearly nil and the red became dominant all over (see the pictures of breeder Martin Fischer at several places on our website).

To our knowledge, until the present day both species are distributed in our aquaria by offspring of the original imports of Linke only. In Germany, phoenicurus is distributed rather widely in the meantime with good stocks (as ou new census Fall 2012 exhibits). This is mot the case with the other species, gunawani, that has unfortunately been lost again about one year after the first import although it was bred rather easily by several people in good numbers. Presently only Linke keeps a stock of about 10 animals that were caught by him again in the early 2012. As he told me some days ago there are no indications of imminent breeding. So we very much hope it can be propagated in the long run. In the case of phoenicurus we are confident that this beautiful species will make its way in short time.

But we should be aware of the fact that in both cases the original habitats are – as we know – very small indeed. They are highly endangered and so are these fish! We know both new species from very limited localities only! One major environmental accident, and they are gone.