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Hi everyone
I just bought ten of these. They were listed as P. sumatranus, but cannot be right because I can’t see a filament anywhere on caudal fin. I am trying to establish where they were imported from.
Many Thanks
Rod
Hallo Rod, it´s very difficult to find the ID by a photo only. I believe, it´s a fish into the harveyi-group. The booklet SPECIAL ISSUE 1 THE LICORICE GOURAMIS by Peter Finke, published by Anabantoid Associotian of Great Britain (written in English) and the book Prachtguramis (P. Finke – Martin Hallmann) can help you. Best wishes Stephan
Hi Stephan,
Yes it is very difficult to ID Paros, it can be frustrating when exporters rarely identify the fish correctly.
I have spent a few hours looking at numerous papers and images on the internet and have come no closer to an ID. I have found some similar species and was looking at the similarities between my fish and P. tweedei, alfredi and phoenicurus. I almost thought they might be phoenicurus, but not sure how the caudal fin differs on younger fish? Also the Raffles biology paper says phoenicurus should have a black filament on ventral fins, whereas mine are blueish.
I think the blue in the fins also rules out tweedei, but not 100% sure of this. It most looks like some images of alfredi that are on the seriouslyfish website, but I was led to believe by importer that mine came from Sumatra, so that also seems unlikely.Rod
Its a beautiful fish, – but definitely no sumatranus. However, I dont know about the harveyi connection, because it seems to me that theres some red /brownish colour – is that right ? Coming from Sumatra, if thats correct, rules that out anyway.
Theres no inner band in the caudal fin showing but is that just because of the photo or maybe the fish isnt showing full colours ?Hi Helene
The unpaired fins have a bright blue edge, then a small black band then a blue band, then solid red. The caudal fin does have a black band but as you say it doesn’t show very well. Ventral fins seem to be blue with pale blue filament.
I will try to get better photos tomorrow, but excited with my new fish so just wanted to try to ID.
Can I rule out bintan do you think?I am by no way the ‘expert’ with identification when it comes to more difficult fish 🙂 … but I would say, that probably bintan, or rather a variant within this ‘bintan’ group, which is rather big, is what I come closest to.
So I wouldnt rule that out.This fish is really mysterious to me. It really doesnt seem that there is any band in the caudal fin, white or blue, its plain red /brown. Like the sumatranus.
But then it has got the lines in the dorsal and ventral, fainth but still there.
Sometimes males take a while before all coulours show strong, – it may still be a question of waiting. Maybe there could be a band coming forward – theres like an band with no coulour between the outer rim and the red in the caudal, but on some of the photos it is not really showing at all.
As it is I am no wiser unfortunately, – I hope some others will come around and give their opinion.Hi Helene
I have looked through all my photos and I think you are right, there is a very faint bluish caudal band in photo below, so hopefully this will develop with time.
As far as the hardly visible band on caudal fin goes, my new fish show this too. One of the males has a clearly visible band. Two others have almost adult coloration on all other fins but the caudal and the rest of the males can be distinguished only becouse of the green/blue edging on the caudal and other fins. At the beginning I was even worried that I could possibly have some mix of species but couple days later another male started to show thin band that is now looking almost normal already and I have seen another developing band on the other male. It seems like it takes some time to develop a full coloration as the fish are maturing. I have seen quite a lot of species where developing full adult coloration takes some time even after the fish are already sexually mature. So I do not panic anymore. It looked exactly like onthe very above photo.
Hallo Rod,seven years ago I´ve had the same problems like yours. I bought 40 semiadults “P.deissneri, catched in Sumatra” offered by trader. 14 days he hold them in very hardness waters, together with Bettas and Trichogaster; they all died in my care. Last year I got 1,1 tradered P.tweediei, – no results. Best waters, many plants,caves, best food, but no nests or frys. Nobody knows,that the females are right the same species. I think, it´s very dangerous to produce crosses between unknown species/subspecies or “cf” species.At example P. nagyi “Cherating”./.”Kuantan”. The “Malawi-cichlids” should be a warning for us! ID´s by Photos are risk and difficult, because in flashlight. The really day-or sunlight produce another magical effects. I think Helene is right, you should wait any months, if happens. Why not, shit happens! I learned, “Trading Paros” are lost Paros!”
Best wishes and exquise me for my bad english StephanYes, think it will change in a little time, – maybe just a few days, it could well be because of stress and getting settled.
But I would read the species article of p. bintan, – I think there are some similarities perhaps. Maybe not p. bintan, but some close to. If it does show a blue band, + the dark/red inner coulour in the caudal fin, – at least thats whats mentioned in the describtion of p. bintan.
P. harveyi does not have that as far as I know.
We try here to get more knowledge of all the different variants as well, – and p. aff. bintan or sp. bintan is often showing up in different trade situations, – and it would be really interesting to keep documenting the different fish, and try to get as excaxt knowledge of place of origin, characteristics etc as possible.
So please keep us updated with photosI can not contribute to the question of determination – but I agree in the suggestion to wait a little while. I think it can already be seen that there are coloured bands in dorsal and anal fin beginning to develop (especially in the last photo of post 3428), and even the caudal fin (picture in post 3430) shows a hint of another colour band occurring.
Whatever they are – to me they are extremely beautiful, even now while not showing full colouration!
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