NEWS113
8
Given thehugenumber of fish species inexistence - some32,700 species
arecurrentlyknown toscience,halfof them from freshwater - thenumber
kept in the aquarium at least now and then is very small. In fact only
around 400 species of freshwater fishes are permanently available in the
trade. So it isn't surprising that new species are constantly being
discovered. Some recent new imports by Aquarium Glaser are briefly
portrayedon the followingpages.
Fromall over theworld:
Recent imports
byRomanNeunkirchen
NewFreshwater Imports
Alestopetersius smykalai
One of the loveliest of the African tetras,
Alestopetersius smykalai,
has at last been
imported again. The species comes from
Nigeria andgrows to only around 5-6 cm
long,whichmeans it is ideal for ownersof
smaller aquaria as well. This fish has
justifiably been given the name "Blue
Diamond" because of the splendid
metallicblueback inmales,which further
differ from females by having a much
prolonged dorsal fin and a completely
different shape to the white-edged anal
fin. Established, courtingmales also have
brilliant red eyes and abright red color in
the fins.
The species isbestmaintained ina largish
group of 10-15 individuals. These fishes
usually swim close together and exhibit
marked shoaling behavior. They are
undemandingas regardswater chemistry,
and any normal drinking water from the
mains is suitable for the maintenance of
theBlueDiamond.Thewater temperature
shouldbebetween22and28 °C.
Allmembersof thegenusenjoy small flies
that have landed in the water, and
A.
smykalai
are no exception. Although they
don't absolutely have to be given this
food, it is very enjoyable to watch how
incredibly quickly these tetras shoot to
the surface and snap up fruit flies, for
example. All the usual types of foods for
ornamental fishes are suitable as an
everyday diet. A. smykalai are completely
peaceful towards other fish species and
don't touchplants either.
Alestopetersius smykalai,
male (front)with two females in thebackground. all photos:FrankSchäfer
Female
The formof theanal fin is themost reliabledistinctionbetween thesexes;this isamale.
