Symphysodon tarzoo

[Grange]

New discues species?

Symphysodon tarzoo Lyons, 1959

Journal of Fish Biology
J.S.Ready, E.J.G. Ferreira and S.O. Kullander: "Discus fishes: mitochondrial DNA evidence for a phylogeographic barrier in the Amazonian genus Symphysodon (Teleostei:Cichlidae)"

[Vincent Fu]

Some more information is here:

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1145

[Thomas Andersen]

Symphysodon tarzoo most be this one then?:

http://www.amazon-exotic-import.de/Gall ... potted.htm

[Philippe Burnel]

yes it is. (at least one of the geographical variant)

[Grange]

According Heiko Bleher the real S. aequifasciatus is the aequifasciatus with red spots (the fish from Tefe on photo by H. Bleher, "Aquarium Magazine", Russia). And aequifasciatus without red spots are S. haraldi.
[img]http://www.american.cichlids.ru/images/ ... us_(bleher).jpg[/img]
Bleher used DNA-method. And he says that real S. aequifasciatus and S. haraldi never make hybrides.

So, Bleher's aequifasciatus = Kullander's tarzoo?

[Philippe Burnel]

Type series of S.a includes specimens from Teffe and Santarem.
Specimen from Santarem have been selected as lectotype for S.a (Kullander & al, 2006).

S. haraldi is described from western Amazon (1960) and is, thus, posterior to S. tarzoo.

[taeniopareius]

What about Bleher paper that is supposed to come out in Aqua? Is it out yet?

The type series of aequifasciatus were syntypes prior to this new study?

[Grange]

Is it out yet?

Yes.

The type series of aequifasciatus were syntypes prior to this new study?

"The type series of S. aequifasciatus includes specimens from Tefe (MNHN 1902–134 and 1902–135) and Santarem (MNHN 1902–130) that would represent the distribution of the western and eastern species, respectively. No attempts were made to extract DNA from these specimens, and the live colour patterns of preserved specimens could not be determined. Therefore, MNHN 1902–130 from Santarem is selected as lectotype of S. aequifasciatus, thus restricting the name to the central-eastern species".

J.S.Ready, E.J.G. Ferreira and S.O. Kullander: "Discus fishes: mitochondrial DNA evidence for a phylogeographic barrier in the Amazonian genus Symphysodon (Teleostei:Cichlidae)"

[taeniopareius]

I mean the paper that is supposed to be published in Aqua journal

[Grange]

I mean the paper that is supposed to be published in Aqua journal

I think it doesn't yet. So Bleher's interpretation is not valid?

[Juan Artigas]

I have updated the profiles for the three recognized species of Discus cichlid in the Cichlid Room Companion catalogue. Taking priimarily into consideration Ready, Ferreira & Kullander (2006) paper.

Would you please take a look and comment on it? Are Symphysodon discus and S. tarzoo found naturally in Perú? Or they are endemic to Brazil. I have found contradicting references in this respect. Are the S. aequifasciatus varieties correct?

Also, if you have a good reference that would help me fill out the fields concerning fedding, breeding and aquarist for the discus species that woudl me mostly appreciated it.

http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery.php?genus=Symphysodon

Thanks

[Ken Davis]

From what I've read, Greens (tarzo) are distinct form all the other discus in DNA, and Blues, heckels and browns are so similar they can not be distingueshed as separate species, All 4 types hybridize where their ranges overlap. Wattleys original cross was a blue to a green so most domestic discus are most likely hybrids, something I always argued against in the past. I always thought there was aquafasiatus (green, browns and blues) and heckels as the only two species. Live and learn!

[Juan Artigas]

Does anybody knows what the Tarzoo epithet means?

[Lisachromis]

Does anybody knows what the Tarzoo epithet means?

tarzoo — contraction of "Tarpon Zoo", an ornamental fish export firm in Leticia, from which the specimens serving the original description were exported

[Lisachromis]

I got that from http://www2.nrm.se/ve/pisces/acara/symphyso.shtml where it states at one point this interesting point:

Symphysodon discus tarzoo. — Not located, possibly no specimens preserved (Kullander, 1996).

[Juan Artigas]

Thanks!! An ugly name for an enigmatic fish.

[apistomaster]

I don't think this taxonomic issue is settled yet. My personal view is that the H. Bleher classification of discus into three species, S. discus, S. aequifasciatus and S. haraldi is the one I'm most comfortable with.

The type specimens and records are a mess so I am looking forward to the results of molecular biology being used to separate the species by using DNA analyis.

Bleher's Discus Vol I is pretty definitive. I've not seen anything better to date when it comes to information and identification of wild forms of Symphysodon.

[Juan Artigas]

The issue has been dealt in a paper by Ready, Ferreira & Kullander in 2006, there is more information about this matter in the Cichlid Room Companion catalogue:

http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery.php?genus=Symphysodon

They recognize S. aequifasciata, S. discus and S. tarzoo

Ready, J.S. & E. J. G. Ferreira & S. O. Kullander; 2006; "Discus fishes: mitochondrial DNA evidence for a phylogeographic barrier in the Amazonian genus Symphysodon (Teleostei: Cichlidae)"; Journal of Fish Biology; v. (2006) 69 (Supplement B), pp. 200–211.

[Randall]

Hello friends,

I'm not much of a discus person, but from what I understand, isn't the natural distribution of Symphysodon spp. limited to Brazil? Oliver Lucanus told me that they were introduced into Peru via a boat carrying discus that sunk.

Thanks!

Randall Kohn

[cichla]

Dear all,

in the revison of the genus Symphysodon by Bleher et al. (2007) the taxon ''Tarzoo'' is treated as unavailable. Thus, the three species S. discus, S. heraldi and aequifasciatus are valid.

see: Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 12(4).