Latest discus publication

[Lisachromis]

On another forum

Heiko states this (regarding the Kullander discus species classified in 2006):

But there work consisted of some unclaer and overlooked (or misinformed) data and it was revised by
Bleher, Sölting, Salzburger & Meyer, 2007 and is now available. It is a 48-page large publication full of colour photographs, maps and tells the entire history and the updated data (distribution, DNA value, closest relatives, etc., etc.) of the 3 (three) good species, as mentioned here under 2.

What I'm looking for is the name of the publication and if anyone knows if it's available.

[Philippe Burnel]

I think you are looking for this :

http://www.joachim-frische.com/html/aqu ... 12_4_.html

http://www.joachim-frische.com/html/inhalt_12_4_.html


Philippe

[Lisachromis]

Looks like that may be it.

But the description is in German....

[Lisachromis]

Got it!

http://www.aquapress-bleher.com/index.p ... &Itemid=45

[apistomaster]

Heiko has merely provided the conclusions of the work in progress previously cited in Bleher's Discus. 2006.
The primary goal of which was to invalidate Symphysodon "tarzoo" as the name for the Green Discus which Bleher calls S. aequifasciatus.
It had already been established that a few natural hybrids between S discus and S. haraldi do occur in areas where the two species ranges slightly overlap and that they are genotypically indistinguishable at present despite the obvious marked differences between the phenotypes of S. discus and S. haraldi.
It has been established that despite their genetic similarity, S. discus X S. haraldi hybrids are either infertile or nearly so. Some have been able to breed to F3 before viability of the progeny ceases. A decreasing maximum size has been observed with each successive filial generation in addition to the tendency towards infertility.
Basically, my interpretation is that the biological concept of the three species has been vindicated although the examination of the genetic relationships between S. discus and S. haraldi is a close one; an affirmation of Bleher's earlier postulated thesis.
I have worked with these wild discus myself and I was persuaded by Bleher's arguments published in Bleher's Discus, 2006 because they were consistent with my own experience as an aquarist who first began breeding only wild discus long before the modern fancy domestic strains had become widely developed and distributed beginning in 1969.
There are a paucity of reports of captive breeding of S.discus because they are extremely rare; most of the reported captive spawns actually involved a male S. discus X female S. haraldi. These lines of hybrids never became established due to the problems of infertility of such crosses I cited above.

Personally, I am pleased that Symphysodon "tarzoo" has been invalidated. It was not a descriptive name but rather a fabricated name formed by abbreviation of the late cocaine smuggler, Mike Tsalikas', Tarpoon Springs Zoo, Florida, USA having nothing to do with discus except as one point of many Florida distributors of these fish in the 1960's.

Lisa, you deserve an "atta girl" for digging up these latest publications.

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi Apistomatser and Lisa,

I can only shortly comment today, as I was in Nicaragua collecting... (cichlids, but not discus...).
Very nice and very well researched (read) your comments and I like also your own experiance (which confirm mine).

I think almost everyone is happy with this correct deccission of the species names and types, as those three names are the most correct, as they all had been described (the latest/last by 1960) already and are scientific names, besides being established in the hobby for more than 40 years (and who did know, or ever heard about "tarzoo" anyhow, until end of 2006...).

The only problem was, that our paper took so long, as it was a several year long process of DNA (much more extensiv than the DNA work of Ready et al.) But I had anticipated it in my book... (so they knew).

Thanks again, and all the best. And look into my website: http://www.aquapress-bleher.com

Heiko Bleher