Copadichromis question.....

[sic_4_vics]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I was wondering if Copadichromis sp. fire crest Mloto (Gome) is the same fish that goes by the name Copadichromis virginalis.
link here: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1050

Any help would be appreciated.

[emartin]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I was wondering if Copadichromis sp. fire crest Mloto (Gome) is the same fish that goes by the name Copadichromis virginalis.
link here: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1050

Any help would be appreciated.

As usual, cichlid-forum.com has yet another mistake in their profile.

Currently the firecrest virginalis is still undescribed, as either the wild population is now extinct or, because it is a deepwater fish, they just moved on to a new location. It exists only as far as we know in aquaria.

The reason it is still undescribed as there never was a chance to describe them... By the first or second time Ad Konings and other scientists visited Gome to find the fish there wasn't a sight of them.

It is believe though that they are probably just a variant of C. virginalis, but because of it's differences with other C. virginalis in regards to color (other virginalis have gold-yellow or white dorsal fins) and other reasons they aren't jumping to conclusions to describe it just yet.

But yes, it CAN be known as "Copadichromis virginalis Gome Fire Crest" thought that really isn't proper since it was never described or confirmed officially to be a member of virginalis or icelis or geertsi.

A huge majority of tank raised virginalis in the hobby are the ones hailing from Nkanda:



Currently myself and Erik Dyke have groups of the firecrest virginalis from Gome set up for breeding, and I THINK Laif Demason told me they have a pond set up or a vat set up for them recently...

[sic_4_vics]

It is believe though that they are probably just a variant of C. virginalis, but because of it's differences with other C. virginalis in regards to color (other virginalis have gold-yellow or white dorsal fins)

Yes. this is the reason for my confusion in my search for info/pics on these.

Great explanation and thanks a ton for the reply.

[Fishdoc66]

So, is anyone breeding the "firecrest" yet?

I would like to work with them some day.

[SergeS]

Where are you? There is a breeder in Germany (?): www.firecrest.de , he offers some offspring every now and then.

[Pete B]

There was a supposedly wild caught import into the UK, I think via Germany, in the last three years. I was told that the species had been found at another location, although Ad Konings in his talk a couple of weeks ago insisted they no longer exist in the wild.
He also said that he originally thought they were C. virginalis, but when breeding they built nests, unlike C. virginalis which spawn on top of large rocks.