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Thorichthys socolofi (Miller & Taylor, 1984)
![Thorichthys socolofi female with fry at Tulija River [México]](../gallery/thumbs/p10353t.jpg){kind=small}
![Thorichthys socolofi female guarding her fry at R?o Bascam, Tulija in the Grijalva-Usumacinta system in Chiapas [M?xico]](../gallery/thumbs/p03828t.jpg){kind=small}
![Thorichthys socolofi male guarding her fry at Río Bascam, Tulija in the Grijalva-Usumacinta system in Chiapas [México]](../gallery/thumbs/p03829t.jpg){kind=small}
![Thorichthys socolofi female guarding her breeding territory in Bascam River, Tulija drainage [México] (mar-2011)](../gallery/thumbs/p06618t.jpg)
![Thorichthys socolofi female guarding her wrigglers inside a dug out pit under her in Tulija River [México]](../gallery/thumbs/p10350t.jpg){kind=small}
最初命名為 Cichlasoma socolofi:
- Miller, Robert Rush & J.N. Taylor. 1984. "Cichlasoma socolofi, a new species of cichlid fish of the Thorichthys group from northern Chiapas, Mexico". Copeia. pp. 933-940 (crc00272).
分類沿革:
- Cichlasoma socolofi, Miller et al, 1984, 原始名稱.
- Thorichthys socolofi, Kullander, 1996, 新名稱組成.
慈鯛群組:
語意說明: The species was given the name of one of the discoverers, Ross Socolof, who over the years collected many fish and made them available for study to the UMMZ. Ross Socolof is one of the most prominent personalities of the twenty century aquarium hobby, his contributions being countless.
模式標本: Holotype: An adult 64.9 mm SL male deposited at the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan (UMMZ 210820), collected by Robert Rush and Francis Hubbs Miller and B. Chernoff on January 28, 1982.
Paratypes: Six individuals 37-52 mm SL (UMMZ 209317), collected by Ross Socolof, Albert Klee, Russ Norris and D. Small on July, 7, 1981 at a stream along the Agua Azul road 26 km south of Palenque turnoff (Apparently at Rio Mizol-Ha by Francisco I Madero). Two individuals 51 and 63 mm (UMMZ 209323), collected by the same team in a stream along highway 186, 11 km south of Palenque turnoff (Apparently at the HW186 bifurcation to Bonanpak).
Paratopotypes: 72 individuals 45-79 mm SL, same data as holotype..
物種判斷: Differs from other Thorichthys species by holding a distinctive dark L-shaped flank black pattern. Both dorsal and anal fins show a blue adorned black blotch on their rear part. From the rest of the species in the Thorichthys helleri group it differs in the follwing traits: From T. helleri it differs in having a mode of XVI rather than XV dorsal spines, VIII rather than VII anal spines, 6 rather than 8 anal rays, 4 rather than 5-6 cheek scale rows, and a weaker sub-opercular blotch. Unlike T. helleri, Thorichthys socolofi does not have yellow markings on the body and fins. From T. maculipinnis it differs in having 6 rather than 7 or more anal rays, a weaker subopercular blotch, a prominent dark L-shaped flank pattern and no red in the lower part of head or lower sides. From T. callolepis it differs in having VIII rather than VII anal spines, a shorter pectoral fin (does not extends beyond anal spine IV), an opercular blotch, in coloration. T. callolepis has orange spots aligned in horizontal rows along the lowers sides, which Thorichthys socolofi lacks. From T. aureus it differs in having VIII rather than usually VII anal spines, 6 rather than 7-8 anal rays, and in life colors lacking the salmon, red or pink on the lower sides.
體型尺寸: Thorichthys socolofi is a small Thorichthys sp. with males reaching a maximum of 12 cm total length (TL) and females staying slightly smaller at about 10 cm. TL.
性別二型性: Males grow larger than females (females hardly reaching 10 cm) and have longer fin threads. The caudal fin is slightly lunated in adult males, truncated to slightly rounded in adult females (Artigas Azas, 2006).
俗名: Chiapas cichlid (literature, English), Mojarra de Misala (literature, Español).
模式產地: Río Misalá, tributarie to Río Tulija of Río Grijalva basin, Chiapas, Mexico, elevation below 300 m.
分佈: Thorichthys socolofi is endemic of the middle reaches (Below 300 m) of Rio Tulija (Grijalva-Usumacinta system) in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, and can be found in the river itself and its tributaries; Rio Mizol-Ha, Rio Bascán and Rio Chamula being an example. The precise distribution ends in Rio Tulija where T. socolofi distribution ends are not documented (Artigas Azas, 2006).
產地國: 墨西哥 (endemic).
棲地: Being a member of the Thorichthys helleri group (Miller, 1984), Thorichthys socolofi only inhabits riverine, clear and oxygenated water habitats, in slow to moderate flowing parts of the streams, although it will always seek for a slower flow in them. Rivers are normally with sand, gravel and rocks forming the bottom, but some silt deposits are found in the slower parts. Pools in the rivers are often connected by riffle areas. Areas at the sides or turns of the streams where fallen leaves accumulate are a preferred place for T. socolofi.
T. socolofi is normally associated with jungle bordered shaded courses of water, in an area where very strong rains are common. Rivers are without aquatic vegetation in most cases, but aufwuchs are found on the rocks, especially in the fastest flows. Driftwood is common in the habitat. Water is normally rather clear to very clear, alkaline with a pH over 7.5 (even to 8.5) and hard. Temperature ranges narrowly from 20 to 26 C, according to my own experience. The warmer temperatures are registered during the end of the dry season, between March and May. (From Artigas Azas, 2006).
產地: Bascam River (墨西哥, native), Mizol-Ha River (墨西哥, native), Rio Tulija (墨西哥, native).
食性: Thorichthys socolofi feeds in shallow silt areas of the habitat and in sandy areas in the riffles. It wanders closely above the bottom and picks around the rock bases and on the substrate, creating small pits on it. More so than diggers, Thorichthys are pickers. Material picked up is scrupulously examined in the mouth and inedible matter expelled through mouth and gills, softer material filtered by gill rakes. Thorichthys are carnivorous and are never seen collecting vegetable matter (Artigas Azas, 2006).
繁殖: Thorichthys socolofi starts breeding efforts in the last months of the dry season, around February, when water is clearer, warmer and the flow is slower. Spawning may extend to July or August (when I have seen them breeding in small numbers) but is drastically reduced after May, when rains come. Colonies or breeding territories are formed in shallow areas in the slower currents or on the sandy areas that accumulate in river curves, where silt is also present and normally a layer of dead leaves accumulate. Pairs accommodate close to each other, and territories remain small, probably no more than 60 cm. in diameter. Apparently males are the first to secure a territory, at the same time than their colors intensify in a dominant pattern. This is when they show the most beautiful coloration. Males court passing females extending their fins and adopting a slight frontward lean angle. Females, if interested, court back fully extending her unpaired fins and rounding the males. At one point they swim side by side, while, with undulating movements they push water toward each other in an apparent effort to show their strength. Once pairs are formed, they clean with their mouths a small area (around five centimeters diameter) on a dead leaf or the exposed surface of a rock, if present. This area will serve to deposit the eggs.
As with other Thorichthys species, the black blotches located at the back of the opercula on both sides of the head are used to intimidate other neighboring pairs or other potential enemies into believing they are larger fish. They do this extending their gular pouches and projecting their gills frontwards when facing the potential enemy. Then the black blotches look as bigger, more separated eyes, giving the contender the impression it is facing a much larger fish. Thorichthys rarely get involved into physical fighting interactions with other fish, their preferred tactic is to intimidate.
T. socolofi eggs are ovoid, no much larger than 1.5 mm. Eggs are yellowish, translucent and blend incredibly well with the color of the spawning surface. I would estimate spawns in about 100 – 200 eggs, depending on the size of the female. Females closely guard the spawn, making water circulate among them with their pectoral fins and removing fungused eggs, while males chase intruders away from the territory.
Eggs hatch in about 48 hours under aquarium conditions at 26ºC. A small pit is excavated by the pair in which they place the newly hatched wrigglers, probably more pits are excavated by some pairs, but I haven’t witnessed it. Five to six days later the yolk sac, with which the babies are born, is fully consumed and the little babies start making swimming attempts inside their pits. The next day, with all the wrigglers now swimming, the pairs school them around the territory.
Pairs herd their babies as do other Central American cichlids, with the female closely guarding and guiding the babies. Signaling is achieved with spasmodic body shaking and opening and closing of the fins. Males, also signaling, take the lead of the family.
Fry decrease in number with the passing of the days and when babies reach a length of about a centimeter in length (about four weeks post spawning, aquarium time) they are normally much fewer in number. Predation pressures, especially caused by other fish such as Astyanax aeneus or other fish, are very hard on them.
Babies seem to feed picking on the surfaces that they pass, and females don’t seem to make any special effort (unlike other Central American cichlids) to provide food for their babies.
Sudden unexpected storms may wash away most or all babies and make breeding efforts to start all over again.
When babies abandon their parents, at a size of a little over a centimeter and half in length, and after about two months post spawning, they congregate in covered shallow areas of the habitat, where they are seen in the company of many other young fish. At this point they become quite social and stay in socially loose groups for foraging and protection.
飼養原則: Thorichthys are rather mild tempered cichlids, and T. socolofi, together with T. callolepis is the gentlest of them all. They rarely pose a danger to any other fish in the aquarium, conspecifics included.
Thorichthys socolofi hates (to death, I must add) low oxygen, bad water quality and warm (over 28ْْC) conditions. They like cool and oxygenated water, within their natural parameters. If water looses quality, bacterial infections and hole-in-the-head are around the corner. Don’t take my words lightly!
I would not recommend anything less than 250 liters for housing a group of Thorichthys socolofi. As for decoration, I prefer somewhat natural looking aquariums with round rocks and driftwood. A fine sand substrate allows them (and you) to enjoy their natural picking behavior. You can then notice that at feeding time many small pits are dug on the sandy surface of the aquarium.
Dither fish help bring out the keen personality of Thorichthys socolofi. I use Poecilia spp. and they work perfectly well. Any other large dither fish would do just fine. Try to avoid fish that bite on the fins, as they can produce a counter effect to what you are looking for. Try also to avoid too small dither fish as they they may eaten by T. socolofi, in spite of their innocent looks and calm behavior, they may actually prey on small fish
Food is no problem; they are eager eaters when conditions are right. I consider Thorichthys of the T. helleri group, a delicate fish in terms of diet and, although they are carnivorous in nature, I tend to avoid diets with terrestrial animal proteins to avoid clout. It works well for me.
As for breeding, if conditions are right, nothing will stop them and even several pairs can be bred simultaneously. Thorichthys socolofi readily span on driftwood, clay pots or rocks in the aquarium, and probably even in the aquarium glass. They do not become overly aggressive at breeding time and, in fact, you can raise a group of babies in the home aquarium, again, if conditions are right. Babies are possible to be fed since the beginning with baby Brine Shrimp. You may, however, fail the first few times as they are quite shy and nervous but eventually you will succeed, and it is wonderful to observe their full pattern behavior in the home aquarium!.
保育: Thorichthys socolofi 尚未被國際自然保育聯盟列入IUCN受威脅物種紅皮書名單中Thorichthys socolofi is listed in the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-ECOL-2001 with a status of special protection. The habitat remain stable in most of its range (2009).
評論: Although individuals of this beautiful species were made available by Ross Socolof in the 1980’s to the USA aquarium hobby, this beautiful and mild Thorichthys species was likely mostly neglected because a little known and funny (not to the people involved though) story. Apparently a business disagreement between Ross Socolof, the discoverer of the species, and the aquarium industry tycoon Herbert Axelrod (former Tropical Fish Hobbyist owner) over a fish farm, caused Thorichthys socolofi to apparently be banned from any T.F.H. publication, and just briefly mentioned in the T.F.H. All Cichlid Atlas as “not a very attractive fish and lacks any personality”. This all started to change when T.F.H. was sold out and Rusty Wessel, good friend of Ross Socolof and passionate for Thorichthys, submitted an article to the new T.F.H. magazine editorialship, exalting the virtues of the species (Wessel, 2001). The manuscript was readily accepted for publication by the then editor Mary Ellen Sweeney. So politics also affect aquarium fish!.
引用文獻:
- Artigas Azas, Juan Miguel. 2006. "La Mojarra de Misala - Thorichthys socolofi (Miller & Taylor, 1984)". Cichlid News Magazine. v. 15; n. 1; pp. (crc01257).
- Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE). 2001. "NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-059-ECOL-2001". Mexico (crc01158).
- IUCN. 2002. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for the Conservation of Nature (crc01159).
- Kullander, Sven. 1996. "Heroina isonycterina, a new species of cichlid fish from Western Amazonia, with comments on cichlasomine systematics". Ichthyological Explorations of Freshwaters. v. 7(n. 2), pp. 149-172 (crc01223) (摘要).
- Miller, Robert Rush & J.N. Taylor. 1984. "Cichlasoma socolofi, a new species of cichlid fish of the Thorichthys group from northern Chiapas, Mexico". Copeia. pp. 933-940 (crc00272).
引語:
Artigas Azas, Juan Miguel. (八月 28, 2011). "Thorichthys socolofi (Miller & Taylor, 1984)". 慈鯛魚室同好網. 檢索 五月 24, 2013, 來自: http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?id=250&content=profile&lang=zh.
