Copella arnoldi

[genes]

Justin, here he is!

[ranmasatome]

wa! so handsome!!
Got some with black zigzag stripes one you got see? i dont even know if these are arnoldi.
Got them as Pyrrhulina. sp. cf. Zigzag "platinum".
Or something like that...

[genes]

I named wrongly perhaps?

Didn't really see the zig zags ones. Thought they all looked similar to my novice eyes.

[ranmasatome]

i at first thought they were Copella cf. nattereri.

i'm still looking for the elusive Copella vilmae.

Anyone can help id?

[genes]

Locally you are the tetra expert liao. If you can't ID, i don't think anyone else here can dude.

[limz_777]

is this specimen a jumper ? or you lid up the tank ?

[genes]

Yes these guys are jumpers by nature. Go check out the youtube videos and see how they spawn. And they are kept in a tank with lid.

[stormhawk]

Err.. in wrong subforum no? It's a Characin.

Nice fish though genes.

[ranmasatome]

yes! didn't even notice!

[limz_777]

nice sharp pics , cant really see the orange spots on the youtube video , any clue how to sex it ?

[ranmasatome]

The usual. Males tend to be larger and more colourful with elaborate fins.

[limz_777]

The usual. Males tend to be larger and more colourful with elaborate fins.

i see , just to confirm id is the above a copella nattereri or copella arnoldi ?

[stormhawk]

It is probably nattereri I think. The old Characin book by Jacques Gery, might have identification keys.

[Matt Ford]

I think it's Copella meinkeni Zarske and Géry, 2006. C. nattereri has a dark lateral stripe and C. arnoldi doesn't have those red-spotted scales. Very nice photo Eugene. :-)

[apistomaster]

I agree with Matt although there are many Copella species that are so similar in appearance that only a detailed examination of a preserved specimen could determine what species it really is and that is assuming it has been described.
It is not Copella arnoldi.
The species in question spawns on a leaf laying adhesive eggs in a patch. It does not lay the eggs above the water line like C. arnoldi. The fry will be very small and starting them off on green water works best then graduate to Paramecium then microwoms and brine shrimp nauplii.
I have raised C. nattereri, C. nigrofasciata and Pyrrhulina brevis.
I always search through wild Pencilfish shipments because these fish are often "contaminant" species among them. I am still looking for Copella metae but patience is necessary when you are relying on accidental inclusions of these fish.

[limz_777]

is C. arnoldi the only species that lay the eggs above the water line ?

[apistomaster]

is C. arnoldi the only species that lay the eggs above the water line ?

Yes. So far they are the only Copella or Pyrrhulina species discovered that lays eggs out of water but among all of them the males provide some brood care over the eggs but not after they have hatched.

[stormhawk]

I always search through wild Pencilfish shipments because these fish are often "contaminant" species among them.

You might want to look through some other wild shipments too. A farm here that specializes in wild Cardinal tetras occasionally has some weird tetras and these Copella in their shipments. Same with their shipments of Dicrossus, which occasionally have some oddball wild Apisto with them.

I remember looking through tanks of feeder fish as a child. There would always be some young fry of some other fish added in to make up the numbers.

[StanChung]

Very nice fish and pic Eugene!
I had one with red dots[instead of orange] briefly before it died of some mysterious disease.

[genes]

Alamak, it's not even my fish. Took the photo only.