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Thread: Epiplatys togolensis

  1. #1
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    Epiplatys togolensis

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    Hi all, I've recently obtained a pair of these large Epiplatys from an LFS. They were not labelled. From pictures I saw on Tim Addis's site on West African killies I came to the conclusion that these are Epiplatys togolensis. I have decided to give them the code SGCI 04 for my own reference. For the ID, I'm not 100% sure as they show the vertical barring like Ep. sexfasciatus but then again the togolensis was a subspecies of sexfasciatus. Anyone care to give any other possible IDs?

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    Epiplatys chaperi?
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

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    Bad news. Lost both the females. I guess I'll have to go over to the shop to get a few more females. Here's a better pic, albeit with a very dirty aquarium glass..

    Wright, I hope this picture can help a little in telling what species this is exactly.

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    Jianyang,

    Looking at the pictures in Radda and Purzl's Color Altlas of Cyprinodonts of the Rain Forests of Tropical Africa, the sexfasciatus togolense (p.22) has the six full vertical stripes that give it the name. Yours looks more like the chaperi (p.20) that usually has less stripes but is very closely related. Note that their meristics overlap a lot, so probably won't give a definitive answer.

    Huber gives togolensis valid species status (Loiselle) but others consider it a sub-species of sexfasciatus so you have to look for it under both names. [Radda and Purzl treated it as a location of sexfasciatus.]

    Lazara keeps it as a sexfasciatus subspecies in KMI IV.

    In any case, togolensis probably should have six vertical stripes and I cannot see six in your pics. I think I see four and maybe a faint fifth.

    Wright
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

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    Wright, I've seen all six stripes. They only show this when they're in fright colouration or when they're just relaxing beneath the water surface. When I first saw these fish I thought they were Epiplatys dageti but after several visits I noticed the blue-green-yellow highlights in the fins which fitted the picture of a togolensis on the West African site.

    But the appearance of the six stripes while back at my home made me rethink their ID to be possibly that of Ep. sexfasciatus. But the colours in the fins made me stick with calling them togolensis. I've read that some scientists consider the togolensis to be either a subspecies or geographical variant of sexfasciatus. Pretty confusing but I guess togolensis will do. It doesn't look anything close to chaperi.
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    Re: Epiplatys togolensis

    Quote Originally Posted by stormhawk
    I have decided to give them the code SGCI 04 for my own reference. For the ID, I'm not 100% sure as they show the vertical barring like Ep. sexfasciatus but then again the togolensis was a subspecies of sexfasciatus.
    Jianyang,

    I personally thinks that it's not a wise move to give the fish you bought from the LFS a tag. It should be labelled as 'Aquarium Strain' instead.

    We have to look far ahead as when you start to distribute the fish, new hobbyists will use the tag without knowing that it's only for own reference . So if this is pass on to other hobbyists and the distribution goes on... What do you think will happen. You should reconsider taging your fish with certain codes that is not a practise within the hobby. Photographs with your 'personal reference tag' should not appear on the net as this may add to confusion.

    Another area that you should be more careful as the so called pairs from LFS may not be 'pure'. How far can you be sure that the females you got are the same species? It's questionable. I suggest it's better for you to check with the LFS you got your fish from the source they got the fish from.

    I've seen a few LFS who got them had the fishes mixed with other species in the same tank. Most of the fishes are imported from Indonesia and few from Malaysia. I maybe overreacted on your post but be safe is better to be sorry at the latter stage. :wink:

    If I've offended you in one way or another on my post, please accept my apologies.
    Au SL

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    Au, no offence taken, I'll be re-editing the first picture to remove the tag. Even Ronnie himself made noise the other day I was at his house. Sorry if I made too much cause for concern. The code was purely to remind myself that these were from a commercial import. Anyway I'll remove the tag ASAP.

    I am very sure these are the same females as they both exhibit the same colouration and body pattern. The only difference is that the males have an extension to their pelvic fins. Very difficult to see unless they do threat displays. In fact the fish in both pictures is the male. He's at least 8cm TL now. I've not seen this fish for sale anywhere else. Don't think any other shop has them. These came in the same time as the batch of aquarium strain A. striatum and Rivulus rectocaudatus that is now with Zul. I have no idea who was the source or where these fish came from. I believe these are wild stocks as I've not heard of them being farmed commercially like the ANN. In fact the fish I have fits the picture of a togolensis tagged TAAG 2004/5 by Tim Addis on his website for West African Killies. The fish I have could have been from that same source as the shipment that the British received.

    I'm going back to get another female as both females that I took with the male have since disappeared. I know one died but I have no idea where the other one went. Once I get the replacement female I'll be placing them in a separate container for breeding purposes. Have never had any experience with Epiplatys but I'll treat them like how I treat my chocolates.
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    Okay picture re-edited. Slightly resized bigger for Ronnie to gawk at.
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    Better pictures of the male togolensis and the pair. Managed to get a new female.. hopefully it IS a female and not some odd male. Anyway, here's the pictures plus a clearer view of the stripes.


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  10. #10
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    Re: Epiplatys togolensis

    how much were they at your lfs?

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