Ron's GAR Lafia

**stormhawk** · 20th Jan 2005, 05:52

Okay here's a shot of the Lafia eggs that were harvested by Ron a few weeks back. Sorry it took so long to post up the pic I totally forgot about them until I read Peter's comments about a series of time line pictures of GAR fry development in the other gardneri thread. Perhaps we can start off a series of photographs showing the fry development from egg to juvenile colouring-up stages.

Anyway, the picture shows both developing and freshly laid eggs. Those with the dark spot-like pigmentation are developing eggs.

**CM Media** · 20th Jan 2005, 11:24

Wow,

Ron, that's a good number of eggs collected. Add me to the waiting list for some eggs.

**groovay** · 30th Jan 2005, 17:18

any new updates?

-Peter

**stormhawk** · 30th Jan 2005, 17:26

Not much of an update but here's a picture of the father (I think this fella's the big daddy).

Picture was also taken at Ronnie's place.

**RonWill** · 31st Jan 2005, 14:28

Peter,
Those eggs that were incubated on damp-mop strands, are now 2cm fry in grow-out tanks. Once these color up, and closer to sexual maturity, the whole lot will be consigned to the LFS (to recoup fund for killie-shopping in late summer or autumn).

Au,
Instead of the GAR 'Lafia', I'd rather you concentrate on...

Fp (Paraphyosemion) gar. gardneri Baissa - The color and pattern variation in this 'Baissa' specimen varies alot from what I used to maintain. It also closely resemble the 'Makurdi' and 'P82' population.

Fp (Paraphyosemion) mirabile moense Nguti HAH 98 - There are only 2 breeding groups of the moense locally and still not very prolific... meaning we need to work harder at it

Fp (Paraphyosemion) gar. mamfensis Basua RIM 01 - Collected in 2001 by Richard Markham but not well circulated in the hobby yet. I've collected a few viable eggs but these will go to the core members first.

Until a stable population is established by the core group, these few Paraphyosemion will not be ready for distribution. What is already available is the 'Lokoja' and 'Nsukka' population.

As for the 'Lafia' breeders, they're now with my co-moderator, Zulkifli, and he's already spawning them. He'll update you on the 'work-in-progress' regarding this line.

**TyroneGenade** · 31st Jan 2005, 21:05

The color and pattern variation in this 'Baissa' specimen varies alot from what I used to maintain. It also closely resemble the 'Makurdi' and 'P82' population.

Makurdi and P82 belong to Fp.(Paraphyosemion) nigerianus so you need not worry about hybridization as nigerianus x gardneri yeild 1st generation sterile fish. However, some would argue that gardneri should not have yellow in the dorsal and anal fins... but then again these experts would argue if it doesn't look like the picture in the book or how they remember then it can't be so. Bountiful natural variation be damned.

Most of the GAR types have very plastic phenotypes. They can be manipulated very easily to yeild very "unnatural" phenotypes. Truth be told, thos phenotypes probably occur in the wild too it is just that they are very rare and probably stick out like a sore thumb to predators.

In any case, that is a very handsome fish.

You may want to try warmer temps (25--26°C) for the mirabilis as they come from more or less the same area as the Ekondo Titi (about 25 km to the north in the next valley). Also, try them over peat or a gravel substrate. They occur together with Ep. rathkei and Procatopus according to Killi-data.

tt4n

**zmzfam** · 31st Jan 2005, 22:53

Originally Posted by RonWill

Peter,
As for the 'Lafia' breeders, they're now with my co-moderator, Zulkifli, and he's already spawning them. He'll update you on the 'work-in-progress' regarding this line.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I have bad news and apologies to Ronnie

. I was going through the tank which houses the breeders since I did not see the female peeping out from the mop the last few days. There were plants floating at the surface of the tank so did not see from the top.

Moving the plants apart.....I was cursing and swearing for not checking on them much earlier. The female is down with dropsy and is pretty advanced. She's very bloated up and has transferred her to another tank to see what I can do......

Very...very sad

Luckily I managed to get some frys from eggs they produced during the first few days they were with me.