|
FAQs on Oscar Identification
Related Articles:
Oscars,
Neotropical Cichlids,
African Cichlids,
Dwarf South American Cichlids,
Cichlid Fishes in
General,
Related FAQs:
Oscars 1,
Oscars 2,
Oscar Selection,
Oscar Compatibility,
Oscar Behavior,
Oscar Systems,
Oscar Feeding,
Oscar Disease/Health,
Oscar Reproduction,
Neotropical Cichlids 1,
Cichlids of the World,
Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Disease, Cichlid
Reproduction,
|
|
Question in regards to Fish sold at
Retail Stores (RMF, do you have thoughts?) <Nada.> 3-5-09
Hello,
I was reading through your website some more and found the three scientific
names for the "Oscar" - Astronotus crassipinnis, A. ocellatus, and A.
orbiculatus. My question is what are the common names for each of these.
For
example is Astronotus crassipinnis consider a Tiger Oscar?
<No. All the fancy
Oscars, like Tigers and Albinos, are Astronotus ocellatus. The other two species
are quite rarely traded, usually wild caught, and much in demand by advanced
fishkeepers. Consequently they are fairly pricey as and when they do turn up.
But they are definitely worth looking out for! Astronotus ocellatus are
virtually all mass produced.
Quality varies dramatically, from pretty poor
to very good, so do hunt about for good quality specimens. Since an Oscar will
live 10+ years, it's worth taking your time to find a specimen you'll love.>
I think out of all the fish to have as pets, Oscars are by far the most
interesting ones I have ever seen. I remember when I was younger, a gentleman
owned a LFS in town and had a couple of Oscars. I saw the most unusual thing.
The gentleman stuck his hand slowly in the tank and one of the Oscars came up
and rested in his hand. I remember reading on your site that Oscars are like
"domestic dogs" and are intelligent, but I never really appreciated just how
much they can make for a pet.
<Yes indeed. Oscars, and indeed certain other
large fish, like Giant Gouramis (Osphronemus spp.), can become surprisingly
tame.>
Thanks,
Neal
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Question in regards to Fish sold
at Retail Stores (RMF, do you have thoughts?) 3-5-09
Neale,
You
said that the other two Oscar species are rare. What are their physical
characteristics? I tried popping their names in the Google Image and Web search,
but I get same pictures back of Tiger and Albino.
Thanks,
Neal
<Astronotus orbiculatus is currently considered the same thing as Astronotus
ocellatus, the Common Oscar. But it does tend to get used in the trade for what
are really nothing other than wild-caught specimens of Common Oscars. Astronotus
crassipinnis is a true species. It is distinguished by being dark greenish-grey
(rather than brown) and has pale, off-white vertical bands. It also seems to be
smaller, less than 25 cm/9 inches seems to be typical, as opposed to the 30-40
cm (12-16 inches) typical of Astronotus ocellatus. But like the Common Oscar, it
has an eyespot close to the tail fin. Astronotus crassipinnis is a fantastic
fish, but at least here in the UK, it's not widely traded and only ever seen in
the stores that stock seriously unusual and rare fish, like Wildwoods. By the
way, do also check out Hypselecara temporalis. It's not a huge fish, around 20
cm/8 inches, but a solid, personable beast a lot like an Oscar.
What's great
about it is its ability to change colours. I kept these in the early 90s, and
really loved them. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Oscars - Are they hybrids?
Good morning. I am wondering what "The Crew" thinks about the origin of the
aquarium variety of Oscar. I personally believe them to be hybrids.
<No, THE Oscar, Astronotus ocellatus used in the hobby and as food fishes are
not hybrids (crosses between species)>
I replied to a post about cichlid hybrids on a forum (with what seems to be some
pretty smart people) debating this very issue in order to perhaps stimulate some
intellectual thinking. The only posts I received however were, "You are
wrong! Oscars are not hybrids." This is a direct quote of what I had written
on the forum. "Currently, there are three species of "Oscar", Astronotus
crassipinnis, A. ocellatus, and A. orbiculatus. However, back in 1831 when
Agassiz discovered the Oscar,
<Described by Louis Agassiz in 1831>
there was only one species, Lobotes ocellatus. All three species were believed
to be this one species. When these fish were imported, they were very hard to
breed, taking years to reach maturity. Florida fish farms (at that time
basically importers) gathered large numbers of these Oscars, regardless of
looks, and threw them in outdoor ponds to raise and breed. Since they were all
considered one species, there wasn't a problem with this. This is how all of
the aquarium strains came to be (red, tiger, silver, gold, albino, and
long-finned)."
<Mmm, actually... have been in the hobby and business or ornamental aquatics a
good long time (since the mid-1960's) and have visited fish farms (in the
orient, this fish and its sport mutations are not bred commercially in the U.S.)
and have seen the efforts at selective breeding to make these other varieties...
sometimes easier to do starting with crosses... but am pretty sure these are all
A. ocellatus>
Does this argument make any real sense? Do I even have an argument? What are
your views on this? I am hoping you can shed some light on this for me, so I
will know whether to back down on this issue or perhaps push it a little
further. Thank you.
<Perhaps a trip to a large/college library and a search for literature on the
species, its history. Please see here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/litsrchart.htm
Karyotyping ("chromosome mapping") work has likely been done on this
"species-complex" that will reveal if the current animal in use is just one or a
mix of species.
Press on my friend. Bob Fenner>
- Jason Seymour
|
|
