# Learn something everyday. Meaning of sp.



## Grumpysmurf (Jun 16, 2008)

I must have been sleeping through science classes. For a while now, I was researching Tropheus, and always wondered what sp. meant in Tropheus sp. Red for example.

Then I found this article which explains it all. Also, good reading on the history of Tropheus...
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/article_history_tropheus.htm


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

The bit I still find confusing still is that polli was described by Axelrod

but now does not appear in the 8 species listed.

"""Today there are considered to be eight different types of Tropheus, moorii, brichardi, duboisi, annectens, sp."ikola", sp."black", sp."red", sp."mpimbwe" """

Why?


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

The Genus Tropheus

Tropheus Moorii (species Black, species red, non-rainbow types)
Tropheus Kasabae (southern rainbow types only)
Tropheus brichardi (east and west side of the lake most abundant)
Tropheus Duboisi (Northern half)
Tropheus Polli (East Coast at Bulu Point/Karilani Island only)
Tropheus Annectens (East Coast South of Bulu Point, and Central West Coast.)

Konnings is the only person that has them broken down into sp.red, sp.black, sp.Ikola, and sp.mpimbwe.

To the very best of my knowledge the only names listed in the taxomony are those I listed above.


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## CrimsonHelkite (Apr 12, 2007)

I think this is a question that is always going to be asked and nobody has a strait answer.


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

from wikipedia on Species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species

Abbreviation
Books and articles sometimes intentionally do not identify species fully and use the abbreviation "sp." in the singular or "spp." in the plural in place of the specific epithet: for example, Canis sp. This commonly occurs in the following types of situation:

The authors are confident that some individuals belong to a particular genus but are not sure to which exact species they belong. This is particularly common in paleontology. 
The authors use "spp." as a short way of saying that something applies to many species within a genus, but do not wish to say that it applies to all species within that genus. If scientists mean that something applies to all species with a genus, they use the genus name without the specific epithet.

In books and articles that use the genus and species names are usually printed in italics. If using "sp." and "spp.," these should not be italicized.

*Tropheus species*
Tropheus Moorii - (species Black, species Red, non-rainbow types, sp.ikola) 
Tropheus Kasabae - (southern rainbow types only) 
Tropheus brichardi - (east and west side of the lake most abundant, sp.mpimbwe) 
Tropheus Duboisi - (found in Northern half) 
Tropheus Polli - (East Coast at Bulu Point/Karilani Island area only) 
Tropheus Annectens - (East Coast South of Bulu Point, and Central West Coast.)


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

from wikipedia on Species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species

Abbreviation
Books and articles sometimes intentionally do not identify species fully and use the abbreviation "sp." in the singular or "spp." in the plural in place of the specific epithet: for example, Canis sp. This commonly occurs in the following types of situation:

The authors are confident that some individuals belong to a particular genus but are not sure to which exact species they belong. This is particularly common in paleontology. 
The authors use "spp." as a short way of saying that something applies to many species within a genus, but do not wish to say that it applies to all species within that genus. If scientists mean that something applies to all species with a genus, they use the genus name without the specific epithet.

In books and articles that use the genus and species names are usually printed in italics. If using "sp." and "spp.," these should not be italicized.

*Tropheus species*
Tropheus Moorii - (species Black, species Red, non-rainbow types, sp.ikola) 
Tropheus Kasabae - (southern rainbow types only) 
Tropheus brichardi - (east and west side of the lake most abundant, sp.mpimbwe) 
Tropheus Duboisi - (found in Northern half) 
Tropheus Polli - (East Coast at Bulu Point/Karilani Island area only) 
Tropheus Annectens - (East Coast South of Bulu Point, and Central West Coast.)


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

What are the non rainbow types of _Tropheus moorii_ ?

Where does _Tropheus_ sp."Mpimbwe" go?

And why do italics not work for me? :-? :lol:


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

Non-rainbow moorii types are those such as Murago, Limespot Kapampa, Hinde-B, Zongwe, Wapembe, Kisambala, etc..

pretty much those that are north of the sp.reds and south of Central Congo, and on TZ side they would be north of Namansi Reef area and South of Ikola.

sp.mpimbwe is in the brichardi group.


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## flashg (Oct 5, 2007)

THis is the first time ever I have heard * Kasabae * be called a species...
I think I will stick with Ad's list. Sounds more like a collection point to me.


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

Six species of Tropheus are currently recognized:

Tropheus annectens Boulenger, 1900 
Tropheus brichardi Nelissen & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1975 
Tropheus duboisi Marlier, 1959 
Tropheus moorii Boulenger, 1898 
Tropheus moorii kasabae Nelissen, 1977 
Tropheus polli Axelrod, 1977

Konnings is a published author/scientist who found certain fish did not quite fit. I am not sure what has to be done to get the findings certified.

You can choose to call them whatever you like, plenty of people use Tropheus Moorii for all of them.

It will be really interesting how DNA testing will change the whole face of classifications.

Till that time for me I too follow Konnings further classification of T.moorii because I see everthing he is talking about. I dont think Ikola or Mpimbwe deserve its own.

Mpimbwe might be the best canidate because according to the Aqualog Mpimbwe gets 20cm. I am working on that proof right now to see If I can get mine to that size.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I have been reading the genetic evidence it seems to support more than 6 species but it seems to me to suggest quite a shake up of what the species are.

Not sure if there is an easy way of using the historic described species names and the lineages you get when you look at the Mitochondria DNA results.
(although there are similarities (too Konings types more than the described ones) there are also some differences) and maybe not yet enough (published) data to change it.

Konings seems much impressed with the genetic evidence and implied (I think) it was ready to sort the species but awaits publication (like the rest of us?)

Squaring the circle?


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