# Which Aequidens / Andinoacara is this please?



## Elvis Priestly (Dec 19, 2009)

This was labelled as Aequidens Coeruleopunctatus. I just wondered if people could give their opinion on whether that's correct - thanks.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Definitely _pulcher _group, the "Blue Acaras". I don't think it's actually _coeruleopunctatus_, it looks a lot more like _pulcher _itself, but I'm not the expert on these fish. Also the fright pattern is hiding some of the color, so I'm not sure I'm seeing everything needed to even make a serious guess.

In older books they used to confuse _coeruleopunctatus _with _pulcher_; some even called them synonyms. I'd suggest looking through Alf Stalsberg's "Aequidens" page. Or wait, he may see this and comment, he's been here a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Definately a Blue Acara -type fish. But with out knowing it's original collection point, I think it would be fairly difficult to distinguish A. coerulecopunctatus from A. pulcher, especially under aquarium conditions. Bear in mind, as well, that each species has many regional variants; though from my perspective the 2 species ( amongst a few others, as well) are really just 2 different names for something very, very similar.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Looks more like _Andinoacara latifrons_ to my eye than either_ A. coerulecopunctatus_ or _A. pulcher_ ... A. coerulecopunctatus doesn't appear to look like either _A. pulcher_ or _A. latifrons_ that much IMO (and yours is lacking the red in the fins that I've seen in pretty much all confirmed pics of _A coerulecopunctatus_) ...

... where as _A. pulcher_ and A. _latifrons_ look very similiar, except the white dorsal band on latifrons (orange in pulcher), and the fact it seems to be more blue than most pulchers, which tend towards a green base.

Though I haven't seen any pics of the undescribed blue acara type mentioned in the _Andinoacara_ article yet ... so don't know how it fits into the mix.


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## Cichlid-Power (Jan 7, 2006)

Hello everybody, I just finished an answer to you all, since I've already answer the mail from "Elvis", but I was looking at the result, I must have done something to delete it??
So I'm trying again. 
As many of you pointed out, it's not an Andinoacara coeruleopunctatus.
It's Andinoacara pulcher or I would guess it's Andinoacara cf. pulcher "Venezuela"
I have made a new page on my website called Andinoacara where I have placed the fish belonging to Andinoacara, I've also added new text about the Andinoacara cf. pulcher "Venezuela".
There will be some photos of the fish too, but since I did this last night I've not put the photos out yet, but I'll see if I can add them here??
And dwarfpike, the dorsal band is opposite, red on A. latifrons and yellow-yellowish on A. pulcher, but it's not so easy to see this in a shop.
And don't hesitate to drop me a line like "Elvis" did, I like to be able to help, and that was some of my intention to make my homepage, where people can look at the photos reading the text and hopefully they can learn something.
But, I know I'm a little ahead of you, but since I've kept and study all the fish that is on my website, I'm a little bit more experienced. 
And you are excused because the shop owner does not know, the importer does not know and even the exporter does not know.
And I've worked with these fish since around seventies, collect many of the fish and study them in the nature.
I'll try to post some picture here, but I've not done it before so I don't know if it will work.
I post this first and photos later (I hope).
I wish you all a nice New Years Eve.

Alf Stalsberg


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## Elvis Priestly (Dec 19, 2009)

Thank you so much everyone for your help. And of course thank you Alf for being so very helpful and responding to my email so quickly. I really appreciate everyone's help.

Alf - I was very interested to read in your email and on your website that Andinoacara cf. pulcher "Venezuela" is darker than the usual pulcher from Trinidad. My fish certainly has a lovely deep grey base colour which is noticeably darker than some pulcher pictures I've come across before. My photos were taken with a built in flash so some of them actually show it a bit lighter than it really is. The true base colour is a nice deep-mid grey.

You mention on your website that it's not too big a fish. Do you have any idea what their maximum size is?

Thanks again,

Matt.


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## Cichlid-Power (Jan 7, 2006)

Matt I would say that my fish is around 10 cm. 
I don't know what I do to post photos on this page. But since you did, you know more than me. So if you explain how you do it, I could post some photos. Looking forward to your explanation.

Alf Stalsberg :fish:


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## Elvis Priestly (Dec 19, 2009)

Ok, you'll need to upload the pictures to somewhere first - for example either your own webspace or a picture hosting site. Once you've done that you need to copy the URL address of the picture (right-click then select "Properties" and it should tell you what the URL is). Then paste the URL into a post here, adding "







" after it. So something like this: *







*. Before you submit your post you can click "Preview" first to check if it's worked.

I hope that all makes sense.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

I would also say Blue Acara. When mine was stressed out and sick, it developed those dark gray/black patterns. They are normally much lighter.


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## Elvis Priestly (Dec 19, 2009)

gnomemagi said:


> I would also say Blue Acara. When mine was stressed out and sick, it developed those dark gray/black patterns. They are normally much lighter.


The dark grey/black patterns are his normal colour (and he's very confident in the tank). If he's scared or stressed by something he tends to go pale and lose the dark markings.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Ah, I love it when the Acara King posts!!! :lol:

*Alf* - So all those pics of latrifrons with the silver/white dorsal edgings are actually the undescribed _Anidinoacara cf. pulcher_ species from Venezuela?

Edit: I want to your website Alf, but the pics of the _Anidinoacara cf. pulcher_ weren't showing (they were missing the .jpg extension your other pics had). Looking at your other pics, it seems most of the pics I've seen listed as latrifrons were the sp. Chuco variety, as both your pics show a more silver/white dorsal edging.


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## Cichlid-Power (Jan 7, 2006)

This bring you to my website about the Andinoacara and you can look at the photos of Andinoacara coeruleopunctatus

http://www.lem.net/alf/andinoacara.htm#coe

(Click at the name A.coeruleopunctatus) and when you compare the photos Matt put out. Then the fish he bought is certainly not A. coeruleopunctatus. The fish in the bag was collected in Panama 1996 

Alf Stalsberg :fish: :fish:


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