forwarded from Frank Falcone re: black Cory
Posted by: "Anubias Design" anubiasdesign@yahoo.com anubiasdesign
Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:31 am (PST)
Frank Falcone <coryologist@mac.com> wrote: From: Frank Falcone <coryologist@mac.com>
To: Anubias Design <anubiasdesign@yahoo.com>
Subject: Blacks
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:19:53 -0500
Hi Mark,
I see where a lot of the confusion comes from regarding the "Blacks."
I would, at present, regard the following as the definitive statement
on the subject. The following is a public post that Ian Fuller made on
the subject in July of 2007. He and I discuss this fish often and I am
not aware of any information which places the following statement in
dispute.
Frank
P.S. Feel free to use the pic if they will help in the discussion. LMK
if there is any other way that I can help.
==============================
BEGIN IAN FULLER'S POST.
Jul 31 2007, 03:41 PM
==============================
Sometimes I wonder how it is that people dispute fact and publicise
fiction.
I have stated how the "Black" C. aeneus came to be several times, on
several forums and I am sure here as well, but to clear up the origins
of the "Black" here is a statement from Hans-Georg Evers.
"I knew the guy who "created" the "black aeneus". His name was Hartmut
Eberhardt. He lived in Weimar and was a dear friend of Dr. Hanns-
Joachim Franke. Both were my friends and both are already dead and it
seems, that some storys need to be retold. Hartmut had the very first
black aeneus amongst his thousands of normally coloured ones of the
"schultzei-type". The black ones have orange fins in the first months
of their life and so does one type of aeneus from Venezuela. This type
lives in the Llanos of Venezuela and also Colombia and is regularly
being imported. When they darken their body colouration (stress,
light, etc.) they resemble the black youngsters and this might have
lead to the name Black aeneus from Venezuela."
Has also told me that many of the 'Black' were sold to breeders in the
Czech Republic, who then started to reproduce them in large numbers,
these were eventually exported all over the world with some of the
first coming to the UK around 1980 and I first bred them in November
1981.
Yes Jollysue, they are man made through line breeding not by invention
as you seem to be jesting about, and who said they were "German
mutants"? If you are referring to the statement I made some time back
about the long straggly finned Corys, and ancistrus for that matter,
which were developed using hormone breeding methods. The it is you who
has included the "Blacks" in this category not I.
The fish that you have had from Frank as far as I am aware are not
from the Venezuelan strain, which show redish-brown fins and are of a
stockier build.
The "Black" will never get any scientific recognition unless it is
found in a wild population, it's parentage may be, as it is almost
certain that C. schultzii will be re-instated as a full species in the
fullness of time, but because Holly's original material was lost in
WWII, neotypes will have to be used from the type locality.
Also to clarify the use of the term "cf" as in C. cf aeneus. Whenever
it is used after the genus and before the species name, it means
"Character of," meaning it "Looks like or similar, to".
Hopefully this will clear up the whole speculation about the "Black"
Cory
Ian
other wise id of gone for at least 6 of them.
Must be a UK joke. 
