Convict Hybridizing?

[mr130gallon]

glenbo, we value your information.

 

[Wills]

Just to add to the list that glenbo gave - you get heros sp tapajo which holds quite a lot of red in its belly and face, heros sp belum which is white and blue with black spots. Most of these sp. species are regional variants of efacsticious but you do get regional variants of notatus as well like heros notatus sp. tapajo which gets red spots in place of the regular notatus black ones.

As said Heros Severus is the mouth brooder but I would disagree about them being dull, the base colour is not far off regular green sevs but the red spots and red throat is stunning and the pearly dorsal fin make a good looking fish IMO - on top of this you get regional variants of severus as well but not so many as efacstisous.

The main difference between the big groups (efacsticious, notatus and severus) means they get split into 3 complex. Efascsticious and notatus are similar so go in complex 1 then severus is in complex 2 and then the very rare heros spurius is in the third. The main difference between complex 1 and 2 is that complex 1 has a serates anal fin all the way along but the severus in complex 2 has seration close to the body but as the fin runs out it goes smooth - there are other differences but thats the best way to tell the difference between the two. The third complex is mainly for the sprius but rotkeil is sometimes put in here as well but it depends on who you listen to by the looks of things. Interestingly some strains of sp.Rotkiel have smooth anal fins and thats why its argued that they actually belong in complex 2 as complex 3 is usually for heros sp's that they are not sure of...

However I reckon you can probably count the amount of people in the world interested in the above on 2 hands.....

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Ok so for the real strain of Heros Severus are they smaller than
heros efacsticious?

 

[Wills]

Yeah the severus max out around 8 inches my female is about 7 inc tail, but care does not differ that much they still need a big tank, though I would say a single specimen is managable in about 240 liters but if thats the long term plan the stock needs to be considered around them quite specifically.

Also you need to be 100% you have a severus theres no point getting what you think is a severus when its really an efacstisious. Severus are quite rare now, and as said severums in the shops are often mis sold as severus.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yeah the severus max out around 8 inches my female is about 7 inc tail, but care does not differ that much they still need a big tank, though I would say a single specimen is managable in about 240 liters but if thats the long term plan the stock needs to be considered around them quite specifically.

Also you need to be 100% you have a severus theres no point getting what you think is a severus when its really an efacstisious. Severus are quite rare now, and as said severums in the shops are often mis sold as severus.

Yeh, infact i have never seen a common Severum labelled correctly in any lfs i have ever visited! (6 local, 6 in surrounding areas, multiple while on holiday etc)

Even on Wiki i have tried to change the Severus to Efaciatus but they change it back everytime! lol

 

[Balloons&killies]

Yea ive asked my 3 LFs what speices the sevs that they get in and it always the same anwnser 'heros severus' like wouldn't the fish people know that specialize in cichlids at the store know that they're actually heros Efaciatus

 

[Wills]

Yea ive asked my 3 LFs what speices the sevs that they get in and it always the same anwnser 'heros severus' like wouldn't the fish people know that specialize in cichlids at the store know that they're actually heros Efaciatus

Quite simply no, when a fish called a severum came into the hobby around the 1900s it was heros severus but then the fish farms started breeding them on mass when fish started being produced on a mass scale and because there are no checks on fish in the trade ever they just plucked some wild caught heros efascticious, and started breeding them then the supply was changed from wild caught heros severus to mass produced much cheaper heros efascticious without telling anyone and since juvinille heros severus and heros efascticious look very similar no one has ever noticed. And now x amount of years later after a series of staff being changed in the shops they have always been taught in the shops that severum = heros severus and the fact that the common name is severum is not really helping the situation.

At the end of the day as well have you not learnt that LFS workers are usually a bit backwards with regards fishkeeping?

Wills

Yeh, infact i have never seen a common Severum labelled correctly in any lfs i have ever visited! (6 local, 6 in surrounding areas, multiple while on holiday etc)

Haha! Im so glad im not the only one that goes to fish shops on holiday

 

[Balloons&killies]

Thanks do you guys think i should tell my LFS about this or should i just leave it?
i want to see what they'd say though. hmmm.. lol

 

[Wills]

Thanks do you guys think i should tell my LFS about this or should i just leave it?
i want to see what they'd say though. hmmm.. lol

Its upto you really, some places will listen others wont.... if you can take picture proof it will help http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/321940-heros-severus/page__p__2672455&#entry2672455 thats a good pic of my severus can you see the smooth anal fin and how the markings are different to a green efascitsious.

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Thanks do you guys think i should tell my LFS about this or should i just leave it?
i want to see what they'd say though. hmmm.. lol

Its upto you really, some places will listen others wont.... if you can take picture proof it will help http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/321940-heros-severus/page__p__2672455&#entry2672455 thats a good pic of my severus can you see the smooth anal fin and how the markings are different to a green efascitsious.

Wills

Ok thanks. i think i might but i dont think they'll see a difference because they only have baby sevs not anything over 2".