HELP!!! I think I've been screwd!!!

[stonecold]

According to my LFS, these were sold to me as a "Paired of Chrysogaster". After further reasearch all day long. I strongly believed these are Allardi?

Please help me identify the exact species for these clowns.

[traveller7]

While I am not great at IDing the Clarkii complex, I have likely seen more Chrysogasters then most folks on RC, those are not Chrysogaster.


This is a Mature Female and a nearly mature male:


fwiw: My avatar is a more juvenile male.

[phender]

It is possible that they could be allardi, but as adults allardis have completely white tails. Your "female" seems to be too large to still sport juvenile coloration.

It is a tough picture for a positive ID, but I would lean towards clarki with an unusual tail marking.

Closer pics of both fish would be helpful.

Do you know for a fact where they were collected?

[Eklikewhoa]

Originally posted by traveller7
While I am not great at IDing the Clarkii complex, I have likely seen more Chrysogasters then most folks on RC, those are not Chrysogaster.


This is a Mature Female and a nearly mature male:


fwiw: My avatar is a more juvenile male.

Holy crap those are beautiful!

[Ron Popeil]

id be willing to bet that female isnt that big, maybe only 2.5 - 3" and an allardi...

[stonecold]

phender....The seller/LFS store told me that they were collected from Africa. I will try to get closer picture of each when I get home tonight.

[phender]

If they were collected from Africa then they must be allardi. I thought the female might be over 4" since they were sold as a "pair".

[stonecold]

The female is about 1.5" and male is about .75".

I'm also debating whether these are actual "pair" because the female (bigger) one has been chasing the male (smaller) all over the tank yesterday. This was odd because when I saw them at the store they did not do this.

Assuming that these are Allardi. Can you guys post a picture of what they will look like when they mature?

Thank you.

[MarinaP]

Sub adults






They paired up nicely in my friend's tank and had babies about a year later.

Allardi are nice, sturdy, easy going clowns, you will not be disappointed.

[flasher1]

the tail markings look like an allardi

[stonecold]

Thanks for the pictures Marina. Picture shown by Marina has more yellow and light blueish stripes. Mines are more dark brown and the stripes are completely white. I can not imagine mine will turn out or looking anything like Marina's picture.

Are there more than 1 Allardi species?

[traveller7]

Stone, there can be quite a vairation(morphs) in clown species, same species, different color morph. Hard to predict what a mature specimen will look like from a juvenile.

[MarinaP]

Originally posted by stonecold
Mines are more dark brown and the stripes are completely white. I can not imagine mine will turn out or looking anything like Marina's picture.

They will change colors as they mature. Here is a bunch of juvs, two out of that crowd became a pair that I had mentioned.



Here is baby chrysopterus. As he matured, he got blue stripes

[stonecold]

Can you guys or gals advise me as to where the real Chrysogasters are collected?

I believed that I've overpaid for this misleading sale and am trying to get my money back from this sale.

Thank you all for your time and patience in helping me.

[MarinaP]

Off Mauritius Island. I read an article in one of the Russian scientific magazines about sighting them on both sides of the island (east and west).

[traveller7]

Reunion as well:
https://www.marineland.com/seascope/ss2004_issue1.pdf

[stonecold]

Please let me know which country is Mauritius Island and Reunion part of?

I need a percise and exact information in order to convince my seller/LFS that these are in fact not Chrysogasters.

[MarinaP]

Mauritius is an independent country, Reunion is an overseas department (France).

[::PixelFish::]

Mauritius and Reunion are off the coast of Africa, east of Madagascar, so at least your LFS wasn't lying when they said they were collected near(off, by) Africa.

[stonecold]

Last question for you all.

Do you all agree that these are juvi Allardi?

[MIKE ALERS]

i say allardi also.i have a pair also.very cool fish.

[stonecold]

MIKE ALERS....do you have pictures of your pair? Just curious what Allardi looks like as adults.

[crjennin]

I would agree that they are Allardi.

Here are two from MarinaP at different times.

When I first received them:




About 1 year later as a mated pair




And a baby...


Calvin