Do you know the difference between Apistogramma gephyra and A. agassizii? No? Well, you are in good company with that! Both species are really difficult to tell apart. They also appear at least in some places together in the natural habitat, so the origin is of no help. Both species never hybridize in the wild. This is the best evidence that they represent really two different species.

The best way to tell the two species apart is to look at the dorsal fin of adult males. In A. gephyra there is a red seam in that fin, which hardly ever appears in A. agassizii males.

 

Currently we have some fully grown specimens of German bred A. gephyra in stock. They have been bred by a enthusiast who is really deep in Apistogramma. These fishes give the lie to the often heard sentence "Apistogramma gephyra looks like a colorless A. agassizii", for - as you can see from the pictures - these A. gephyra are really beautiful fishes!

 

Keeping Apistogramma gephyra is problem-free. Only for breeding purposes it is often necessary to use very soft, acidic water. Like all Apistogramma species A. gephyra requires gravel in the tank that is composed at least in some places of fine sand.

For our customers: the animals have code 619513 on our stock list. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers only!

 

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer