RE: [RML] RML: "red bosmani" ?

Mach Fukada (tuhoitc at aloha.net)
Sun, 23 Feb 1997 10:57:37 -1000 (HST)

Well the ones that I saw called "red bosmani" were dark red (anterior and
posterior) without the classic horizontal and vertical bands. Also they
had many small horizontal bands which reminded me of juvinile M.
trifasciata. They did not in any way resemble M. bosmani. Some of these
were kept in the same tank with the common color morph of M. bosmani and I
reasoned that they were all getting the same food and water conditions. I
posed this question originally because I saw them in a discount warehous
pet shop and know that they are not the best at keeping up on problems with
hybrids.

>Mach Fukada wrote:
>
>>Quite frequently I have been noticing what the Oahu petshops are calling
>>"red bosmani". They don't look anything like M. bosmani more often than
>>not they look like a M. trifasciata X Glossolepis sp. hybrid. Any ideas as
>>to a possible id for these fishes. Also I have run into a few M. bosmani
>>that do appear to exhibit a bit more red pigmentation. Are these "strains"
>>or again the result of hybridization?
>
>I don't think the red Boesemani is a hybrid neither it should be diet
>depending
>(although you can have red boesemanis with a special diet, too). You must
>know,
>all boesemani we started breeding with came from the few specimens Heiko B.
>brought with him in 1982. Soon after millions were bred. Most of all in
>the GDR,
>where they had excellent breeders, some breeders specialised in this species.
>They found, that they could select the offspring for colour. There were
>several
>in the original colour like we know from the photos Heiko Bleher made directly
>at Lake Ajamaru (IRG members will know it, we distributed it several years
>ago).
>However, several were more yellowish, some more reddish. Thus they developed
>a red strain of boesemani (not a yellow one as this made the fish look fade).
>This may happened also in other parts of the world.
>
>Boesemanis seem to have a naturally occuring variety of colours, at least they
>have the possibility to show different varieties of orange. Personally I
>think that
>everybody interested may breed with these red Boesemanis which should be
>original Boesemanis, however, I wouldn't select furtheron for colour, with the
>result, that a few generations later the red colour will be reduced.
>
>What is much more important in Boesemanis IMO is the deep blue of the anterior
>part of the body which vanished in many aquarium strains. Breeders should
>bring
>more attention to this point.
>
>Harro

Mach Fukada, Computer Specialist
Information Technology and Communications

Tokai University at Honolulu

"You need it, I'll make it. You break it, I'll fix it.
And I will love every minute of it"

Voice: 808-983-4160
Fax: 808-983-4135