Re: [RML] Looking for G. wanamensis

Gary Lange (gwlange at stlnet.com)
Fri, 21 Feb 1997 18:15:02 -0600

I'd like to make a few comments and add to what Adrian has already
said. When going back and looking at the photos that were published
in ANGFA NONE, I repeat NONE of the multisquamatus that have made it
here looked anything like the photo. I've probably had people send
me a 1/2 dozen fish they were sure were multisquamatus. Jerry didn't
help with that juve photo in Rainbowfishes of Oz & NG (allen &
cross). The photo in the Tetra book (pg 94) still doesn't look as
good as the one that ANGFA published. Unless that one was a cross
:-) all of the other stuff I've seen here is just either a splendida
cross or a wanamensis cross. Guys, this would be a great photo to
pull out of the FOS and post on a web site to let people know what
the fish should look like. I think we should probably start of "wall
of shame" too dedicated to all of the crap crosses. Maybe that way
people couldn't keep getting fooled. Wished I had bothered to
photograph all of that junk I've been sent over the years!

Ekkwill supposedly got Heiko's multi's but they almost immediately
got them mixed up with their wanamensis. Now when you see petstore
wanamensis from Ekkwill they are nicely green but with the
short-fins. Good wanas have a neat little blue patch at the caudal
peduncle (tail fin Roy). In good colors they have just a tad of
orangish in the belly (below lateral line and behind pectorals).
There are good wanamensis in the US but you have to know where to
look to get the correct ones. We have many that match the photos
that were produced by ANGFA - actually the only Ron Bowman shot
(until recently) that appeared in FOS.

Gary Lange
Rainbowfish Study Group of North America

<snip>
> No, that story is not true although not many specimens survived.
However,
> enough survived to be bred by Barry Crockford, Neil Armstrong & Ron
Bowman
> in Melbourne, Australia. Unless you can trace your fish back to
this source
> then I would considered them suspect, unfortunately.
>
> I would also consider all G.Multisquamatus as suspect as well
unless you can
> trace them back to Heiko's collection of a few years ago.
>
> The problem with these fish in Australia is that somewhere down the
line
> female multisquamatus got inbred into the species and I wouldn't be
> surprised if female wanamensis were bred back into multisquamatus.
(there
> was even doubt on the original multisquamatus that were in
circulation)
>
> As for the specimens in the States, I'm unable to comment but I
would like
> to see a pedigree certificate with every breeder who had bred the
fish
> before I would accept them as a pure strain :-(
>
> Adrian.
> ........................................
> Adrian R. Tappin
> Home of the Rainbowfish
> http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
> ........................................
>