Apistogramma Ramirezi

Myers, George Sprague & Harry, Robert Rees, 1948, The Ramirezi Dwarf Cichlid Identified, The Aquarium 17 (4), pp. 77-77 : 77

The Ramirezi Dwarf Cichlid Identified 1

By courtesy of the authors, we are enabled to quote from a scientific article by Dr. G. S. Myers and Mr. R. R. Harry, in which they describe and name the new and popular "Ramirezi" Cichlid. They propose for it the name Apistogramma ramirezi , thus utilizing the specific name informally given to this fish by Mr. Herman Blass, of Miami, Florida, who brought the' fish from Venezuela.

"Most closely related to Apistogramma ornatipinne Ahl , and A. ritenre (Haseman), from which it differs strongly in having 92(versus 6) soft anal rays. It is a very deep-bodied species, with the snout bluntly rounded and shorter than the eye. Lower jaw slightly shorter than upper when mouth is closed. Rictus not reaching vertical of front margin of eye. Dorsal fin remarkably high, mostly in adult males, in which the black third spine and its greatly elongated and attenuated black lappet of fin-rnembrane form an important diagnostic character. "

The authors proceed to say that the fish is described principally from an " adult rnale collected by Manuel Vicente Ramirez and Herman Blass in April, 1947, and presented to us by Mr. William T. Innes. The fish were obtained during a SOO-mile auto trip south across the Llanos from Palenque, Venezuela. Mr. Blass does not know the names of any of the rivers crossed or of the large one at which they turned back, which was probably the Rio Meta. Nor does he know in what river they obtained this fish. However it is evidently from one of the tributaries of the Rio Apuré or Rio Meta in the states of Guárico, Portuguesa, or Apuré. While the indefiniteness of the type locaiity is most unfortunate, the fauna of these rivers is very similar, and the species probably occurs in both the Meta and the Apuré systems."

The authors wish us to point out the confusion likely to occur when nonscientists attempt to give scientific names to animals. They say: "It is only luck that the name ramirezi , given to this fish by Mr. Blass, is preserved. It might just as well have turned out to be a known species, already named. He published no scientific description or comparison of his fish, showing its differences from the others of its genus already known to science. We accept and perpetuate the specific name ramirezi for the fish chiefly because it has become popularly known to aquarists and to avoid confusion."