Parosphromenus biotopes

Zahar, the members of our Paro-group think it's a real thriller: that riddle of a strange but handsome "new" (?) Parosphromenus within the breeding range of harveyi...
Whatever the outcome is: we are excited by the possibilities!

Zahar, you wrote: "Maybe I should dig into my old photo files and see what else is out of ordinary."

Answer Peter Finke: O yes, that would be fine: seeing some Parosphromenus and being puzzled. If there are some good specialists who don't use the forum regularly (as Neugebauer, Linke or Kopic) I would forward your pictures to them.

And then you wrote: "Something about P harveyi ... I think someone should re-look into (revise or rediscribe) it. The original paper is just too brief; not up to the current standard. So does P allani."

Answer Peter Finke: Yes we know, of course: The Browns have given a short "note" only and no scientific correct description whatever. But Kottelat & Ng in their paper last year (where they describe the six new species) have dealt in some detail with that question and they tried to remedy that problem by inspecting old material. One should read that again. There are many doubts, however, in our group too, that they succeeded. In any case their method of description is entirely controversial: simply describe one species after the other based on small differences in structure or (mostly) on some colour-varaiation only. This refers especially to the bintan-group.
But be it as it may: Looking strange-looking Paro-pictures always is a fun for the Paro-friends!

Dear Zahar, I just made a big mistake by wrongly using the quoting-system: I wanted to reply to your interesting mail and .... shortened it to the passages I wanted to quote and extended it by my (positive) commentaries! What a pity! So the last entry seems to be entirely an entry by yours but in fact it's a mixture from yours and mine.
I apologize for that silliness!
Please, do correct it, if possible, or at least add the missing information in new mail. I have tried to correct it, but your original mail was lost; I could't any longer.
I shall be more cautious next time. The answer is: I am in a desperate need for a vacation. Tomorrow it will start, at last ...

No problem.
Yes. I've read the comment in Kottelat & Ng (2005). Still too brief; in my opinion. They talked about the colours and patterns as a way to describe a species but the matters on P harveyi is just a feathery touch. On the other hand, the paper is not to discuss P harveyi alone. What I want to see is a more detail writing about "older" species using their new method. Get new samples and relook at them, as what deissneri had.

Oh ... happy holiday

Dear Zahar, thank you very much for your quick and polite response to my mistake above.
I agree that the Kottelat & Ng-paper of 2005 is too short and too superficial in oder to solve all problems that have been arisen by the original Browns' "descriptions" of harveyi and allani. Presently, I know of no thorough investigation in to that problem by others. I only remember that we had once "allani" in Germany that resembled those fish, but were different, too. Probably, the same could be true for harveyi. But red instead of blue? Well, we shall see what you will find at a later time if you go there again. It's a thrilling story.
I shall discuss the question at our group-meeting in Belzig near Berlin at the end of april and let you know. Maybe there are papers, and I do not know them. All the best to you.

I don't know if you guys believe this or not; there is not a single live specimen of P tweediei nor alfredi in captivity (at least with the hobbyists) in Malaysia or Singapore. There were attempts to get some samples last 1 or 2 years but after 5 or 6 trips, all they can get was a single pair.

A huge burden and hope was on our shoulder when we met up last weekends for another try. But this time we brought a secret weapon, a collector cum hobbyist. A new recruit with a superb track record.

Here's the photos :

First stop was at one of the type locality for P tweediei near Pekan Nenas.

The place was actually an irrigation canal within a rubber plantation. It was about 3 feet deep but water flow only within the uppermost few inches. The rest was mud. There was no or minimal leaf litter (from the rubber trees on both sides of the canal) but thick grass and luxurious growth of Cabomba spp. became the fortress for the paros.

Part of the catch.

The second stop was about 10 minutes drive away. Another irrigation canal, but this time within a village and draining the nearby palm oil estates.

As oppose to the first site, this canal was exposed to the blaring sun (no shade at all), but the water was kept cool by the moderate current (vs slow and shady). This time we had to battle the thick grass growing from the banks forming a thick mat where some of us were able to crawl on. The paros were collected mostly under these grass rafts.

The team members hard at work.

A beautiful male P tweediei

Note the water from the first site was clear while the second canal was clearly tea coloured. pH was 4.0 at both locations.
Other fishes from these 2 biotopes: B pulchra, T vitata, R einthoveni and P pentazona.

Beaming with confidence after the bountiful catch, we rushed to the next target, P alfredi. Unfortunately the trip was hampered by traffic jams and by the time we reached the destination, it was to dark to fish. Well, at least we have a reason to come back.

Some photos (non paros) from the rest of the trip.

The red-listed B tomi - our first.

The ever popular and rare B persephone.

The hurdle en route to the persephone biotope.

A crypt lover in his element.

Dear Zahar,

I'm very impressed; thank you for sharing these beautiful photos and the text.

Can you tell us please, what you know about the changes in these habitats that go along with seasonal changes? For example the PH, do you know if it fluctuates a lot, throughout the year?

Do you know if Parosphromenus is preyed upon by larger fish only, or maybe also by fish-eating birds, or other land-animals? I ask, because I notice that Parosphromenus seem to like cover above them a lot; therefore I wondered if in their natural habitats there are specific dangers coming from above them.

Kind regards,
Karen

That was the very first time I went to the area. So, can't say much about it. But I do notice some thing funny in a tussyae biotope (Chukai).
We would expect the pH to drop further during the dry season as the water become more concentrated. But I found out it was the opposite. The pH during the dry season was about 6.0 and significantly dropped lower during the monsoon when the water level rises. Explanation? Rising and flowing water churns up the humic acid burried deep in the substrate (the leave litter).
My guess, similar condition happens in the paros biotope but to what extend is still unknown.

Predators from under water in these environments came in form the larger fishes, mainly the Channas and Clarias. From the sky, the fishes are under assault from the kingfishers. But I don't think the paros is the main target of these hunters. Easier preys are the rasboras and barbs which come out into the open more often.

Alfred Waser (the "waseri") prepares to travel to Sarawak. In a mail to me he offers to try catching some Paros out there, if ... there are locations for Paros. I hardly know of Paro-locations in Sarawak (only quite a few, f.i. for P. allani, at the "outskirts of Sibu", or the populations in western Sarawak in the Stunggang area), but to my opinion there should be more.
If anybody of you knows intersting places from a Paro-point-of-view, please let me know soon. If you wish, I can arrange a contact to Mr. Waser.

Will he try to collect alfredi or other species?

Stefan, alfredi is a Paro from Malaysia (as are tweediei, harveyi, nagyi and others). Alfred Waser is in need of Sarawak-locations, and that is the problem. To my knowledge there are known locations for P. allani and similar forms (outskirts of Sibu, or east of Jalan Ulu Oya, or on Sri Aman-Sibu road). But every hint on other locations or species or potential regions is valuable.