Sturisoma ID

[Cory Ben]

Hi all,

I'm looking to get an ID on a Sturisoma I have just bought. I know they are Czech bred, LFS sold it as Panamense but I thought Aureum was more likely. The Black seems to cover a lot more of the Dorsal fish than the images on the species profile however - How much variance is there in individual fish?




Thanks in advance for any replies.
Ben.

[Max]

Sturisoma aureum 100%

http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/spe ... es_id=1167

[Cory Ben]

Great, I thought that would be the answer. I'll try and get hold of some more, they'd make an interesting breeding project I think. Thanks Max.

[Cory Ben]

I'm also looking for some information on their diet? Am I correct in thinking Sturisoma require a higher content of protein in their diet compared to the likes of Farlowella etc?

[Max]

No human can be sure of food recipes.
I think that the nature of these fish eat a lot of benthos.
I've been watching these species in their natural habitat
Farlovela lives in waters where there is no water movement - she lives on the branches of the cane.
Sturiasoma lives in the river - on the roots of trees.
I think she eats a lot of small crustaceans

[Jools]

I've been watching these species in their natural habitat

Which countries did you visit? Did you record which species you observed?

Cheers,

Jools

[Max]

I was engaged in exports fish to Peru - the city of Iquitos. Stayed there for 4 years.
I lived in Bogota 2 years - visited many river of the Columbia and Venezuela.
I had a regular visits Brazil - Belem, Santarem, Manaus Tabatinga.
Every year I go to South America - see my Facebook page.

[Cory Ben]

Thanks max. That's in line with what I thought for them. Is your Facebook profile linked to your pc account. I'm going to have a look when I can get on a computer.

[Karsten S.]

Hi,

Sturisoma aureum 100%

I do not really disagree with the species propoesed but I do with the percentage .
Sturisoma panamense can be certainly excluded. But as Sturisoma species can be cross bred easily and this has been done many times alrady you cannot be 100% sure if you buy tank bred ones especially if they come from Czechia where they are produced in huge quantities.
Quite often the cross-breeding also happens without knowing as Sturisoma species at least here in Germany are most often sold under wrong names.

At Rio Itaya (the only river around Iquitos where I have caught with sight) we found Sturisoma only at the sand banks (not sure if it was Sturisoma nigrirostrum or Sturisoma guentheri) whereas we caught Farlowella both at the sand bank and in the small branches/roots of trees.
In other rivers of that area like Rio Momon / Rio Nanay (without any sight) we caught Farlowella both on the sand banks as well as in the emerged trees.
Both genus seem to prefer a moderate to medium strong water flow but they avoid the extremes (rapids and stagnant water).

If I compare the dentition I don't see a big difference between Sturisoma and Farlowella both having many straight bicuspid teeth (Sturisoma with even more teeth which is certainly also due to the bigger mouth).
It would surprise me if this dentition is made for eating crustaceans, I think they can be considered as "Aufwuchs" feeders, I don't think that you need to give them different food.

Cheers,
Karsten

[Jools]

I agree with Karsten's comments, especially the 100%!

It's also a mistake to confuse where fishes are collected and where they live all year around. Often, where they are collected is when and where this is most readily and successfully done. I've collected Farlowella in four South American countries and they've been mostly in still waters, but isolated pools in the dry season. I do not think they stay still or isolated all year. In the main, they're found on vegetation but at least one Venezuelan form of F. vittata is benthic.

I've only collected one species of Sturisoma, so will pass no further comment on those.

Jools

[Max]

No human can be sure of food recipes.

I started with this phrase is not accidental.

There is only one certainty Farlovella can live in stagnant water for a long time.
These reservoirs are not always temporary. Sometimes this individual lake - far from the river Itaya 10 kilometers or more.
Suppliers (fishermen) extract these fish in such lakes.

Sturiasoma - yes indeed found on the sandy beach - this is the season when the water is very high in the river.
And where it is in the rest of the time?

I was not a tourist in South America - I lived there. The main work is to export fish for my company.

I can not be cured, that examined the stomach contents of these fishes. I can not be sure in my reasoning.

I spent another study - the use of the microscope - a study of the wood surface in the water.

The surface layer is filled with living organisms in higher concentrations - it benthos. This judgment for the river.
In the pond where the water has no movement - benthos is virtually nonexistent.

[Karsten S.]

Hello Max,

I did not mean to contradict you just to add different experience. My own experience is certainly limited although I also went fishing in several South American countries already. But I know lots of people that go regularly to more or less all countries of SA and their experience confirm mine.

There is only one certainty Farlovella can live in stagnant water for a long time.
These reservoirs are not always temporary. Sometimes this individual lake - far from the river Itaya 10 kilometers or more.
Suppliers (fishermen) extract these fish in such lakes.

Sturiasoma - yes indeed found on the sandy beach - this is the season when the water is very high in the river.

It's interesting to know that you can find Farlowella also in stagnant water, I was never lucky enough to find them there.
Perhaps I also did not try with the right equipment and at the right places because I didn't expect to find them there...

We found Sturisoma on the sandy beach of Rio Itaya at the end of the dry season (must have been end of September or beginning of October).



Cheers,

[Max]

During your next visit to Iquitos - let me know.
I will make you a detailed map of directions to the lake - I can assure you - this lake is not part of the river in any of the seasons.
I guarantee you, you will be able to find a large population Farlovella in this lake.

Maybe a little later I will post a photo that was caught by Farlovella in this place.

Best regards,

[Max]

These farlovella never knew what a river.

[Shane]

I agree with jools and Karsten on their identification points as we know this is a captive bred, versus wild caught, fish.

Also the statement that Farlowella prefer little to no water movement is only applicable to low land species (and often as Jools pointed out) during the dry season.

I have collected F vittata and mariaelenae in streams with a strong enough current to wash an adult human away. My wife can attest to that as she was once washed away while collecting Farlowella in Guarico, Venezuela. I saved her by throwing her and end of the seine and pulling her to shore. No she did not think it was funny when I told her she was my best catch that day

In the piedmont and Andes there are also fast water Farlowella. I have collected F acus in Venezuela in creeks that they share with Chaetostoma species. Other short-nose Farlowella such as curtirostra are also found in very fast water streams alongside Chaetostoma.

-Shane

[Jools]

Yeah, that's the point I was trying to make in my original reply. If we talk about what these fishes eat, then we have to do it at a species level (and be prepared to accept that what they eat throughout the year may, or may not, be constant).

For the purposes of this thread, the name

Sturisoma aureum

will do but several of the expert Czech breeders have

Sturisoma festivum

heritage mixed in there - this is why it's hard to be certain on ID.

I could be wrong here, but I always thought benthos meant the bottom of water. So, biofilm or the german vernacular auchwufs is (being pedantic as ever!) more accurate for these guys as I think we all agree the most

Farlowella

and some

Sturisoma

are not typically bottom feeders.

Cheers,

Jools

[Max]

You rightly noted - this topic is devoted to identification.
Phenotypically we found species.
We understand the possible hybridization and can not add anything on the subject.
Nutrition and habitat Sturiasoma and Farlovella for me are still a hot topic.
I am a reader of this resource for many years.
My old of an account is not available to me - I am unable to get a new password.
Perhaps administrator may divide the subject and we can collect more data on habitats and Sturiasoma Farlovella?
Best regards,
Max

[Jools]

Nutrition and habitat Sturiasoma and Farlovella for me are still a hot topic.
I am a reader of this resource for many years.
My old of an account is not available to me - I am unable to get a new password.

The text is kind of mixed, so I can't just split replies. By all means, I would very much welcome a new topic on the subject of what these fishes eat. I am sure others would too.

If you have trouble accessing an old account, drop me a note of the username or email address associated with it either by email or PM.

Cheers,

Jools