N. beckfordi
Taxonomy
Family: Lebiasinidae
Subfamily: Pyrrhulininae
Genus: Nannostomus Steindachner, 1876 - Pencilfish
Specific name: beckfordi Günther, 1872
Scientific name: Nannostomus beckfordi Günther, 1872
There are two main colorforms, maybe geographically separate populations.
The following are the characteristics Meinken (1954) and Vogt (1959) found:
· The Anomalus type, with light, sometimes green primary coloration, a lateral band that does not reach the caudal fin, with less red, but extended red caudal fins lower lobes. The ventral fins are colorless.
Should be much bigger than the Aripiranga type, particularly in the front third body part, and with larger scales.
According to Vogt (lc) significantly less likely to trade than the other form. The exact origin of this form is unknown.
· The Aripiranga type, from Pará, with dark brown primary coloration, a black lateral band which extend to middel of the caudal fin, with the lobes of the caudal fin red in the first half part, and the ventral fins are red with light blue peaks. Virtually all known photographs show this form.
If these differences could be confirmed, the two color forms probably are two separate species.
Distribution and habitat
This species is known mainly from Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Amapá and Pará in Brazil, but is also reported to occure in the lower and middle Amazon basin, the Rio Madeira, the lower Rio Negro and the Orinoco in Venezuela.
Staeck (1998) collected it in Guyana in black water of pH 3,9-4,1.
Breeding
Breeds in one of my Apisto tanks without any problems. The tank is a 200 liter with very dense planting in some areas. The PH is about 6 (My digital PH meter is kaput, so I was forced to use a chemical PH set.). I have yet to try to spawn them in a separate tank, but I will update this profile as soon as I do.