I was looking through a list of dwarf cichlids (i'm new to them) and i dont know what/why some have sp. and cf. inbetween their name, what does these mean?
thanks
thanks
sp. + cf. ?
- Thread starter csmaster
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sp. means species. If you see Apistogramma sp., it means that it's a species in the Apistogramma genus, but which species may not be known or defined for one reason or another.
cf. means like. If you read cf. mcmasteri, it means that this fish looks, quacks, and walks like a mcmasteri, but it may not actually be one.
These terms may be used when a fish species is new, not yet described or identified, or when there is some debate about it's name or its species or subspecies standing.
cf. means like. If you read cf. mcmasteri, it means that this fish looks, quacks, and walks like a mcmasteri, but it may not actually be one.
These terms may be used when a fish species is new, not yet described or identified, or when there is some debate about it's name or its species or subspecies standing.
I'm pretty sure, but not positive that when sp. is used like this
example: Amphilophus sp. "long dark" or Apistogramma sp. "Rio Negro"
it is because the fish in question does not currently have a species name, so it is refered to as Species Long Dark, or Species Rio Negro.
And when cf is used like this
example: Herichthys cf. carapinte or Vieja cf. zonatum
it means that the fish in question doesn't look 100% like the type species, but is not different enough to be classified as a new species.
You may also find some things like,
Herichthys carapinte "Tempoal"
Vieja regani "Black Back"
Amphilophus citrinellus "Gold"
In the case of the first fish, the "Tempoal" makes a note that the fish in question is a location variante found in Tempoal. In the case of the second and third fish, "Black Back" and "Gold" refer to a mutation in a population of normal colored individuals.
I think that everything I said is correct. But if someone thinks otherwise please say so.
example: Amphilophus sp. "long dark" or Apistogramma sp. "Rio Negro"
it is because the fish in question does not currently have a species name, so it is refered to as Species Long Dark, or Species Rio Negro.
And when cf is used like this
example: Herichthys cf. carapinte or Vieja cf. zonatum
it means that the fish in question doesn't look 100% like the type species, but is not different enough to be classified as a new species.
You may also find some things like,
Herichthys carapinte "Tempoal"
Vieja regani "Black Back"
Amphilophus citrinellus "Gold"
In the case of the first fish, the "Tempoal" makes a note that the fish in question is a location variante found in Tempoal. In the case of the second and third fish, "Black Back" and "Gold" refer to a mutation in a population of normal colored individuals.
I think that everything I said is correct. But if someone thinks otherwise please say so.
Sometimes you'll also see aff. used as in Crenicichla aff. jegui. The fish in question is definitely not Cr. jegui but is very similar. Once it is described by science it will be assigned it's own species name.
Yes, according to my own understanding, cf. means the same as aff.; meaning a species similar to, but not the same as said species, ex: Aequidens cf. rivulatus (similar to, but not the same as the green terror [look familiar?]), while Aequidens sp. "Gold Saum" means the species is undescribed, but the genus is fairly certain.
