# Another Rhom or Spilo dilemma....



## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

After lots of planning, I got my first Piranha yesterday. I was told initially I was buying a Rhom, but then the dealer emailed me to say another customer thought the fish was a cf Spilo. I told him to go ahead and send it anyway, as I like both fish.

When he arrived, I thought he was a cf Spilo for sure, but now I've looked through the ID forum, I've seen photos of fish very similar to mine which were ID'd as Rhoms.

These aren't the best photos, as I kept the tank lights off yesterday to let him settle, but I will take some more later. Are there any particular bits of the fish I should try and photograph? Caudal and other fins, presumably? He's about 4 inches long ATM.

Cheers guys.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

This one's even blurrier, but here goes........


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## mechanic_joe (Dec 4, 2003)

It looks like there is a black terminal band on the tail, but its very hard to tell. My guess would be rhom, but the pics are very hard to tell.


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## TRINHSTA (Mar 1, 2004)

does spilo cf have red eyes? If they dont then i think it is a rhomb


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## nitrofish (Jan 14, 2003)

TRINHSTA said:


> does spilo cf have red eyes? If they dont then i think it is a rhomb


 yes they have red eyes


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

He does have the terminal black band, defintely. The phots of juvenile Rhoms I've seen look totally different to mine though. They're much more, well, rhomboid in shape, and don't really have any red on their bodies.

I was totally sure mine was a cf Spilo until I saw a thread here where a fish similar to mine had been ID'd as a Rhom. *L* Confused is not even the word!


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

He's gone into 'hide mode' today, so this is probably no help at all, but I'll keep trying....


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## SharkAquarium (May 16, 2003)

My 2 cents is that the fish is a red throat, probably out of Peru where they are quite numerous. Notice the scutes at the bottom of the belly. The name....... altispinnus, was spilo cf, was medinei, by common usage.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> SharkAquarium Posted on Apr 15 2004, 02:59 PM
> My 2 cents is that the fish is a red throat, probably out of Peru where they are quite numerous. Notice the scutes at the bottom of the belly. The name....... altispinnus, was spilo cf, was medinei, by common usage.


 I agree with George either S. sanchezi (Peru) or S. altispinis (Brazil) two very similar fish depending on size. Sanchezi was based on a juvenile, Altispinis is better described from a juvenile to adult.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Thanks for the opinions, guys!









I'll do some searching for info on the sanchezi and altispinis. I must say, he didn't look anything like my idea of a Rhom, although I've only ever seen them in books.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Scarlet Posted on Apr 15 2004, 03:45 PM
> Thanks for the opinions, guys!
> 
> I'll do some searching for info on the sanchezi and altispinis. I must say, he didn't look anything like my idea of a Rhom, although I've only ever seen them in books


 These "red throats" are usually captioned as S. spilopleura or S. spilopleura complex in some aquarium books. Which it is neither.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Thanks Frank. I'll stick to the net.


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## andycrazymonkey (Feb 15, 2004)

hey scarlet urs looks exactly like mines when i got it...roughly heres a pic 2 compare


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Hi andy, is that the one from TFD? How big was he in that photo?


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## andycrazymonkey (Feb 15, 2004)

yup thats the 1. hes about 5.5"


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

He's a beauty!







How long have you had him? Has he grown much?


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## andycrazymonkey (Feb 15, 2004)

Scarlet said:


> He's a beauty!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 yeh hes a mean little dude! i've had him for nearly 3 weeks now hes grown a tiny bit


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

I'm trying to find info about sanchezi or altispinis, which Frank thinks this fish is. It would be handy to know some things like eventual size, temperament etc.


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## erikcooper (Feb 18, 2004)

I was thinking S. altispinis before I saw George's and Frank's posts and I have to agree. Look up S. altispinis or Spilo C.F. Most that are called Spilo C.F. are really the altispinis is what Frank is saying. There really is no "Spilo C.F." in other words, but if you look that up the info will be about your fish.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Thanks Eric.







So this fish is not a Spilo of any kind? I was calling him a cf Spilo because that's what I thouht he looked most like in my Piranaha book, but I guess a lot of the books are out of date? There seems to be so much reclassifying of P's.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

OK, more confusion! I was looking at an old emaill from when I was trying to source a Piranha. It was from Piranha Boutique Europe, and they said:

"I also have in stock the rarest variation of Rhombeus--the black diamond
Rhombeus or Serrasalmus Altuvei/Altispinis, this fish is practically impossible
to buy, even in the United States."

So they're using Altispinis as the scientific name for a regional variant of Rhom....?


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Scarlet Posted on Apr 16 2004, 04:10 AM
> OK, more confusion! I was looking at an old emaill from when I was trying to source a Piranha. It was from Piranha Boutique Europe, and they said:
> 
> "I also have in stock the rarest variation of Rhombeus--the black diamond
> ...


Let the buyer beware.......I have no idea what he is offering. S. altispinis is not a regional variant, but an actual species.


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## erikcooper (Feb 18, 2004)

No it technically is not a spilo, but most people call them spilo c.f.s still.

About Piranha Boutique Europe question, they are just quite confused and cannot tell which one it is.


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Wow. It seems like it's just about impossible to find a dealer who will ship to the U.K _and_ actually knows which fish you're getting! I've joined Piranha Club UK, and they organise group imports, so hopefully I'll have some better luck there.

Thanks again for all your help!


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## andycrazymonkey (Feb 15, 2004)

i guess i know what my fish is also


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