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description of the genus, in the same paper.
E
IGENMANN
defined the genus on the basis of
the unique combination within the characin
family (Characidae) of a three-pointed
caudal fin and the absence of the adipose
fin normally so typical of characins.The type
specimens of
N.palmeri
were 8-20 mm long,
and collected by Mr. M. G. P
ALMER
(a wildlife
collector who also collected reptiles and
amphibians for the British Museum) near
Condoto on the Rio Condoto and Novita on
the Rio Tamana, both in south-west
Colombia.
Just three years later E
IGENMANN
and his
colleague Charles W
ILSON
described the
species
Nematobrycon amphiloxus.
This
species was said to be very similar to
N.
palmeri,
but more robust in build.In addition
they distinguished it by the dark
longitudinal band not being bounded
dorsally by a sharply defined, light
longitudinal band,but instead rather diffuse.
The original description was based on 79
specimens measuring between 14 and 54
mm in length. The type locality is Boca de
Raspadura, with one specimen apiece from
Tambo,Manigru,and Istmina.When another
Nematobrycon
species was exported alive
by K
YBURZ
in 1961, he assumed that it was
none other than this
N.amphiloxus.
The second species of emperor tetra
exported alive has brilliant red eyes in life,
and this is the best way of distinguishing it
from the blue-eyed
N. palmeri.
Until the
beginning of the 1970s this gorgeous
emperor tetra, also known as the Rainbow
Tetra,was widely available in the hobby as
N.
amphiloxus.
So where did that leave
Nematobrycon
amphiloxus
? Well, a number of very dark
specimens had unexpectedly turned up
among the offspring of the first wild-caught
stocks of
N. palmeri.
La C
ORTE
deliberately
bred this strain further. It still exists today
under the name
Nematobrycon palmeri
"Black", though the current strains are even
darker than the original specimens - the
result of the continuing efforts of breeders.
W
EITZMAN
and F
INK
were able to demonstrate
that it was precisely such dark-colored
specimens on which the description of
This as yet scientifically undetermined fish
from Brazil (imported by Aquarium Glaser in
2009) is undoubtedly very closely related to
the emperor tetras.
Emperor Tetra,
Nematobrycon palmeri.
Only then did the two scientists mentioned
earlier, W
EITZMAN
and F
INK
, examine the
matter more closely.Their detailed detective
work revealed that the red-eyed Rainbow
Tetra was in reality a species new to science,
which they named
Nematobrycon lacortei
in
honor of ornamental-fish breeder Rosario La
C
ORTE
of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Because the
type specimens were captive bred and the
original collector (K
YBURZ
, in 1970) was no
longer alive, W
EITZMAN
and F
INK
were able to
specify the type locality only on the basis of
indications (personal correspondence from
K
YBURZ
to La C
ORTE
and Leonard P. S
CHULTZ
). It
probably lay in the upper course of the Rio
Calima.
