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As you know, in aquariums live two royal tetris: the usual "palmery", which occurs often enough, and an extremely rare "red-eyed". Between them, like a mirage, there is also a third species Nematobrycon amphiloxus - a black royal tetra, although, as it seems to me, there is no established Russian name for this fish yet. In my opinion, it is not yet clear what kind this is. Some experts consider this name a synonym for an ordinary palmery - Nematobrycon palmeri, others with no less conviction claim that this is the middle name of the red-eyed tetra - Nematobrycon lacortei.
R.Carey in the American magazine "Tropical Fish Hobbyist" (No. 5 for 2000) in the article Tetras That Come in Threes ("Tetras that come in three") expressed his opinion about the occurrence of this confusion. Since this expensive edition is rare in Russia, I will briefly describe the content of the article in the part relating to the royal tetras.
At the beginning of the last century, the ichthyologist Eigenmann with a break in three years (in 1911 and in 1914) described two different nematocrites: palmari and amphiloxus. In 1960, in the tributary of the river, where the palmery was harvested, the harvesters caught fish, similar in appearance to the well-known Nematobrycon palmeri, but at the same time and significantly different from them. The exporter knew that 50 years ago some nematoconsumer had already been described, and decided that this is precisely the kind that is unfamiliar while on the market, i.e. Amphiloxus. Under this name, he was about 10 years old and was supplied to aquariums. Only in 1971 the ichthyologists Weitzman and Fink determined that this fish was not an amphiloxus, but a new kind of nematocrit, and named it Nematobrycon lacortei. So the amphiloxus "disappeared" from the aquariums for the first time.
These same scientists, having repeatedly studied typical samples of palmery and amphilox, concluded that if one does not pay attention to the difference in color, the differences between these fishes are very small and can be considered as one species. And since Eigenmann described Palmeri as the first time, the name Nematobrycon amphiloxus was considered synonymous with Nematobrycon palmeri. So the amphiloxus disappeared a second time.
In his article R.Carey mentions a beautiful legend about these haracine. Once upon a time in two closely located, but uncommunicating forest streams of Colombia lived-were close by ancestors, but different in appearance royal titles - palmery and amphilox. The latter differed in a wider, exciting almost whole body black stripe. 300 years ago these two rivers were connected by a canal. Pisces did not fail to take advantage of the situation and as a result, the two species mingled together, forming viable and reproductive hybrids. This somehow can explain where from the field of view of aquarists Nematobrycon amphiloxus - a black nematobracon, which theoretically lives in the same area as the palmery, has not found it, but can not find it.
Forty years ago, Rosario LaCorte (in honor of which the red-eyed royal tetra Nematobrycon lacortei was named) received a certain number of royal tetras caught in nature. It turned out that in the party the males looked like ordinary palmery, and among the females there were palmery and amphiloxes. He began to actively breed them selectively divided the conventional form and the darker one. This he supposedly restored the black royal tetra, which, perhaps, was defined in 1914 as Nematobrycon amphiloxus.
And for some time now (since about 1988), a new royal tetra appeared in European aquariums - "black palmery". Its origin is unclear. Czech aquarist Jroslav Kadlec in the article "Melanistic form of the royal tetra or its subspecies Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus?" In the January issue of 2001 the Czech magazine "Akvarium Terarium" cited only some dates related to its appearance in Europe.
In 1988, from the then GDR in the then Czechoslovakia received fish, which was considered a subspecies of Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus. For the first time, the "black royal tetra" was on display at the ITERSO exhibition in Germany in 1994. It is possible that these were the descendants of the black palmi drawn by Rosario LaCorte. These fish came to us through Bulgaria in 2000, with the assistance of the Bulgarian charatsin owner D. Penev, who successfully developed them.
I must admit that at first, despite all the tricks, I did not manage to get any fry. I have only seen a few pale eggs at the bottom of the spawner a few times. Moreover, fish constantly suffered from some kind of food poisoning, as a result of which their intestines swelled and they could hardly keep in the water column - the swim bladder did not work. And this despite the fact that the rest of the characins received the same food and remained healthy.
The food included bloodworm, coretra, tubule, live daphnia and cyclops, nauplius artemia, branded dry food, crumbs of white and black bread (very gradually), occasionally - crumpled canned green peas. What exactly disturbed the digestion of young royal tetras, it was not possible to find out, since the periodic exclusion of any component from the general diet provided relief. Some of the diseased fish died, part recovered, in order to get sick again after a while.
I passed several fish to the most experienced Moscow haratsincher Oleg Aleksandrovich Yakubov in the hope that different from my conditions of content will save the situation. The diet for them there was dramatically changed: the fish began to eat practically only fresh near Moscow plankton, but this did not help either. By the spring of the following year, only one black male survived the inflammation of the intestines twice.
In order to somehow get out of the impasse, O. Yakubov made a risky attempt to pair the remaining male with the female of the usual palm of the Moscow divorce. The experiment was a success, if it can be expressed only in half: the fry appeared, but all went to "Mama". The resulting six fish were all males with the coloring and shape of the fins, as in the usual palmery. Repeated spawning was not successful, apparently because of the weakness of a sickly male. However, this episode was already enough to talk about the close relationship of the black and ordinary palmery.
And then an unforeseen event occurred. During one of the campaigns to the Bird Market, I happened to accidentally see a palmer in a huge mass of adolescents, sold by a Moscow habitat-razvodchik, suddenly saw ... a small black female! This was a complete surprise! By this time, "all" living black palmery was left only with Oleg Yakubov, and we urgently bought this unique specimen in pair with the surviving male. The seller boasted that he had such copies of his house from almost fifty, and we hoped to get it, but in reality there was only one black male, and even then the owner sold it to the unfamiliar hands.
This incident is interesting because black fishes appeared from ordinary parents of a palmery. It is also noteworthy that the fish farmer for several decades did not buy producers from outside, but only periodically updated his flock at the expense of young fish of his own divorce!
What to think now? It seems that in addition to the selection that R.LaCorte once had, there is another way to revive the lost species. The mystery of the appearance of black palm from non-existence is slightly opened. There are two possible variants, and both can be the result of a long inbreeding, that is, a closely related crossing.
1. Cleavage of "melanists", or distortion of the natural proportion of color in the direction of a sharp increase in black as a sign of degeneration of the species.
2. Unexpected manifestation of the ancient natural black color of the amphiloxus, which he had before natural crossing with palmery, the color of which at that time was strong, dominant, suppressing the color of the amphiloxus, and now weakened due to long-term inbreeding. In Moscow (it can be assumed that elsewhere) there lived just those palmers, in whose blood the dozing depressed genes of the amphiloxus survived.
What really happened is difficult to say. I am inclined to the second variant, since it is, as it were, reinforced by the result of crossing a simple and black palmery. In this episode, the "strong" palmery again took precedence over the "weak" melanist-amphiloxus.
Now in Moscow there is another small (about 10 pieces) of black palmery from Sofia from Penev. This time the fish have come stronger, and although the breeding has slowly gone, special success (by quantity) has not yet been achieved. I again divided the fish, so that at least they were fixed steadily.
And here's a new surprise: the bird bought at the Birdie ripened and gave off the black "Bulgarian" male offspring, and all the fry left black, without "skips." Here's to you a new phenomenon of amphiloxus to aquarists! While the fry is a few. All the hope for the enthusiasm of aquarists. Fortunately, they grow fast enough. God willing, amateurs of haracin in the near future will be able to easily find this interesting fish.
Concluding the historical digression, I will tell about another episode of the winter of 1996. It still causes me a frustrating feeling of vexation from the missed opportunity. Then one of the founders of "GEOL AKVARI" A.Belov made a large order of South American fish from the Colombian firm SAVANNAH TROPICAL FISH (BOGOTA). Now it is difficult to remember why such a large batch (250 pieces) of Nematobrycon palmeri was ordered, because this fish could have been bought in sufficient quantities in Moscow.
When the parcel came, we were all upset. Waited for bright, "wild" spectacular palmery, and came a variety of turbid, dull-black color royal (in which, however, doubts did not arise) tetras. Among them, there was practically no palmer of the usual Moscow coloring. I can only guess now that the rarity was then in our hands: it was either an amphiloxus in its pure form, or one of its hybrids, and most likely a cross with a lacorte, since the densely purple eye of the males had a narrow burgundy edge.
All the coloring of the fish was somehow strange and in no way coinciding with the palmery. We, afflicted by the fact that we did not receive what was expected, paid less attention to acclimatization and treatment of tetras than it should, as a result, all individuals soon died.
And now about the coloring of Nematobrycon amphiloxus (if it is really him) - black nematobricone, black palmery, or "black monk", as Moscow lovers tried to christen it. We must immediately say that the shape of the body and fins, except the tail, it does not differ from the palmery (we'll talk about the tails of our "trinity" later - they all differ slightly). The overall color is black. The head and the whitish stripes running along it from the belly and the "scruff" to the dorsal fin are lighter.
Color saturation is unstable and directly depends on what the fish is engaged in. During disputes, the males become completely black, including all fins, only bright blue eyes sparkle. This is the most contrast option. We can say with confidence that the aquarists have not received any more black "characine" from the Amazonian basin. The black phantom-male (Megalamphodus megalopterus), even if very provocative, does not reach the monk in color.
The female, not located to spawn, escaping from the persecution of the male, is hammered into plants or into a corner and demonstrates the pale gray "orphan" color of the whole body. Its only decoration in this state is golden eyes. This is the least attractive option.
In a calm environment, the fish have a black body with light contours on the back and abdomen. Fins can be either light gray or even colorless, transparent. Do not have for me an explanation of those options, when black is one part of the body, and the other is light. It is strange to see, for example, a black tail with a gray background of the body, etc.
If you do not take into account the multi-colored eyes of males and females, there are no other colors of the fish on the body of the fish, except for the gray-black scale (from light gray to coal-black). Is that on the "scruffy" there are whitish scales and a whitish thin edge on the long anal fin. The developing youngster first has a black band with blurred edges along the entire body, which gradually expands; To a month's age before you is already a little black palmery.
And what are the other royal titles?
The unconditional leader is, of course, Nematobrycon palmeri, deservedly popular, all known, easily bred, effectively painted (especially in the sun on the Moscow Bird Market) fish, mentioned almost in every edition of aquarium. Everyone knows so well how to support and breed it, that anyone will instantly learn.
Your humble servant too could not resist such a temptation and twice paid tribute to this fish in the pages of the magazine "Aquarium" (3/94 and 1/95). Because of its widespread prevalence, most people saw this fish alive or in a photograph.
For the same reason, I will not compete with recognized masters of describing the color of aquarium fish and distract the reader's attention to long-known details.
The situation with Nematobrycon lacortei is more complicated. The photo of this tetra is only occasionally seen in good reference books, where there is also a brief description, which assures the reader that lacorte from palmer is different only in color. I at one time in the magazine "Aquarist" (4/95) described in great detail both color and habits, and own experience of breeding this adorable fish. Since now this magazine has become a bibliographic rarity, I will briefly repeat the description of an adult Nematobrycon lacortei.
According to the scheme of coloring lacorte is similar to palmery, but the colors are noticeably different. The general character of the coloration is also not the same: in palmer, the tones are somewhat more pronounced, with distinct flowering borders, whereas for the lacorte, smooth, as it were, diffuse transitions are characteristic. If the palmers have a blue-green (cold) general tonality, then the lacorte, especially the males, is yellowish-reddish (warm).
The snout and gill covers are painted in a reddish tone, which, condensed, passes over the body into a relatively wide dark blue-purple strip with fuzzy boundaries stretching to the very tail. The width of the strip for many individuals is individual. On the caudal fin this band turns into a narrow black strip extending to the middle rays protruding far from the notch of the tail. A very remarkable element of coloration is the brightly shining side-light portion of the body beginning in front of the middle of the body and reaching the caudal peduncle. It resembles the rainbow overflows of a thin oil film on the surface of the water.
If you understand, on the sides of this fish there is almost the whole spectrum: red, yellow, blue, blue, purple: true, the colors of this gentle tonality, as in the evening sky. Perhaps this feature of coloring and prompted the sentimental German aquarists to call the lacquer Regenbogentetra - a rainbow tetra.
There is one more feature in coloring, if you want strangeness. I can not find a better comparison than the following: imagine that on the mother-of-pearl side of the fish, as if someone had wiped a nail from the tail to the head, unevenly wiping off part of the sparkling scales from it. In "torn" places the body has an unclear reddish color. The resulting pattern, if it can be called so, is individual for each individual and does not coincide on the sides. Edging of the upper lobe of the caudal fin is dark red. Funny is the long and rather wide anal fin of the male, when he stretches it, showing his opponent his dignity. The fin becomes like a suspended transparent placatik with a red-and-white edging on the underside, rectangular and even throughout its entire length.
The general background of the coloring of the female is lighter and somewhat yellowish.
I will mention one more important detail, which is almost never paid attention even to the recognized popularizers of aquarium. Nematobrycon lacortei is often called the "red-eyed royal tetra", but at the same time, few people know that the ruby-red eyes are only in the male, and even then not entirely: at the edge of the eye there is a thin yellowish-green bezel. And the female's eyes are the same color as the female palm and amphiloxus, that is, yellow-green. The same eyes are also present in young males until they are ripe. The redness of the eye helps the amateur to divide the fish on the floor at the very beginning of their maturation.
Now some comparisons between these three species (if we, of course, recognize the black palmery for a separate species - amphiloxus). Adult males of all three species have differences in the form of the caudal fin.
Nematobrycon palmeri has the most pronounced caudal "trident" (sometimes called the "crown"). The edges of the blades are black, elongated to such an extent that their braids sometimes reach each other. The central ray is black, long and as if pointed. Nematobrycon lacortei has more modest in size ornaments. The braid is only on the upper lobe, and the central tooth is shorter. The lower lobe of the caudal fin is devoid of braids, but has a whitish edge. Nematobrycon amphiloxus (at least those that have visited me) have an even simpler tail with equal, short, pointed ends on the blades, without braids, but with a thin and long central ledge.
Unfortunately, all three species cross easily among themselves. And what this leads to is well known by lovers of cichlids of Lake Malawi and Australian melanoteny. Aimless, out of curiosity, the mixing of natural forms gives indefinitely dirty, arbitrary color variations, far from pleasing to the eye, or, more simply, spoil the breed.
При совместном содержании королевских тетр всех трёх видов в одном аквариуме я многократно замечал откровенное взаимное ухаживание самцов за самками другого вида. По нерестовым параметрам и общим нравам все три вида друг от друга практически не отличаются.
Королевские тетры очень интересны своеобразным поведением в стае. Если вы хотите на это посмотреть, приобретите не менее 8 - 10 разнополых рыбок. Когда они подрастут, то будучи внимательным наблюдателем, вы увидите много весьма занятных нюансов в их взаимоотношениях.


И.Ванюшин г. Москва Аквариум № 1, 2002 г.