William P. Braker - S. spilopleura breedingWilliam P. Braker

Tank Talk, The Aquarium 1960

Norristown, PA; Aquarium Pub. Co. , 193

Plattsburgh State Interlibrary Loan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Braker remains sure of his identification based on literature of time (1960) the fish was S. spilopleura. The enigma of Axelrod's photos in the Ledecky article (1966) follows the history of problems (egregious mistakes) with book and publications and their use of piranha photos captioned improperly with scientific names. 

We cannot go back in time to correct the issue why Axelrod substituted S. sanchezi photos for S. spilopleura, because during that time S. sanchezi was considered (erroneously) a member of the spilopleura complex forms (they are members of the rhombeus group). But the Axelrod photos (according to Braker) does not measure up to the fishes he bred in 1960. S. spilopleura has since been rehabilitated as S. maculatus. S. sanchezi (1964) was identified by me via photos in 2002 and properly placed as this species at OPEFE web pages.

 

I will forever more be grateful to Dr. William Braker for his input on this interesting, historical document.

Frank Magallanes, October 22, 2006

 

 

PHOTO PROPERTY OF FRANK MAGALLANES, S. MACULATUS

 

S. maculatus

Photo by Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod.

TFH S. spilopleura

PHOTO PROPERTY OF FRANK MAGALLANES, OPEFE

 

S. sanchezi.

 

 

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UPDATED: 07/10/2009