# General > AquaTalk >  Help me with fish identification.

## aquaSynthesis

Hi bros...

have some fishes in my tank but not sure of the names/breed/species. 
Anyone enlighten me?



Will update somemore..

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## ranmasatome

Black Emperor tetra..Nematobrycon plameri or Nematobrycon amphiloxus...depending on what you choose to follow..

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## Don90

Hi ranmasatome, is it possible for Nematobrycon amphiloxus(black emperor) and Nematobrycon plameri (common emperor) to cross breed?

I'm thinking of getting the common emperor and the black emperor, but I'm worried of the possible crossbreeding.

@aquaSynthesis: where'd you get the tetra from?

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## Panut

Does it look like penguin tetra?  :Confused:

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## aquaSynthesis

> Black Emperor tetra..Nematobrycon plameri or Nematobrycon amphiloxus...depending on what you choose to follow..


Ok...thanks bro!




> Hi ranmasatome, is it possible for Nematobrycon amphiloxus(black emperor) and Nematobrycon plameri (common emperor) to cross breed?
> 
> I'm thinking of getting the common emperor and the black emperor, but I'm worried of the possible crossbreeding.
> 
> @aquaSynthesis: where'd you get the tetra from?


From OTF... :Smug: 




> Does it look like penguin tetra?


Penguin tetra now? :Opps:  hhhmmm....i'm confused.

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## Don90

Umm.... what's OTF?

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## ranmasatome

It is what i said it is... go google and check for yourself..then won't be confused liao.

OTF is a the name of a "fish farm" at pasir ris.. they sell lots of equipments as well..

There is no crossbreeding... they are the same fish most probably..just name difference because N. amphiloxus might have been N. plameri bred to exhibit more of the black colouration. Both are called black emperor tetra commonly.

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## Quixotic

Expanding a little on the emperor tetras...

_Nematobrycon palmeri_ (emperor tetra) was first described in 1911. It is endemic to the Rio San Juan and Rio Atrato basins in Colombia.

Sometime later, a fish similar to _N. palmeri_ was found in the same areas but has dark patterning on the body. Therefore, it is thought that the fish is a different species at the time and _N. amphiloxus_ (black emperor tetra) was described in 1914.

To complicate matters, many many years later, _N. palmeri_ "black" became available in the trade with stocks from Europe. This may have been _N. palmeri_ that has been selectively bred to obtain the black colour, but because _N. amphiloxus_ is also found in the same areas, the original stock could have contained _N. palmeri_ and _N. amphiloxus_. Due to this, black emperor tetra is often associated as a tank bred variant.

As of now, it is noted that aside from colour, _N. palmeri_ and _N. amphiloxus_ has just a few differences. Therefore, most experts believe that they are just different colour morphs and actually the same species (note: Fishbase considers _N. amphiloxus_ as the synonym of _N. palmeri_). However, there isn't enough information available to affirm this.

On a side note, there is also another fish in the genus, _N. lacortei_ which looks similar to _N. palmeri_, but has a red iris instead. _N. lacortei_ is considered rare in our shores comparatively to _N. palmeri_. 

Any of these _Nematobrycon_ species can cross breed.

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## aquaSynthesis

Wow! Thx Quixotic! That's a good info...Thx man!

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