Apistogramma nijsseni

Apistogramma nijsseni
Female A. nijsseni (top) and male (bottom)
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Apistogramma
Species:	A. nijsseni
Binomial name
Apistogramma nijsseni S. O. Kullander, 1979 [2]

Apistogramma nijsseni, the panda dwarf cichlid, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cichlidae, the cichlids. This fish is endemic to Peru, where it is known only from its type locality.

Apistogramma nijsseni adult female.

Taxonomy

Apistogramma nijsseni was first formally described in 1979 by the Swedish ichthyologist Sven O. Kullander with its type locality given as the Río Copal at Jenaro Herrera in the Río Ucayali system, Loreto, Peru. ^[3] This species is classified within the genus Apistogramma which is a speciose genus which has been subdivided into species complexes, this species being the type species of the A. nijsseni species group which is within the A. trifasciata lineage. The A. nijsseni species group contains a at least 9 describved species and over a dozen undescribed taxa. ^[4] The genus Apistogramma is classified within the tribe Geophagini ^[5] of the subfamily Cichlinae, the American cichlids, of the family Cichlidae, ^[6] within the order Cichliformes. ^[7]

Etymology

Apistogramma nijsseni is classified within the genus Apistogramma. This name combines the Greek apistos, meaning "inconstant" with gramme, which means "line". Charles Tate Regan, who proposed this genus in 1913, did not explain what this alluded to. It is thought that it may refer to the variable development of the lateral line which primarily consists of pored scales. The specific name honours the Dutch ichthyologist Han Nijssen of the Zoölogisch Museum Amsterdam, who wrote many papers about South American fishes, as well as bringing the species to Kullander’s attention. ^[8]

Description

Apistogramma nijsseni is a memeber of the A. nijsseni species group. This group comprises relatively large species of dwarf cichlid. They have moderately deep, robust and laterally compressed bodies. Their head are comparatively large with well-developed jaws and fleshy lips. They have dark brachiostegial membranes which they spread in dispalys to increae the apparent size of the head. The males have dorsal fins which may be low through to high with deep serrations. The tips of the soft rayed portions of the dorsal and anal fins are soft and blunt. When guarding eggs the females develop large dark patches on the opercula, sides or abdomen which may be mirrored in males, although it is often concealed under a blue sheen on the body. The band along the sides is typically not visible except in juveniles. The caudal fin for most species is round but some are lyre-tailed aor have two tips to the caudal fin. Many species develop a red or orange coloured band on the upper and lower margins of the caudal fin. ^[4] A. nijsseni has a amximum standard length of 3.9 cm (1.5 in). ^[9]

Distribution and habitat

Apistogramma nijsseni is endemic to Peru, where the holotype was collected from the Copal River, in Jenaro Herrera, Ucayali river system, Loreto, where it is found in slow flowing Blackwater rivers. ^[1]

Conservation status

Apistogramma nijsseni is classified as Data Deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because it has only been recorded from the type locality and there is an absnece of data on its population size and trends. ^[1] However, this species is found in the aquarium trade. ^[10]

See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

References

1. Ortega Torres, H. (2016). "Apistogramma nijsseni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T49829962A53817673. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T49829962A53817673.en .
2. Kullander, Sven Oscar (1979). "Description of a new species of the genus Apistogramma (Teleostei, Perciformes, Cichlidae) from Peru". Revue suisse de Zoologie . 86: 937–945. doi: 10.5962/bhl.part.82351 .
3. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Apistogramma". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 1 July 2025.
4. Mike Wise (2 June 2025). "Apistogramma Species List By Species-Groups/Complexes". Tom Christoffersen. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
5. Wm. Leo Smith; Prosanta Chakrabarty; John S. Sparks (2008). "Phylogeny, taxonomy, and evolution of Neotropical cichlids (Teleostei: Cichlidae: Cichlinae)" (PDF). Cladistics. 24 (5): 624–641.
6. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Cichlinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 1 July 2025.
7. Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer; Ronald Fricke. "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 1 July 2025.
8. Christopher Scharpf (1 February 2025). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily CICHLINAE (a-c)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
9. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Apistogramma nijsseni". FishBase . April 2025 version.
10. "Panda Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma nijsseni". Maidenhead Aquatics. Retrieved 1 July 2025.