Re: [Killietalk] Re: Question Regarding A. australe Red/Orange

["Bill Shenefelt" <william_shenefelt at verizon.net>]

Hi  Jerry;
I had australe in the 1950's.  They were NOT a dark brown!  They were in the
hobby before people started either encouraging (breeding) color varieties
which were probably natural variations or slight sports.  The old aquarium
strain did however have nice blue in the fins as well as a nice red/orange
pair of bands in the anal and caudal fins.  Late in the 50's or maybe in the
60's I remember a "gold" strain.  I think the DARK Chocolate brown
coloration was a breeding attempt to get a darker australe in contrast with
the gold (not red gold, real GOLD like the yellow gold Rams).
The chocolate strain I have seen as of late has not much color or visible
pattern in the fins, just a very chocolate brown body.  I much prefer the
old Cape Lopez aquarium strain of the early 1950's. Many of the wild
location australe have this old fashioned colored patterning in the finnage
and a nice blue overcast in the light brownish body.  I was out of the hobby
in the late 70's and 80's so I don't know where the red orange came from.
Anyone familiar with its origin???
Bill Shenefelt
http://shene.killi.net