The need:

Traditionally, the definition of species has stated that “A biological species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.”

This definition, when applied to the Parosphromenus genus, is somewhat problematic, in that many of the phenotypically (and/or geographically) distinct populations of these fish can interbreed.

Since the genus' first scientific description in 1859, the efforts of dedicated taxonomy professionals have described 21 distinct forms within the wider Parosphromenus genus, and there are several other phenotypically distinct forms that remain undescribed in the scientific literature.

The habitats of many of the distinct forms are separated by obstacles which prevent genetic intermingling between local populations, and so speciation (the population-level adaptation to a specific local environment) is happening across, and within, the distinct forms continually.

This species-fluidity adds to the complexity of preserving the genetic uniqueness of this genus.

In terms of the conservation effort, this is further complicated by the fact that many commercially imported Parosphromenus do not have a collection-location specified, and are often only identified as “Parosphromenus dessenari” (the species name of the first scientifically described Parosphromenus population).

The mission:

With this information as background, and for the purposes of the genetic conservation of this genus, the most conservative approach is, therefore, to attempt to maintain separate captive populations by their collection-location. This method does have the potential to unnecessarily separate genetically grouped populations, but it has the advantage of not (accidently) unnaturally interbreeding local populations that would not have interacted in the wild habitats.

The model:

Until and unless an economical method for positive genetic identification of the different forms becomes available, the PGRC will continue to maintain lines of broodstock based on known collection-location (and where collection location information was not available, these lines are maintained separately from other fish, even if they are presumed to be of the same species), and will not interbreed lines of fish from different collection-locations (even if they are phenotypically identical).

Since we strive to preserve the genetic uniqueness of each local strain, our fish are identified via a polynomial nomenclature system, in the following form: Genus, species (presumed, if available), collection-location (when known), collection year (eg. P. linkei, Palangkaraya, '20, or P. “sentang”, '20).