Alenquer Red

Hi everyone. :)

I've got a newbie question. I recently bought 3 1.5" discus called "alenquer red."

The thing is, I can't find any information on the internet regarding what a 'prized' alenquer red looks like. I'm sure the information is out there somewhere, I'm just having problems knowing where to look. Most discus information sites I've found are just pictures and general discus-keeping advice. Of my particular fish, one discus doesn't have any stripes, one has a few, and one has many. I can post pictures later if you'd like. My girlfriend is an African cichlid breeder, and so I've come to appreciate keeping quality specimens, especially when you're trying to sell offspring. ;)

I bought the fish through a fish auction, and so I can initiate contact with the breeder later when I get a larger tank and am in the market for more discus. I'd just really like to know what to look for when the time's right.

Is there either an online resource with detailed strain profiles, or a 'discus bible' that's recommended? I don't really have access to books around here regarding any of my hobbies, particularly keeping fish, although I can easily order online. Or If someone particular here knows anything about this particular strain, I'd be very appreciative of their help.

Thanks!

[sunshinediscus]

Alenquer is a wild form of discus, they are S. A. haraldi. Females tend to be red brown base color with a few blue stripes in the face and the dorsal and anal region. Males tend to have more blue color sometime exhibiting blue stripes right through the body. They are an excellent looking discus imo but unfortunetly the name alenquer is sometimes misused and discus that look nothing like the wild type are sold as such. Below is a bad pic of a young male alenquer. Body color does not show correctly but the blue markings are fairly typical.

[sunshinediscus]

This particular fish is not strictly an alenquer discus, i crossed the above alenquer strain with another haraldi discus but this time from Manacaparu and then selected for the red color. This pic shows the typical red color of an alenquer female. I bred the fish but gave the fish to my friend and she took this wonderful photo.

[Merrilyn]

Nice fish :shock: :shock: :shock:

[weird]

Stunning.