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is Nematobrycon lacortei, extinct from the hobby???

Magnum Man

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one of the particularly pleasing to the eye, “emperor” tetras… that I’ve tried several times to purchase, over the last 2-3 years, the last time being about 15 juvinal lacortei, which none of them ended up being lacortei, after they matured enough to tell, now over a year later, I have a well stocked tetra tank, filled with a variety of emperor type fish most were purchased as lacortei, however I’ve yet to get even one example, in 3-4 attempts to purchase… there are a lot of pretty tetras out there… but it would seem one of the best has disappeared quietly from the hobby… does anyone have any, or seen them available in the last several years???

a representative picture…

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I've seen them in Canada, from a source that gets its identifications right. But I think that was at least 2 years ago.

The reality answer is kind of brutal. Since fish breeding stopped being a popular aspect of the hobby, a lot of slightly off the mainstream fish species are temporarily extinct in the hobby (not necessarily in nature, where extinction isn't temporary!) on a regular basis. 25 years ago, there would have been hobbyist breeders scattered around the world, but now, there could be none active. If the farms deem one Nematobrycon to be enough due to sales data, then the fish comes into retail sporadically if at all. That's especially true of shoaling fish that hobbyists expect to be inexpensive. It's not worth going out and getting them, and the invisible hand of the market squashes them.

There are fish I've come to think of as 3 year species. When I had large, well stocked urban stores around me, they came in at about that pace. The stores would keep a rotation of off the main list oddities they knew they would only have a small, well informed market for. Where I live now, they'd be once in 300 year species...

The more popular glofish, linebreds and hybrids become, the less likely we are to see these slightly up market but still not pricey species. I hope someone chimes in and says they're available locally, be it in Europe, Australia, Canada or other points on the map, but they are only occasionally to be seen, and often misidentified.
 
The last time I saw "real" ones was belowwater in Montreal, but they don't have them now, and are a wholesaler, not online retail. But it means they have come in, and could again.
 
I don't know if it is a coincidence or not, but I noticed that the species became hard-to-find after Rosario LaCorte's passing in 2024. The species was named after him by Stan Weitzman and Rosario was the first to successfully breed them. He produced them for many years.

I've seen them on WetSpot's list--but it's been a while.
 
They occasionally show up in club actions in the NYC area. I scored a bag of 7 a few months back. 6 turned out to be males. I’ve been told that they’re descended from Rosario LaCorte’s personal stock.
 


Rainbow Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon lacortei)​

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Aqua Imports
https://www.aqua-imports.com › Shop

The Rainbow Emperor Tetra or Lacortei Tetra is a mid-size, beautifully colored schooling characin found in the Choco region of Colombia.
$3.99 to $4.99 · 1-day delivery


1781568870902.webp
Imperial Tropicals
https://imperialtropicals.com › products › rainbow-emper...


Buy direct from the breeder — live shipping with 100% safe and healthy arrival guarantee. Shop Rainbow Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon lacortei) and hundreds ...

Tetra - Rainbow Emperor​

The Fish Room
https://www.thefishroom.net › products › rainbow-emper...

Nematobrycon lacortei. Tank size: 20+ Gallons. Max Size: 1.5 inches. Lifespan: 3 to 5 years. Temperament: Peaceful. Schooling: Yes (6 or more).
Free delivery over $99 · 7-day returns
 

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btw… I think it was wet spot once, and aqua importers twice I called out Jack Watley on these before ordering, as they listed inventory near 1000… I said I’d order 25 of them if they guaranteed them in writing, he said he would, but let him check with the warehouse manager, and I never heard from them again
 
This is one of the joys of online fish hunting. It's easy to list a few rarities, and it's easy not to know what you have. If your exporter says they're Fish A, many won't take the time to confirm that. Plus the fish often arrive tiny, and no one holds onto them long enough to see. You don't get a peek at the fish. You buy off a list, and maybe, you get what you asked for.

Add trade names over Latin names, and it's a lottery. I have two dealers I buy from. One is exact. His knowledge is astonishing, and he studies every fish that arrives at his installation. He's also more expensive. The suppliers respect his edge, and don't play fast and loose. They tell him where the fish are from, or they don't get a sale, and his reputation keeps them honest. Most of the time, he knows the actual fishermen. The other is a super nice young guy who sells what he's sent under the name it arrives as. He doesn't know, and doesn't take the time to analyze basic things when fish arrive. He just started buying Indonesian fish after making his business by only selling wilds. He was selling "Pseudomugil red gertrudae rainbows" at a low price, so I grabbed some for my last order on the assumption they'd be Pseudomugil luminatus. It appears (they're in QT) that they are. When I look at his lists, I hope what I see is what I get. But I also look at closely related and similar species, because I could get them.

I think N. lacortei suffer from their low price. They're harder to get in the wild, and demand is less. If they retailed for $10 each, they'd be around,, but as a low priced tetra, they get overlooked. There are a few cool fish like that. When's the last time anyone here saw a fire rasbora (Rasboroides vaterifloris)? They were once a cheap irregular arrival and I loved them in my consumer days. I haven't seen them in local stores in 30 years. No one wants to order a lot because unfamiliar fish don't sell at the bottom of the price ranges.
 

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