Rotkeil

[jmkgreen]

Quick question - I keep hearing people with different Severum varieties, but many mention that the Rotkeil is the best.

From what I can find on the web they are a different colour and are the only mouthbrooders. Are there any other significant differences?

Rotkeils appear to be rather rare..?

 

[minxfishy]

The only difference is the colour, they are not mouthbrooders eithers, eggs layers just like other severums, I think only heros severus is a mouth brooder.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Body shape is different in Rotkeils to, they look like a hybrid of a Severus and a Efaciatus in that they have Efaciatus's smaller squashed body but have Severu's pointier snout.

 

[jmkgreen]

So are rotkeils rarer for any particular reason?

 

[markandhisfish]

it all depends where you are it seems. for instance around here ( essex) took me ages to find 1 and that still came from cornwall. they seem to be pretty commonplaice in america tho.

having kept rotkeils red spotted golds and greens the main real difference i have found aside from colouration is that rotkeils tend to be a bit more streamline and slightly less chunky. particularly around the head. loovely fish if you can find a good one. but they can be quite pricey.

 

[jmkgreen]

I can find the 'other' varieties particularly green and gold ones fairly easily. I saw some brown ones yesterday at Swallow in Norfolk.

I prefer the bright colouration of the orange personally but I got the impression that the rotkeils might have been a more preferred variety. Just wondered why really.

 

[markandhisfish]

most likely due to the gorgeous colours and the fact that they are harder to come by. personal taste at the end of the day all sevs seem to share basicly the same traits ie behaviour and temprement etc so its horses for courses really

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yeh Rottys are pretty much the new fad in Severum keeping, they are a different species to the common Efaciatus and are only really easy to get hold of in the US or for some reason Germany...where they charge crazy prices.

Plus you have your work cut out finding a true Rotkeil,most are hybridized with natural green Efaciatus which makes a more efaciatus shaped fish.

You can tell the difference in colour and shape between a true Rotkeil and a manafactured one, true Rotkeils have a yellow anal fin and a pointy nose, Efaciatus x Sp. Rotkeil have reddy brown anal fins (like greens and turqs have) and less vivid colouration all round...as well as having the more rounded efaciatus like face.

This was my baby Rotkeil I sold to my friend recently..

He will grow up into something like this...

.