.. . .of Natural History

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Galler...car/oscar.html

It's kind of like when you watch VH1, and they have a program
describing the "biography" of a famous musician; and you can tell that
one of the "experts" that contributes comments to the program has some
peripheral knowledge, but has never really met the musician. I quote
the article, and respond:

"The oscar was formally described in 1831 as Lobotes ocellatus by the
famous 19th century zoologist and founder of Harvard University's
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz." No. The
Oscar was first described in 1831 by Baron de Cuvier.(Georges Léopole
Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier, 1769-1832, French
naturalist. Cuvier, after extensive study of marine life, was named
chair of comparative anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes in 1795 -- [thx
to the U of Penn]) It was *published* in an Agassiz journal (Spix and
Agassiz, Selecta genera et species Piscium, 1831), but Agassiz did not
make the discovery nor did he contribute the name.

"Although the type locality for Agassiz' specimen was published as
'Atlantic Ocean'" --No. The correct quote is "at ocean off Brazil" Mr.
Robins has never read the actual document, apparently, not knowing the
author's name nor the actual published quote.

"The error committed by Agassiz is easily attributable to the fact
that many early species descriptions. . ." The error described here
was made by Cuvier.

"Like all cichlids, oscars possess teeth not only in their jaws but a
set of pharyngeal teeth as well." No. Oscars possess no teeth in their
jaws. I went and looked right just now; nope, no teeth. The jaws are
powerful and a grown Oscar bites like the dickens -- perhaps the tips
of the jaws are described as teeth in some circles, but there's no
actual teeth. Also interesting is his claim that all Cichlids have jaw
teeth --

"Captive oscars commonly live 10-20 years." No. Even in the world of
Usenet, where, occasionally, boasting reigns supreme, I've never heard
claims longer than ten. Even if a few live to be 20, the term
"commonly" is misleading. They probably "commonly" live only a year or
two in captivity, because most people that buy Oscars do so without
studying first.

"Captive oscars are known to be quite susceptible to 'hole in the
head' disease, a condition caused by the protozoan Hexamita." No.
Although Hexamita always invades the lesions caused by HITH, it's
generally accepted (these days) that it is not the cause of the
disease. No causal relationship has ever been demonstrated between the
protozoan and the disease.

"In its native range, the oscar is valued by artisanal fishers as a
food fish." No. The exact opposite is true; it is valued as a sport
fish because it is very strong and gives a good fight. However, it is
famously unappetizing.

"A 1982 Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission study determined
the lower lethal temperature for this species is 12.9° C." No. An
Oscar will go into severe stress and die (within a week) in the low
70s F. A temperature of 75 will cause him to show initial signs of
stress, i.e. lying in the gravel and losing color. (12.9 C is about 56
F)

I'm not inviting debate, just surprised that misinformation like this
made it into the Florida Museum of Natural History website and then
eventually into rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids. In other words, if
you're reading, *don't* sell your heater.

--Mark