The Bleher's discus TOME 1 Heiko Bleher

Heiko Bleher is one of those who have contributed to the current notoriety of discus. I was just a teenager when I discovered for the first time the magazine «aqua geographia» and Heiko Bleher.

I then abreuvais me tales of the man walking down the Amazon to bare feet. There was a few years, one of my friends who knows very well my passion for the discus me phone... « Yann, I have in hand a very interesting book on the discus, the details given are really amazing ! "

This importing ornamental fish friend and lovers of reptiles all kinds I put the chip in the oreille… Needed me this book !

Heiko Bleher takes you from the 25 first pages...

From the preface, the author tells us that he proposed a new systematic, with the genus discus dividing that three species. Done us the same understanding that his charge will be in 2 volumes...The first already doing most of 670 pages !

Hans J. Mayland is to him convinced that the work of Bleher is one of the most documented. It focuses on the difficulties which exist to collect information at the heart of the wild Amazon, thus emphasizing the work of Bleher.

The introduction as it traces the history of discus in its broad outline. You will appreciate the stories and illustrations representative of the covers of magazines, stamps, t-shirt, tattoos... to the effigy of the King.

These few pages explain the origin of the fervor existing goshawks of the erected fish, some tens of years only to the rank of "super star"..

This first volume published in 2006 is structured in five chapters that will in turn discuss the history and taxonomy of discus, its distribution, the existing varieties in nature as well as a final chapter of 423 pages on the habitat and its capture.

La découverte d’une future star…

In the front the book comments, Heiko Bleher promises us new information about the history of discus and discoveries.

Promise ! I don't remember having ever read such a story. The travel of 18 years of Natterer described in historical context, from the first drawings of discus lying on the paper by Kner (1842) and Burkhardt (1865) ; the first chapter provides an exciting trip to the heart of the Amazon "green lung".

The discoveries of the 20th century and the history of the first discus back living in 1920 are also narrated. The author described his discoveries and share beautiful shadow of time. (Photo of the first drums used to carry the aquarium fish directly plunges in the years 1900 !)

Trois espèces de discus ?

The second chapter deals with the taxonomy of the discus, with the presentation of the work of Johann Jacob Heckel, Jacques Pellegrin, Leonard P. Schultz and Sven O. Kullander.

Photos of the first discus described accompanied original descriptions demonstrating the research work of the author.

This chapter will be closes by broad comments of Jacques Géry and Heiko Bleher. These will be the inconsistencies questioning Schultz review, or even the absence of reliable information on the places of some discus fish.

Through the pages, the drive will include better why the author put a Fermata on the accuracy of the information covered in the book.

Indeed, It details many facts supporting his hypothesis. Amazingly documented the «» Bleher discus » presents a large amount of arguments for its author to propose 3 species of discus ; S. Heckel discus 1840, S. aequifasciatus Pellegrin 1904, S. haraldi Schultz 1960.

It will use historical documents, geographical, livestock results, of DNA analysis, personal fundraising, observations "in situ" and many other things to justify this.

According to Bleher, among the large number of texts and books relating to the distribution of discus, many are doubtful and inaccurate.

So, Chapter 3 presents the synthesis of fifty years of collection in the natural environment.

A first map shows the geographic distribution of the various types of Discus with the three types of water in these ecosystems (Clear waters, Black, White). Then it will be divided into eight more accurate maps in each time broad comments.

This will logically lead to the very many photos component 4th chapter dedicated to varieties of discus existing in nature.

More than 200 photos of discus Heckels, Brown, Blue and green make it up ; and each of them is accompanied by his place of collection.

Un 5ème chapitre du Bleher des discus version XXL…

The fifth and last chapter of Take 1 suggests five themes that are : The natural habitat and water types of discus, the parameters identified in these, the power of the discus in nature, the communities of discus and their enemies with to finish their capture.

As I predicted you it a little above, This chapter is the greater of Tome 1.

The author takes us to the eight regions that, as presented in chapter 3. It details for each of them their history, their culture, their features (natural, social, economic...), the major present cities etc...

Stories that go far beyond the single theme of the discus. Many stories, photos and details in perspective leading to a summary of the parameters of water measured in various biotopes.

More of 80 pages, the diet of the discus in their natural environment is based on observations, research and analysis of intestinal contents of collected fish. It's here results of investigations for several decades.

Each category met is more widely (detritus, plant material, algae, invertebrates) This subject is indeed found by an interesting synthesis.

A selection of species sharing habitat with discus then comes on 27 pages. (Communities of discus and their enemies) You will find a large number of fish in various Ríos (Nhamunda, Xingu, Tapajos, Demini etc...)
Leporinus, Myleus, Geophagus, lines, Pterophylum, Uaru and other piranha are superbly photographed.

Give ideas to aquarists seeking roommates to their discus !

Heiko Bleher here share an anecdote that made me smile (But certainly not at the time!) It says in effect, how during a diving he found himself face to face with a black piranhas bench describing a circle round him...

Finally, the last topic discussed in this book will be the capture of her Majesty with many illustrations.
The evolution of techniques is explained of the years 1920 to our days. (Video link fishing night discus)

for find...

When you start to look at the discus, There are figures that are often evokes. Heiko Bleher It is part of the.

This book waited for very many years will no doubt long remain among the references in the discus.

There are currently a large number of books on the discus ; but it addresses the subject of an entirely different angle. By the author that since most of 50 years had the chance to browse many Amazonian biotopes. The same that revived us the beginnings of what was and will be the "sucess story" of this aquarium fish.

Personally, I feel this book as a sharing with the whole of the community discussophile.

Sometimes admired, sometimes decried ; Heiko Bleher is a special man that his friends and felt. There is no doubt that he signed here a "bible of the history of the discus..

Being passionate about farming, I now await with some haste volume 2 I propose you to discover here... (Discover the presentation of the book 2)