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New unusual livebearer. | 7 comments (7 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: New unusual livebearer. (none / 0) (#1)
by wraith on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 09:51:41 PM PST

You got me curious as to what this fish was, so i googled it. Found a few interesting pics and a bit of info at this site .....
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20Half-Beaks.htm
What a strange looking fish! Kind of cool though!

Cheers!

Re: New unusual livebearer. (none / 0) (#4)
by MollieGuppy on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 05:30:01 AM PST

Thank you, you have managed to get more than I could. I will have a read at this. Unusual to me too I had to have it.

[ Parent ]

There are a lot of species of half beaks (none / 0) (#2)
by unclescott on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 02:24:27 AM PST

listed in several genus. I'd had Dermogynus pusillus, which is probably the more common one in shops.

They have a reputation as being a bit delicate and hard to breed. Live foods, warmth (80F/ 26.7 C) and some sea salt in the water to somewhat reproduce their brackish origins made them and their fry comfortable. They would have done even better if I had given them more space.

You might try hornwort with them so they feel more secure. (Cover them too.) Hornwort will tolerate a bit of salt and certainly the usual "freshwater" minerals.

Mine would take flakes, nibble them and always let them go. Had to feed them live foods with the exception of the rinsed, formerly frozen items which floated at the surface and moved with the current. Because they let stuff go to the tank bottom so often, one has to guard against food decaying there.

The need for live food might be partly met through feeding them extra fry, though I would try other foods first. If you feed blackworms in a floating worm feeder, feed just a few at a time and make sure that they are all snatched up. Salt is really lethal on worms after a bit. And decaying blackworms can quickly and fatally foul an aquarium.

That article discounts the discomfort Corys may feel in salted water. I would use pond snails and gravel vacuum around them rather than use Corys at the salinity level many halfbeaks like.

They also picture a halfbeak with a very large piece of food for the size of the fish. They do greedily take live foods, but please don't tempt fate with too large a bite.

Aqualog's All Livebearers and Halfbeaks displays quite a few of them. Their listing of over 90 species, strains and subspecies included lots not in the hobby. Evidently more will probably be described. Other names may be synonyms. Some are from freshwater.

Sometime I would like to try one of the Nomorhamphus. They occasionally are available through specialty channels and hobby groups.

MollyGuppy, do you know what species yours are supposed to be?

All the best!

[ Parent ]

Re: There are a lot of species of half beaks (none / 0) (#3)
by MollieGuppy on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 05:26:07 AM PST

The fish store man had trouble telling what fish was what and incorrectly identified the half-beak as an egg layer, and may I also mention pointed out some Dwarf cichlids as to be Killi-fish. So no help form him apart from it's a white halfbeak. I will try to post some pictures of them but I suppose they were a bargain at only £1.99 each or 4 for £7, is that $4 Dollars each and $15 for 4? They will take crushed flake greedily as well as the frozen mysis shrimp, bloodworm and daphnia. And yes what a big mouth for such a small fish, I find it funny when they feel threatened they bend their body into an s shape ready to dart off. These are either juveniles or a dwarf species.

[ Parent ]

The knowledge of the shop keeper or lack (none / 0) (#5)
by unclescott on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 02:56:21 PM PST

thereof is disconcerting. He was probably familiar with the prices based upon the invoices. So they aren't going to get taken to the cleaners financially. The poor IDing may have been at the wholesalers and the prices set accordingly.

I think you did get a very good deal price-wise though. Kudos for that! :)

I know of some folks around here who have gotten some great deals on miss-identified fishes. I haven't gotten away with that. Would love to say it was because of great moral fortitude. More likely there is a willingness to grin and snicker and so I haven't tried. ;)

I have asked, "It that what you are charging for licorish gouramis?" and when they have answered in the affirmative, have urged them to "Clean out the tank!" It is fun to do that at least once in a your life. ;)

I wonder what species you have. Also wonder if they were captive raised rather than wild caught. Wild fish have a certain chache', but cultured ones may be trained as fry to eat flake food and in my eyes those are more desirable fish.

That is done by putting similar sized (but easily differentuated) fry with the fry of the fish one is trying to train to flake food. When they are weaning them off of baby brine shrimp, the guppies with half beaks or gardneri with annual killies will eat heartily of the flakes. Many of the increasingly hungry "problem fish" may take the hink and become condiioned to the prepared foods.

I still wasn't able to get my half beaks to take dry food. ;)

Seems to me that you have taken some very useful photos before. I look forward to whatever shots you can take.

You might also Google an image search for Halfbeaks and see whether anything looks familiar.

You've still got me going with the white half-beak. Not all that knowledgable about them, you've really piked my curiosity.

There is an egg-laying cousin of the livebearing Anableps or four-eyes (also Cuatro Ojos, Anableps dowi) called the Ojos blancos or White-eye or scientifically Oxyzygonectes dovii. That killie is found along the western shore of Central (Meso) America in brackish water areas. They look a bit like half beaks.
http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_RR3313
http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Oxyzygonectes+dovii

Oxyzygonectes dovii is mentioned in this field study of fishes from Coasta Rica. Also of interest might be the habits and diet of P. sphenops, the local molly and Brachyramphis rhabdophora (a very attractive relative of the Gambusia.)

http://wfsc.tamu.edu/winemiller/lab/W-Brenesia83.pdf

I'm more interested in the new world Ojos blancos than the half beaks at the moment. Their physical development is interesting in that they come from similar waters, only half a world away. :)

[ Parent ]

Re: The knowledge of the shop keeper or lack (none / 0) (#6)
by MollieGuppy on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 12:59:03 PM PST

I think it is a wrestling half-beak The site mentioned that they found this under the name of White halfbeak and it was white but has coloured up since.
So yes it is Dermogenys pusillus.

Sorry about the Poor quality, Ouch! that bent nose.

[ Parent ]

Glad you got an ID on them. I have every (none / 0) (#7)
by unclescott on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 09:29:55 AM PST

confidence, if you can give them their own space and water, that you will be successful with them!

Selfishly I am a little sad that they are not the Ojos blancos. So little time and so many fish! ;)

The banged up mouth on that one in the photo is not unusual. Maybe some Val or Java fern would also help them feel more comfortable. They can panic at the shine of a sudden light or movement. And they have been lost after really clobbering themselves on the tank side.

A long shot - do you have access to that stuff one can put on door windows? The person looking in the door sees a mirror. The person looking out from indoors sees the visitor. That might be useful on the tank side. :)

Also, a tank kept at a certain elevation, may have calmer fish, not to mention that a higher temperature is easier to maintain. Fish in tanks by the floor or onethe bottom of an over-under stand panic more easily when someone comes by. In nature such movement above them or a shadow may mean a predator is near.

All the best!

[ Parent ]

New unusual livebearer. | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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