Black-banded Sunfish -- Enneacanthus chaetodon

[Innesfan]

Has anybody kept these little gems? I've been fascinated by them for years but never took the leap fearing that I could not provide enough months of cool temps in my generally warm apartment. Well, I do have one spot that gets cool where I currently keep several small killie tanks. I'm thinking of adding a large enough tank for a small group of these. I searched the forum but didn't find a relevant thread. Does anyone have first-hand experience with them?

Internet sources say the max size is 4" but I've never seen or heard of one getting that big. Most are under 3" and many well under. Wildlife agencies on NJ, VA, MD, GA and elsewhere put their populations at 2 1/2" - 3". Back in the day you could collect these in the acidic swamps up and own the East Coast, especially the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Do that now and you go straight to jail.

 

[GaryE]

That's a mythological fish to me. Like you, I've read of them, but never seen them.

 

[Innesfan]

That's a mythological fish to me. Like you, I've read of them, but never seen them.

I've seen them several times back when privately owned brick and mortar shops prevailed. Crystal Aquarium, New World, and Pacific Aquarium--the latter still in business in the Bowery--all had them in from time to time. European-bred, which is ironic. They are on internet vendor stock lists on occasion. A couple have them currently.

 

[anewbie]

Way too warm here - but i will make a comment on size - every species (3) of Mesonauta I've kept has gotten much larger than their stated size or known size in the wild. Something to consider....

 

[GaryE]

The temperature question with temperate North American fish is crucial, and discouraging (as it should be if we're thinking seriously). I have decided to keep no more natives, as I can't do it right. I don't have any room that will be cool enough long enough without freezing. On a cold mid-winter day, the unheated side of my garage can get to -20. The insulated side can be at +23.

I have kept a few darters, and many minnows. My parents lived close to a national park, and on the edges, just outside, there was a beaver dam with a fascinating array of fish in its pond. All the ones I caught lived short lives of under a year (I admit, they fared better than if they were caught by my competition, herons). I could get them down to 15c for a few months, but that didn't do it.

I have two interesting killifish quite close to the house, but it just doesn't seem fair. It's easy to talk myself out of keeping them.

 

[Innesfan]

Way too warm here - but i will make a comment on size - every species (3) of Mesonauta I've kept has gotten much larger than their stated size or known size in the wild. Something to consider....

I don't doubt it. But with this species there's a long history of aquarium maintenance. Natives were more widely kept in the dawn of the hobby and in every source the size is stated to be 3" or less. Don't know where the handful of internet sources are getting 4".

 

[Mr Limpet]

I kept them in the late 70s. I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted them at an LFS in Brooklyn, now long defunct. I purchased them as 1.5 inch juveniles which grew to 2.5 inches in the 2 years I had them. They were kept in an unheated tank and happily ate flake foods, but never showed any signs of breeding. I wasn’t able to provide them with a cool-down period and never knew whether I had both sexes or not.

 

[Innesfan]

I kept them in the late 70s. I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted them at an LFS in Brooklyn, now long defunct. I purchased them as 1.5 inch juveniles which grew to 2.5 inches in the 2 years I had them. They were kept in an unheated tank and happily ate flake foods, but never showed any signs of breeding. I wasn’t able to provide them with a cool-down period and never knew whether I had both sexes or not.

Helpful. Thanks. I bet I know the Brooklyn shop you speak of.

Sexing is tricky and I've yet to read anything definitive about it. I can do cool down--I've done it for my goldfish. And the range of the species is great--Southern N.J to south of Orlando in FL, so the cool down need not be drastic based on everythng I've read.

Here's a great Paul Unger photo of a Chaetodon family that ran in Sterba's books.

 

[Back in the fold]

Try Jonah’s Aquarium . He might have them .