Ever Bred These Guys?

[phoenixfire]

anybody know how to sex a "freshwater" flounder...and has anyone bred them...i would assume its impossible since they travel into freshwater...but what if u slowly decrease the salt level and make it fresh to encourage breeding?...anybody disagree or what? any comments appreciated...thanks!!

 

[phoenixfire]

anybody?

 

[nmonks]

Virtually nothing is known about their breeding. In fact, there are marine biologists working on this problem, with a view to farming things like halibut in the same way as salmon.

As for the "freshwater" species, first you need to establish whether it's a species that is resident in freshwater its entire life (e.g. Synaptura salinarum) or one that migrates between freshwater and the sea (e.g. hogchoker soles). Then you need to figure out where it breeds: some species of fish spawn in the sea but the juveniles swim into fresh water (e.g. scats) while others spawn in rivers and the juveniles make their way down to the sea (e.g. monos).

Simply keeping "freshwater" soles alive for any length of time is a challenge, but a very worthwhile one. I'd suggest keeping 6 specimens. That's the minimum number to practically guarantee males and females. As far as I know, you cannot sex them by external features. Grow them to maturity (in most cases, ~ 20 cm long), and then see what happens.

The Brackish FAQ lists the common species and has links to the FishBase site so you identify whichever ones you have.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[phoenixfire]

no my type lives in brackish water ...i can not remember the name so forgive me...i currently have u in a 30 gallon sand tank...they have lived with me for quite a while now...i will take your suggestion and wait for a while until there a bit older...thanks!

 

[nmonks]

If you're in North America, chances are its a hogchoker sole, Trinectes maculatus. This is a 20 cm species that prefers mid brackish to marine conditions. In Europe, this species is also widely sold, but so are Asian species of Brachirus. Some Brachirus are truly freshwater species, but others want brackish to marine. At a guess, I'd assume truly freshwater species would be easier to breed, guessing that they lack a planktonic stage; this is normally the case with freshwater fish, though there are exceptions.

Cheers,

Neale

no my type lives in brackish water ...i can not remember the name so forgive me...i currently have u in a 30 gallon sand tank...they have lived with me for quite a while now...i will take your suggestion and wait for a while until there a bit older...thanks!