Fish With An Identity Crisis

[cuticom]

These guys have been in the feeder fish tank at one of the dingier LFS's for over a week. Every time I've asked an employee about them I've got a different answer. Sometimes they cost up to $50 (apparently a rare species of oscar) $3 (a female paradise fish) and today 75c (an adult version of the feeders, which were rosy barbs) So I got two, since I really wanna know what on earth they are. They look to me a bit like some sort of cichlid...

Oops forgot to add these guys ahve been living in coldwater for about a week so much ahve a pretty high tolerance rate or be coldwater fish

 

[cuticom]

Sigh, this is a really odd fish. I've been trying to narrow a search down just using the overall body shape and still haven't got anywhere. The dorsal is very like a cichlid, but the cichlids dorsals always end in a point, not so bluntly like this fish. I had a look at rainbowfish but there bottom fin extends all the way along the bottom, this guy only has small bottom fins.

Anyone know what on earth it is?

 

[*Fishkies*]

The closest so far that I could get would be a Zebra Cichlid.

Good Luck with your search though.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The fish looks a lot like a young Crucian Carp to me, sometimes known as a wild goldfish, pics;

http/www.tchcc.gov.tw/wrt/wufung/english...g-022_001-b.jpg

http/www.maretarium.fi/mare/gfx/lampiruutana_small.jpg

Not an expensive fish, but it is a true coldwater fish and can grow very large, usually around 12inches long. You need at least a 75gallon long tank for this fish, either that, or a pond with at least 3ft depth.

 

[Yetti]

That is not a carp, it looks more like a perch to me. I have caught many kinds of carp, and that for is not a carp.

 

[cuticom]

Spent a lot of time researching and its a silver perch (Bidyanus Bidyanus), its an aussie native grows to about 40 cm long. It's actually perfect for what I got these guys for. I've got an aquaponics system, and have spent ages debating over whether or not to get Koi, as their so fragile and expensive. Then these guys turned up. Their exactly what I wanted and since their native to the area, they'll easily survive the varying water temps.
http/www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfact...h/bbidyanus.htm
Well the larger one is a silver perch anyway, the smaller one looks to be a golden perch.

The crucian carp is close, but it has the wrong shape dorsal

 

[fishlette]

These guys have been in the feeder fish tank at one of the dingier LFS's for over a week. Every time I've asked an employee about them I've got a different answer. Sometimes they cost up to $50 (apparently a rare species of oscar) $3 (a female paradise fish) and today 75c (an adult version of the feeders, which were rosy barbs) So I got two, since I really wanna know what on earth they are. They look to me a bit like some sort of cichlid...

Oops forgot to add these guys ahve been living in coldwater for about a week so much ahve a pretty high tolerance rate or be coldwater fish

are you sure its a perch? the mouth looks to wide for a perch. im no expert but it doesnt look like the ones at work. just looks a little fat in the face and laterally. i could be wrong but im not sure

 

[ihasanzongi]

ah i got some of those, in my pond. i thought they were just odd feeder fish

 

[cuticom]

I cant really see them being anything other then a perch. They have a really odd dorsal fin with spines going through the first part of it, which directly matches up with the perch, as well as the back half having that odd rounded shape. Their pretty close to tilapia, but tilapia is illegal in Aus, so theres no way it would've turned up in a petstore, plus tilapia still has a point at the end of its fin and no spines. Some people who have silver perch fingerlings, said they looked exactly the same, and my research says that as they age their body shape changes quite a bit until they have a very small head and huge body.

If anyone has any others suggestions as to what they may be I'd be happy to hear them.

 

[cuticom]

Ok maybe its t6ime I agve up, I just found this pic of Tilapia
http/fishing.agrino.org/photos/stocking/tilapia.jpg
Doh So who wnats to guess what it is?
The fish I have

Is it this? (pic from above link)

Or this (pic from link below)

http/desertfishes.org/australia/fish/bidybidy.jpg

 

[fishlette]

im sorry, but i really dont think you have a silver perch there. we sell these at work and theyve been there since they were 3cm and now 15cm ish. the dorsal fin is very different for starters. as is the tail fin. both things are the same in your pic and the tilapia. the general body shape is different in the perch as well.

from the pic you provided i would say it is a tilapia. still im no expert, i had never heard of tilapia until today. im just going on the silver perch at work. the perch also have less, 'sharper' rays in their dorsal fin.

so it may or may not be a tilapia but i am almost positive it isnt a perch



EDIT> i just looked at the pic again and it is kinda hard to see the tail shape properly so correct me if im wrong
EDIT AGAIN> and the mouth is very different in the silver perch

 

[cuticom]

Sigh I really don't know. The aquaponics/aquaculture people I've spoken to say silver perch but there's still something a bit off with these guys. But Tilapia are tropical fish and theres no way they would be as active as my guys are in cold water without a heater, plus theres the little fact that their illegal so it;s doubtful they'd end up in a shipment for a pet store.. Also as someone pointed out Cichlids have a broken lateral line whereas these guys lateral line in unbroken..

Heres some better pics
The grey one

The gold one

Edot I just fished both of em out and their tail is the same as the silver perch, not rounded like the tilapia

 

[CFC]

They are definately some kind of Australian native perch or grunter but since these fish are practically never kept for ornamental purposes outside of Australia getting an ID from the internet or a book is difficult to say the least.

Try looking at the local library for a book on native local aquatic wildlife or have a search for any local conservation groups who will be much better qualified to give an exact ID.

 

[cuticom]

I've find plenty of pics etc of all the native fish available for sale. But cant find a single pic of them in their juvenile form. Only pics of hundreds all netted up which dosnt help much. Our "local"library dosnt have any info so I'm still trying to get info off of the net. So far everyone I've spoken to has one of two opinions, either an aussie native or a cichlid. I've requested some pics of silver perch fingerlings on an aquaponics forum so that might help a bit with confirmation.

I mainly just want to satisfy myself that these guys aren't going to turn into monsters and savage my goldies. If they are well Athena my yabby would love some feeder fish.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Yes i think this fish is a young silver perch, more info on diet and habitat for these fish etc;

http/www.nativefish.asn.au/silver.html

They look like they can grow pretty large too, look at the guys hand holding it for scale;

http/bananabenders.tripod.com/silver_perch.jpg

This is the problem with buying fish of which you have no idea on what they are, not meaning to lecture you or anything, but you have a responsability to house and keep this fish properly now that you own it.