Fry metamorphosis

[FishBazzar]

I'm not really asking about any fish in particular. But I wen to my lfs and they had a pair of these beautiful gray fish with long fins with thin extensions. Around them were about 5 babies who were very small but looked exactly like the adults! I heard this is called metamorphosis. When does it happen with most fish fry and can anyone give me a guess on the fish type by my description. I think they were a tyoe of cichilid.

 

[guppymonkey]

I am not sure what you mean by metamorphosis. Its usual meaning is changing into something else, like a caterpiller into a butterfly. In the case your talking about the young fish look exactly like the parents. This isn't metamorphosis.

 

[freshmike]

Most baby fish will look pretty much the same as their parents aside from being smaller and having smaller fins.....some species also take a while to achieve proper color as well.....as for metamorphisis.......NA.

 

[FishBazzar]

I was reading that in marine fish this does happen. Like in Clown fish after about 14 days the babies stop hanging around the top of the tank and change from small creatures with very big eyes to little versions of their parents. Just wondering if this happened in some freshwater species because my 24k or gold mollie babies are black and have been for about a month. I can't wait till they get bigger and get some color.

 

[pondfreak4365]

If you are referring to color changes in mollies, mine don't completely develop their spots (dalmation) or adult colors until 3-6 months. I only have fry from silver and dalmation mollies, could be different for different strains. I have a black molly that developed a beautiful red vertical stripe in his tailfin well after his first birthday, but I attribute that to adding salt to their tank to curb a finrot outbreak.

 

[Alien Anna]

The only case I've heard have been flat fish (like plaice) who are born conventional fish shaped but the eyes gradually move around until they're both on the same side of the head (the top side).

I wonder what those pretty grey fish were. Your description sounds like pearl gouramis.