New Fish At My Lfs

[kanzaris]

Hi All

My LFS got these fish in last week and they are not cheap. I tried to look them up, but there is not a lot of info about these fish.
Silver Snapper/Acanthobagrus Berda : All I found is that there are Brackish/Marine, get to about 90cm and feeds on invertebrates and worms.

Indian Flathead/Platycephalus sp- Couldn’t find no info about this fish.

Antenna Fish/Sillaginopsis Panijus – All the info I have found is that it is Brackish/Marine, grows to 40 cm, Found in shallow, open muddy bays and Estuaries. West Indian Ocean.Pondicherry northward along the Coromandal Coast, Gages Delta, and southward to Malaysia. Feeds on fish and crustaceans.

I really like the Antenna Fish, but before I spend the money I would like to know a bit more about the fish. Has anybody ever kept these fish or has some more info about them?

Thanks

Sabby

 

[nmonks]

Hello Sabby --

I haven't kept any of those fishes. But Acanthopagrus berda is a sea bream, and I've kept smaller sea breams for short periods and they aren't in the least difficult. Basically similar to marine snappers in terms of hardiness and habits. Its large size is probably the only thing that would cause me to hesitate keeping this fish in a home aquarium.

As for Platycephalus indicus, this fish gets to 100 cm in the wild. So not an aquarium fish.

Sillaginopsis panijus has been kept in aquaria and is *photographed* in the Aqualog book but infuriatingly the author says nothing more than he'd like to talk about it but doesn't have space...! Of the three species you mention, this is probably the only one I'd recommend as worth keeping in a home aquarium. Said to eat live/frozen foods and to be sociable when kept in community tanks.

Cheers, Neale

 

[dwarfgourami]

Sillaginopsis panijus has been kept in aquaria and is *photographed* in the Aqualog book but infuriatingly the author says nothing more than he'd like to talk about it but doesn't have space...! Of the three species you mention, this is probably the only one I'd recommend as worth keeping in a home aquarium. Said to eat live/frozen foods and to be sociable when kept in community tanks.

Cheers, Neale

It is in the fourth volume of Baensch, p. 824. According to the author it grows up to 44 cms and will eat all kinds of pellets and large flakes, though in the wild it feeds on crustaceans, sea stars and worms. Believed possible to breed in the home. Juveniles spend 2-3 months in freshwater but then move on to brackish. Schooling fish but sometimes found alone. And the meat is said to be white and flavourful, just in kind case you grow tired of it...

 

[kanzaris]

Hello Sabby --

I haven't kept any of those fishes. But Acanthopagrus berda is a sea bream, and I've kept smaller sea breams for short periods and they aren't in the least difficult. Basically similar to marine snappers in terms of hardiness and habits. Its large size is probably the only thing that would cause me to hesitate keeping this fish in a home aquarium.

As for Platycephalus indicus, this fish gets to 100 cm in the wild. So not an aquarium fish.

Sillaginopsis panijus has been kept in aquaria and is *photographed* in the Aqualog book but infuriatingly the author says nothing more than he'd like to talk about it but doesn't have space...! Of the three species you mention, this is probably the only one I'd recommend as worth keeping in a home aquarium. Said to eat live/frozen foods and to be sociable when kept in community tanks.

Cheers, Neale

Hi Neale

Thanks for the info.
I really like the Sillaginopsis Panijus. The LFS has a pair, thet are about 2 inch long.
Do you think that it would be ok if I get them and grow them on in my 20 gal low end brackish tank? After they get to about 4inch I transfer them to my big tank. My 7 Monos are gone now, so I haven't got any bullies in the tank, but I have got a Jade Goby (he seems peacefull). Also Dwarf Gourami mentioned that they grow to 44 cm. Would that be in the wild?
I want to make sure they will fit into my big tank one day before I spend £23 per fish.

Thanks again

Sabby

 

[nmonks]

What's the SG of the 20 gallon tank? I'd not keep these below 1.005. I have no personal experience so can't comment beyond that I'm afraid.

The jade goby is, I assume, Dormitator maculatus, a lovely animal. Predatory, potentially rather large, but not aggressive.

Cheers, Neale

 

[kanzaris]

What's the SG of the 20 gallon tank? I'd not keep these below 1.005. I have no personal experience so can't comment beyond that I'm afraid.

The jade goby is, I assume, Dormitator maculatus, a lovely animal. Predatory, potentially rather large, but not aggressive.

Cheers, Neale

My SG in the small tank is about 1.004. In the LFS they are kept at about 1.003. I don't know how long they can be kept at low salinity. The little bit I found on the net said freshwater/brackish/marine
There must be a way of finding out more about these fish?

Yes the Goby is Dormitator Maculatus. It's beautyful in it's own sort of way, and very peaceful.

Thanks again

Sabby