What Species Sole Am I Most Likely To Find In My Lfs?

[Dave Legacy]

I'd like to try out a sole in my new tank. I had made a thread about it a couple months back and learned a few things. This time my questions are a little bit different.

I'd like to know what species I'll most likely find in my LFSs, specifically but not limited to the United States Market. There is a place near my house that seems to have quite a few dark brown ones that have dark patches that appear to resemble something from the Soleidae Family but I'm not 100% sure. Really I need to be able to distinguish the difference between a strictly freshwater species and brackish/marine species. My water 1.010, so I think that would be too much for a freshwater species to survive in. However, what about marine species? Is that too little salt for one of those?

On a side note I read through Nmonks FAQ and printed out the diagrams to help distinguish the differences between Soleidae and Cynoglossidae so I can take them to the fish stores with me. I also understand that being nocturnal feeders and also being kind of shy that it can be difficult to keep them well nurished. That being said can anyone offer any help in this field?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[nmonks]

Hello Dave --

There seem to be different species offered in the US compared with Europe, and in the US the only soles offered regularly seem to be species of Achiridae. These are almost always brackish to marine fishes. There are freshwater species, but they aren't widely traded. Places like PetCo, as well as mom-and-pop fish stores, tend to get a native American species, Trinectes maculatus.

Achiridae are relatively distinctive, thanks to the largish, paddle-like tail-fin. You could also ask where the soles were imported from; if from South America, they're almost certainly Achiridae. With one or two rare exceptions, all the Achiridae will do well at SG 1.010 or more.

All soles can change colour, to some degree, so colours and patterns aren't very helpful. Best to go by shape. One exception is Brachirus harmandi, an Asian Soleidae, which has distictive brown smudges on the _underside_. The Asian species of Soleidae also seem to have a consistent pattern of brown and white speckles on the upper side, but with two rows of darker brown blobs, one running down the left, the other the right.

In Europe Asian soles seem to be at least, if not more widely, sold than the Achiridae. Asian soles include a mix of freshwater and brackish/marine species, so identifying them correctly is important. At the moment Brachirus orientalis seems to be the species I'm seeing sold most often. It's a marine species that only tolerates fresh water. On the other hand, some Cynoglossus spp. are strictly freshwater, and may die if kept in marine conditions. Cynoglossidae are easy to spot (strange, twisted heads) but Achirdae and Soleidae are similar. The traded species of Soleidae seem to have smaller tails that are less obviously distinct from the body.

About the only book worth anything when it comes to soles is the Schaefer Aqualog volume. If you can, try and buy/borrow a copy. There are only a few useful web sites, and perhaps the best is this one:

http/www.geocities.co.jp/AnimalPark-Shir...kareiindex.html

Flatfishes are famous for being tolerant of a wide range of salinities. SG 1.010 should be fine for the euryhaline species, provided you keep the pH, hardness, and oxygen levels high. I had a sole for about 6 or 7 months and it only died when I had a massive pH crash (pH went below 5). I've also seen them 'gasp' when water gets too warm. Really, the main issue is feeding.

It's odd, but the coldwater species are much hardier. I kept one for about a year in a tank in a lab while at university, and it happily ate catfish pellets. It was also very outgoing, swimming to the top when it knew it was about to get fed.

Should just note that the diagrams linked to my FAQ are not mine but those belonging to the FAO.

Hope this helps,

Neale

PS. This is, I believe, B. orientalis.

 

[Dave Legacy]

It's a marine species that only tolerates fresh water.

Neale,

Just checking, but did you mean Marine Species that only tolerates saltwater. The ones I have seen in the LFS are leaf-shaped that appear like they don't have tails that are seperate from their bodies. Which makes me think they are from the Soleidae Family and quite possibly Brachirus orientalis. When I'm shopping around for mine I'll make a fact sheet that I can carry with me. This way I'll remember what regions each of the commonly traded species come from. I've found some of the stores know where their stock comes from.

I might be able to contact a wholesaler and see if they would be willing to sell to me directly. Maybe I could cut out the middle man and get better info on where the fish were collected?

This brings me to my second question. I'm going to be moving over into my 200 Gallon tank sometime within the next month or two. Should I wait and get a Sole/Flatfish until I move into the bigger tank or would I be better off putting it in the established 40 Gallon with my archers? I'm not sure how big of a bioload a sole adds. Maybe my biological filter would have an easier time increasing in a mature tank.

Thanks for the help, I'll probably touch bases back on this thread in a little while to report what I've found.
- Dave

PS>

Just saw the pic and that's the one! Almost without a doubt that what they have at my LFS. So that would be an appropriate sole for my tank or this one requires full marine? They're currently being kept in freshwater as most stores usually do.

 

[nmonks]

David,

Sorry, not the best choice of words. By "tolerate" I mean it survives in, but does not thrive or breed in, fresh water. Brachirus orientalis seems able to survive some months in freshwater (mine did) but not to the point of being in robust good health, hence its untimely death, seemingly when the pH dropped too low. Reading up on this species, it appears to be truly euryhaline, i.e., able to survive in anything from fresh to salt, but it normally inhabits, and probably needs, brackish to marine.

Soles are inactive and probably add very little to the loading on a filter. They'll add something of course, just not as much as, say, a scat or puffer. Having kept these fish twice, I feel the difference between specimens that thrive and specimens that die is feeding: these fish are difficult to wean on to dead food, particularly when they need to compete with other fish. I'd be tempted to introduce a group onto a tank without other fish, and let them get used to things for a few weeks. Neither of my specimens seemed to object to immature filters, so I'd class them as 'nitrite tolerant', and while I wouldn't throw them in as starter fish, there's no reason not to use them 3 weeks down the line. Once you have them in the tank, you can try feeding them on live bloodworms, tubifex, and river shrimps, at night, and if you feel happy that they are eating, move on to dead foods.

They should get along fine with archers, since archers feed from the top (mostly) and only by day.

Brachirus orientalis is very similar in shape and colour to the other Brachirus species. Brachirus pan and Brachirus panoides have more elongate (tongue-like) bodies, while Brachrius harmandi has those dark batches on the "underside". Brachirus (Synaptura) salinarum is similar, but it is only from Australia/Oceania as far as I know, and not regularly traded, despite being the one featured in many books. There may be other species as well. These fish are a nightmare to identify! I bought my Brachrius orientalis from a batch in a freshwater tank labelled as Brachirus pan. The reason I think my fish was Brachrius orientalis and not Brachrius pan is body shape; see this Fishbase search, limiting to "Asian inland waters":

http/www.fishbase.org/identification/spe...=441&areacode=4

Ordering from wholesalers is difficult since they tend to prefer dealing in large quantities of fish. You may have better luck getting fish from a biological supply house (e.g. Sachs Aquaculture) in which case you can order specific species.

Cheers,

Neale

PS, this ise useful, too:

http/www.geocities.co.jp/AnimalPark-Shir.../hayamihyo.html