Fish ID

[EllRog]

Hello all, was at a fish store today when I spotted a lone fish in an empty tank. I asked the employee about it and she told me it was a hitchhiker and that she thought it was a scissortail rainbow fish. She said it'd been alone in the tank for a few months and nobody wants to buy it and asked me if I wanted it. Of course, typically, I took it

I've just got it home and acclimating it to temp. Despite my lack of experience with the specific fish, I disagree that it's a scissortail rainbow and think it could be perhaps a killifish? If any one could confirm what this little guy/gal is, I'd really appreciate it so that I can make plans for their future.

Thanks guys!

 

[Essjay]

Is it just the photo or do the pectoral fins sit unusually high and point a bit upwards? If they do, it looks like one of the Pseudomugils. I'll give you Colin_T's recommended rainbowfish site to compare photos on there http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm


Edit - possibly a female P. gertrudae?

 

[EllRog]

Is it just the photo or do the pectoral fins sit unusually high and point a bit upwards? If they do, it looks like one of the Pseudomugils. I'll give you Colin_T's recommended rainbowfish site to compare photos on there http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm


Edit - possibly a female P. gertrudae?

Not particularly. I'll try and grab a better photo of it. Thank you for the link!

 

[mbsqw1d]

Bet he was happy as Larry until you showed up whatever it is... doesn't look pointy enough for a killifish a ricefish maybe?

 

[EllRog]

Hmm, suppose it kinda looks like this

Redirect Notice

images.app.goo.gl

 

[EllRog]

Bet he was happy as Larry until you showed up whatever it is... doesn't look pointy enough for a killifish a ricefish maybe?

Probably yeah true, I've never kept killi's although I'd love to so maybe its wishful thinking I have no idea if I'm honest lol

 

[Essjay]

It's the spotty tail that suggested P. gertrudae to me. I have daisy's rice fish and they don't have spotty tails and neither do any of the rice fish I've seen in shops. (Some sites class rice fish as killis )

 

[EllRog]

It's the spotty tail that suggested P. gertrudae to me. I have daisy's rice fish and they don't have spotty tails and neither do any of the rice fish I've seen in shops. (Some sites class rice fish as killis )

I think you're right! Its a pretty little thing. I best get on with some research!

 

[AilyNC]

The spotted tail is like but the other fins don't have the same shape as Pseudomugil Gertrudae. Also the body looks a peachy colour and not like the Gertrudae I have.

 

[Colin_T]

I have no idea what a scissortail rainbowfish is and never heard of it. But the little guy in the picture is a male Pseudomugil gertrudae. There are lots of different river systems that they come from and they are normally sold as Pseudomugil gertrudae (whatever the river is called).

The link below has information on all the known species of Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish.

Melanotaeniidae and Pseudomugilidae

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

 

[EllRog]

I have no idea what a scissortail rainbowfish is and never heard of it. But the little guy in the picture is a male Pseudomugil gertrudae. There are lots of different river systems that they come from and they are normally sold as Pseudomugil gertrudae (whatever the river is called).

The link below has information on all the known species of Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish.

Melanotaeniidae and Pseudomugilidae

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

Oh, it's a male? I assumed from pictures that I had a female. Is he just young which is why he doesn't look as flamboyant as the males I've seen on Google? I have no knowledge of these fish other than what I read through yesterday. The employee just seemed pretty keen to get rid of the little fella. Thanks Colin, appreciate your help

 

[Essjay]

Is he just young which is why he doesn't look as flamboyant as the males I've seen on Google?

That's why I assumed it was female too

 

[EllRog]

That's why I assumed it was female too

That's interesting. Good to know it's gender as seriously fish recommend they're kept in groups of atleast 8, I'll have to purchase more. Wonder when he will start developing. The employee said he'd been in that tank for some time. Looks very much like a female still doesn't he

 

[Colin_T]

There are different grades of fish and some are better coloured than others. Also people usually post pictures of the fish displaying, which is when they are at their most colourful. And they take time to settle into a new tank.

If it looks off colour, stops eating, breathes heavily or does anything out of the ordinary, add salt immediately. Use 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt for every 20 litres (5 gallons) of tank water. Keep the salt in there for 2 weeks.

All rainbowfish do best in larger groups and a minimum group would be 6 fish but they prefer 10 or more. Smaller species like the blue-eyes prefer to be in groups of 10 or more.