identify this fish

[Torrean]

he's cold water and I caught him wild in a local pond. I picked up a bag out of the water and there he was.

btw he's about 3/4 of an inch long

 

[Mr Miagi]

Looks like it too me. I would euthanise him. But thats up too you. They are a noxsious (sp?) species.

 

[ryan]

Looks like a Mosquito fish either Gambusia holbrooki or more likely Gambusia affinis.

I would euthanise him

Why?

 

[Mr Miagi]

Yeah, i spose you could keep him , its just i wouldnt. There a pest here and are evrywhere.

 

[black angel]

Why not just let him go again, i'm sure he would prefer the life of a pond rather than a tank?

 

[Torrean]

Man I wish people would stop being so honest with me It makes me feel bad. I know he would probably prefer a pond but, well, hmmm, there is nothing I can really say except...nothing. OH OH OH he eats flake food that mean i should keep him right no i didn't think so hmmm oh I know he is currently in a tank with ghost shrimp so he might have a disease from wall-marts tank. therefore if i pu t him back he might make the other fish sick

 

[Panther]

I don't really see why you couldn't keep it. If they are such a noxious pest in the wild, wouldn't that be all the more incentive not to release it? If you let him go, he'll be able to breed and propogate a thousand more of these pests. (Good enough excuse for you? )

 

[Torrean]

i'm not argueing with yah. I love the little guy he lloks a lot like a guppy I don't see why everyone calls them a pest. I think there cool.

 

[Mr Miagi]

They are a noxious species! They were introduced to control mosquitos and other insects in there larval stages around housing developements and reserves. But it didnt work. World wide they have caused the extinction of over 25 fish species. And are proficient at breeding. They have spreed all over the world, including Nth American, SthAmerica, Australia and can put up with and breed in a variety of harsh habitats, including cold and warm water, low oxygenated waters, high polluted water ways, and even slightly saline water.

 

[pnyklr3]

There's a website that sells them very inexpensively.....but only to governments for mosquito control.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Yes, sadly although these fish cause ill effects on our environment governments and privately owned land holders still buy them too control mosquitos, which they actually don do such a good job on!

 

[Torrean]

now I see why everyone calls them a pest. I'm thinking about taking my net and catching as many as I can. I just might set up a crawdad tank and use mosquito fish as feeders. muuuaaahahahahaha. BTW thanks for the great excuse not to release the little guy, he makes a great addition to my tank.

 

[Mr Miagi]

lol!

 

[Panther]

We have problems with snakeheads and an invasive species of goby around here, among other things. If governments want to get rid of mosquitoes, a good idea would be to invest in the research and propogation of the Elephant Mosquito--instead of being a pesty biting insect, this species of mosquito is actually predaceous upon other mosquitoes in both their larval and adult stages.

 

[ecto1]

Talking about pest fish? A pond in my neighborhood has been destroyed by common gold fish! Someone probably just dumped a few in, and now there's at least 50,000 in there.

We used to sprinkle these bug larvae around our horse farm, hoping the bugs would hatch, because the bugs ate mosquito larvae. You can get them from farm supply catalouges, I think.

Also, bats are an awesome way to control insects.