Mystery fish

[Munroco]

Hello all, it's been a while since I posted on here. I migrated to keeping shrimp so haven't been so interested in fish recently.

Anyway, I have a tank with a few pencil fish in it, as well as some shrimp that have managed to hitch-hike from one of the adjacent tanks. (its in a rack of two foot tanks). I was feeding them when I spotted a small fish. I assumed at first it was a young pencil fish as they appear from time to time but it was something different. I have no idea what it is. To me is shaped like a pike cichlid or maybe even a betta. I haven't kept any of these fish since I restarted the hobby about 7 years ago. I am totally baffled as to how it got there. I haven't added any fish or plants for months. I am trying to get a good pic but this is the best I have come up with so far. There is an adult shrimp in the pic which will give you an idea of the size.

 

[Byron]

That is a pencilfish, though I cannot possibly surmise species from the photos. What species of Nannostomus do you have in the tank?

 

[Munroco]

Nannostomus Marginatus. That was my initial assumption too, but I noticed my newcomer has a rounded tail whereas pencilfish have a divided tail.

 

[Byron]

Nannostomus Marginatus. That was my initial assumption too, but I noticed my newcomer has a rounded tail whereas pencilfic have a divided tail.

I'd be fairly certain the photo is a N. marginatus fry then.

I cannot remember if fry survived from my group of this species, it was a while ago. I do know that I have three fry a couple months old now from N. beckfordi and initially they had the same sort of caudal fin. My N. eques did as well if memory serves me correctly.

 

[Munroco]

You are probably right, its really the only logical thing it can be. I have had the odd fry appear, but by the time I've spotted them in the jungles that are my tanks, they are the same colour as the parents, maybe this one has still to attain its adult colouring.