Gratuitous Baby Cardinalfish thread

[rmorris_14]

Fully formed. They were stripped into the white bucket in the first round of photos.

They probably do some developing after they hatch and are still hanging out in the males mouth though, maybe? I guess how long after they hatched do you think you stripped them, or is that too hard to know for sure.

 

[polyppal]

This thread is for video and photos of the 12 baby cardinalfish I've been graced with. As per request, plenty of feeding videos!
Some images of the parents and the fry in the bucket right after I stripped the male. I knew he was ready by looking for fry in his mouth whenever I was near the tank. I didn't have bbs ready so I put my copepod hotel in. The fry split-up evenly between the two decorations.

 

[rmorris_14]

So do they hatch fully formed? Or do they take a week or so to develop their shape?

This says they stay in the mouth for a bout a week before they are release fully formed.

Creature Feature: Banggai cardinalfish

A population of small reef fish hiding amongst the spines of sea urchins in the Banggai Archipelago, doing their best to avoid capture by the hands of ornamental fish collectors, may now depend on …

theethogram.com

 

[Karen00]

They probably do some developing after they hatch and are still hanging out in the males mouth though, maybe? I guess how long after they hatched do you think you stripped them, or is that too hard to know for sure.

This is a good point. You're right about possible development in the mouth. What a fascinating little fish. I didn't know they seek out urchins for safety. How smart is that?

 

[Projects with Sam]

Now I have 3 brine hatcheries running full-tilt!

Another movie:

I think one has swim bladder issues because he has issues staying level like the others. I'll post about him later.

 

[i cant think]

This is a good point. You're right about possible development in the mouth. What a fascinating little fish. I didn't know they seek out urchins for safety. How smart is that?

It’s an interesting thing to read on, I often look into fish in my spare time and the colour forms they take on depending on habitat and where they’re found around really intrigues me.

 

[Karen00]

It’s an interesting thing to read on, I often look into fish in my spare time and the colour forms they take on depending on habitat and where they’re found around really intrigues me.

Ya, exactly! It's amazing how evolution happens. Like how the heck did the babies learn that taking shelter in an urchins spine will keep them safe? That would have to be something they discovered right? Like how e discovered alcohol from fermented fruit. Something like that isn't genetic, it's a discovery that then gets passed along. I would like to see the first baby fish of this species that had the lightbulb moment that an urchin's spines could keep him safe. Like did he accidentally swim in between them and that's when the lightbulb went on and then all of his siblings followed and now they do it automatically like it's been hardwired into their collective consciousness? LOL So amazing!!

 

[Mschmidt]

must post cutenesss....

Thank you for sir.

 

[Karen00]

So what have you been feeding these guys since you got them away from the male?

 

[DaJMasta]

FWIW, there is some development in his mouth, they are mostly yolk when they first hatch, and the male can sometimes spit them out early. The earliest ones I've seen look like this:

Then they start getting a little color and contour to their fins, and the yolk shrinks somewhat:

But at that point, while they can swim, they don't have a swim bladder and have to use a lot of energy to do so, so they rest on the bottom a lot. With my pair, they seem to get their swim bladder around 4 days post hatch - and there are almost always an early escapee or two before the male spits them all out, around that 4-5dph mark. They look a little less like an egg with a tail and eyes and a bit more like fish then:

Once they have their swim bladders, they can eat and will chase down any copepod sort of thing that moves. I've been able to successfully feed the fry the fines from frozen food around 1 week in, and it's a great food for them to take interest and get lots to eat.

 

[Karen00]

FWIW, there is some development in his mouth, they are mostly yolk when they first hatch, and the male can sometimes spit them out early. The earliest ones I've seen look like this:

Then they start getting a little color and contour to their fins, and the yolk shrinks somewhat:

But at that point, while they can swim, they don't have a swim bladder and have to use a lot of energy to do so, so they rest on the bottom a lot. With my pair, they seem to get their swim bladder around 4 days post hatch - and there are almost always an early escapee or two before the male spits them all out, around that 4-5dph mark. They look a little less like an egg with a tail and eyes and a bit more like fish then:

Once they have their swim bladders, they can eat and will chase down any copepod sort of thing that moves. I've been able to successfully feed the fry the fines from frozen food around 1 week in, and it's a great food for them to take interest and get lots to eat.

Wow, these are great photos! Seeing those really young ones it looks like they're all eyes!! Thanks for posting. I think I have to get a pair of these guys.

 

[Projects with Sam]

Ya, exactly! It's amazing how evolution happens. Like how the heck did the babies learn that taking shelter in an urchins spine will keep them safe? That would have to be something they discovered right? Like how e discovered alcohol from fermented fruit. Something like that isn't genetic, it's a discovery that then gets passed along. I would like to see the first baby fish of this species that had the lightbulb moment that an urchin's spines could keep him safe. Like did he accidentally swim in between them and that's when the lightbulb went on and then all of his siblings followed and now they do it automatically like it's been hardwired into their collective consciousness? LOL So amazing!!

Just luck, over generations, The ones that took shelter in Urchin spines had a higher survival rate and were therefore selected to carry on the genes.

 

[Projects with Sam]

They're still kicking! cant believe it! So 'lefty' (his right fin is smaller then the left one) is the most adventurous of the bunch, regularly swimming between the two groups in their 'urchins'.

Unfortunately one has swim-bladder issues and will probably be promoted to the DT early.

But the rest are hunting down bbs with vigor.

 

[Karen00]

They're still kicking! cant believe it! So 'lefty' (his right fin is smaller then the left one) is the most adventurous of the bunch, regularly swimming between the two groups in their 'urchins'.

Unfortunately one has swim-bladder issues and will probably be promoted to the DT early.

But the rest are hunting down bbs with vigor.

That's sad about the one with the swim bladder issues. Poor little guy. The others look unreal. Like they're micro robotic fish. Haha.

 

[i cant think]

They're still kicking! cant believe it! So 'lefty' (his right fin is smaller then the left one) is the most adventurous of the bunch, regularly swimming between the two groups in their 'urchins'.

Unfortunately one has swim-bladder issues and will probably be promoted to the DT early.

But the rest are hunting down bbs with vigor.

Lefty looks adorable! Do you plan on keeping a couple of them in their own tank?

 

[rmorris_14]

They're still kicking! cant believe it! So 'lefty' (his right fin is smaller then the left one) is the most adventurous of the bunch, regularly swimming between the two groups in their 'urchins'.

Unfortunately one has swim-bladder issues and will probably be promoted to the DT early.

But the rest are hunting down bbs with vigor.

It’s a real live Nemo

 

[Projects with Sam]

I am setting up an exile tank for my purple dottyback, filefish, and blue devil; I'll defn' put a few in there and some in the DT. If anyone in the Chicagoland area wants to trade frags for fish I am down. I'll keep stripping and growing them out I suppose.

 

[rmorris_14]

How are the babies doing?

 

[Projects with Sam]

feedingtime!

 

[rmorris_14]

feedingtime!