new trumpet knvies pics (load warning)

[aranos]

With a little help from Nick over at N-E Cichlids, I am now the proud owner of two baby trumpet knives (Rhamphichthys sp.). They are currently sharing a 120 gallon tank, and getting along quite swimmingly (ah haha). In fact, they have been spending their days sleeping next to each other (my fiancé insists they’re cuddling). I just hope they like one another as much when they’re sexually mature. Anyway here are some pics of the cute little guys sleeping. I’ll try to get some of them in action when they come out in the evening later.

[alcibiades]

Sweet fish. I kept one of these guys once. Really sensitive, he died during a move in which every other fish lived. But I hope they work out for ya.

sean

[ewurm]

Very cool knife. Do they get big enough to eat the neons?

[aranos]

Do they get big enough to eat the neons?

Probably, but it depends on what species they are. R. marmoratus is supposed to be the biggest south american knife at about 100 cm+. R. rostratus, which is often confused with marmoratus, I don't think grows quite as large. Either one could probably eat neons, but with their tiny mouths and "trumpet" snouts, they are pretty well adapted to rooting around in the sand for worms (which is all they have been doing so far). We'll just have to wait and see. I've got some celebus rainbows in there that might end up as dinner too, but I've got a 55g evacuation tank ready in case things get a little unfriendly.

[aranos]

Also, anyone know how to sex these guys?

[Davey_8313]

Nice fish, I'm trying to decide what knife I want to buy...

[ewurm]

Probably, but it depends on what species they are. R. marmoratus is supposed to be the biggest south american knife at about 100 cm+. R. rostratus, which is often confused with marmoratus, I don't think grows quite as large. Either one could probably eat neons, but with their tiny mouths and "trumpet" snouts, they are pretty well adapted to rooting around in the sand for worms (which is all they have been doing so far). We'll just have to wait and see. I've got some celebus rainbows in there that might end up as dinner too, but I've got a 55g evacuation tank ready in case things get a little unfriendly.

Thanks for the info, always grateful to learn about new fish.

[gitz21]

Thay are great fish. I got 2 of the same knives from Nick @ NE cichlids and they are eating machines.

[BichirAddict]

Nice setup and knife

[aranos]

Thay are great fish. I got 2 of the same knives from Nick @ NE cichlids and they are eating machines.

Yeah, mine are eating about one and a half cubes of bloodworms a day. Just a little update, one has asserted himself as dominant. He sleeps in his choice of java fern and pretty much owns the left third of the tank during feeding time. If the other one ventures over, there will be a quick chase but not really any fighting (even if they did fight they’re mouths are so small I don’t think they could do anything). Everything is pretty peaceful otherwise. So much for not keeping knives together so far (I’ll bet it’s a different story when they get sexually mature though :)).

[Mishy]

Nice looking knives you have there. Congrats on the find.

[cichlid savage]

Very nice tank and knives.

[mclb72]

Wow amazing looking knives!!!

[Bsixxx]

those are tight
:)
i want one of those

[sncboom]

That's the coolest looking knife fish to me. I love 'em

[pmtuneman13]

Just browsing and had to say I admire your knife fish... They look very regal to me.

[dbcb314]

in the lab i work in, we have something that looks like one of these guys head shape and body shape wise, but totally different color. only been there a few days so idk exactly what species it is.

cool fish in person and has a cool personality. good luck with them

[aranos]

what color is it? I'd love a scientific name/pic. From what I've read there are many trumpet/elepant-nosed knife species, in a couple different families.

[dbcb314]

what color is it? I'd love a scientific name/pic. From what I've read there are many trumpet/elepant-nosed knife species, in a couple different families.
black if I remember right with some white on him maybe

i might be able to do a scientific name when i work monday, doubtful on the pics...

[aranos]

waiting on the name. What are they studying them for? And what the hell kind of ichthyology department do they have in Indiana that they're studying gymnotiforms???

[dbcb314]

waiting on the name. What are they studying them for? And what the hell kind of ichthyology department do they have in Indiana that they're studying gymnotiforms???
they are studying something about their electrical signals and organs. I still am not clear on what the purpose is or anything lol. I have only been their a few days.

plus... when they talk about the certain fish they always spit out scientific names... which for one I don't know amazon knife fish sci names bc I don't have any and never have (get too big) and for two the pronounciation of them and the spelling don't always seem to match LOL. stupid taxonomy bull****.

like I said when I go in to work monday or tuesday I will see if I can find a name on them. they haven't taught me what all the labels mean yet but I think their is a chart somewhere int he lab. only pictures i could get ATM would be cell phone pics and I can't get those on my comp. sorry

they have all sorts of different amazon knifefish in there... i haven't seen a lot of them before. they got the basic brown ghost, black ghost, and glass... but then they have ones i haven't seen before

[aranos]

I want your job!

For taxonomic/id info try this thread:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77750

[dbcb314]

I want your job!

For taxonomic/id info try this thread:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77750
u want my job lol

u do realize that most of my time is spent siphoning poo or scraping algae depending on the day....

[Red Devil]

How sweet they are..wonderful you were able to get them.. love to watch them grow through your pics so please keep us updated..your very lucky to own such rare knives.!!!

[aranos]

Thanks liz, I'll def keep posting pics as they grow bigger. They've already thickened up a bit.

[dbcb314]

I want your job!

For taxonomic/id info try this thread:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77750
I worked yesterday (scrubbed algae for 2.5 hours LOL)... but the system I got assigned to is in a different room from the possible trumpet fish and I was way too busy to get over to the other room to take a look. I am actually in the room without the monsters :( the two biggest tanks are on the system I take care of, but they are currently empty. I have a suspicion they are actually for the new arrivals to stay in for a while but not sure. most of the tanks on my system were either brown knife ghosts or empty. one or two tanks had some "gold lines," one tank had a "marbled" and another tank had 2 that idk what they call them. kind of african knifefish looking but their were a decently bright yellow.

but I saw the species chart and an overview of the labeling system, so I should be able to figure out exactly what it is what sooner or later. just gonna need time lol.

*slight* possiblity of getting pics eventually... last night i worked late enought hat I was the only person in the lba so I could take pictures once I get my own key.

[aranos]

Keep up the good work detective!

[dbcb314]

I got a very good luck at them today

completely different genus. and they called this "elephant nose knifes" as a common name. I have the genus written down somewhere if you care...

these fish have a thinner nose than the trumpets you posted. however there is a poster of those exact fish you have, but I havent seen them in the tanks yet if we have them.

[aranos]

Sternarchorhynchus?

[dbcb314]

Sternarchorhynchus?
bingo

not sure what species... they are black/dark gray with a white stripe down their back

[aranos]

there are many species:
Sternarchorhynchus britskii Campos-da-Paz, 2000.
Sternarchorhynchus curumim de Santana & Crampton, 2006.[8]
Sternarchorhynchus curvirostris (Boulenger, 1887).
Sternarchorhynchus mesensis Campos-da-Paz, 2000.
Sternarchorhynchus mormyrus (Steindachner, 1868).
Sternarchorhynchus oxyrhynchus (Müller & Troschel, 1849).
Sternarchorhynchus roseni Mago-Leccia, 1994.

Most common in the trade (as if any are common) I think would be oxyythynchus. See if this guy looks familiar:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29642&highlight=elephant+nose

[dbcb314]

yep thats what it looks like

you are the knifefish god LOL

though I do believe they have had reseni and one of the species that starts with a C before because I saw them on one of his experiment posters

[aranos]

I'm not god, just a guy with too much time on his hands.

But I was wondering what the lab does with the fish after the study is complete? Perchance they sell them???

[dbcb314]

I'm not god, just a guy with too much time on his hands.

But I was wondering what the lab does with the fish after the study is complete? Perchance they sell them???
You mean complete complete or just complete with that fish?

if its complete complete then idk. they are just about to get another grant so i don't think this has an end for a while. I have an idea what would happen at the very end but i will keep that to myself

if you mean done with the certain fish... I know exactly what happens to them...

[aranos]

pretty please?? do tell

[dbcb314]

pretty please?? do tell
They need to study their brains. Therefore, they are killed (obviously) and dissected.

I do not know how often this happens though. I do know that the rarer the species (aka how much it costs and how hard it gets) the less likely it will be killed/studied. For example, The brown ghosts are recycled quite often. There are only 2 huge ones and the rest are small. However the Portaguese (maybe, cant remember the name) have been there for a while and there are only 2 of them and they are actually kept in a decent sized tank. This is because they are very hard for the lab to get (they did just get 5 babies though I saw yesterday) so they need to keep them alive and healthy.

not the best news for fish hobbiests, but thats science for ya.

[dbcb314]

btw man...

first off sorry to hijack your thread

but i think we do have those trumpet knives... i just thought they were brown knives. i didnt take a good look at them at all... i saw they were brown and moved on. plus they arent labeled on the tank, which usually means its just a brown a lot of times. but these have the exact same pattern on the bottom and their mouths are definitely trumpet like.

we have 2-3 and they are 20 inches at least.

[filiportela]

very cool ;)