A compilation of information, as well as my own experience with Paratrygon aiereba.

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Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 4, 2010
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North America, NY
Genus - Paratrygon

Species - Paratrygon Aiereba

http://i29.tinypic.com/2jb13wh.jpg

Common names - Ceja ray, Manzana ray, Discus ray, "Naree-Naree", Spine-tailed Elipesurus.

Habitat - Benthic habitats on soft river bottoms.

It was recommended to me to keep my ray in cooler water due to the fact that they live in deeper water. I kept the temperature in my pond at about 74 degrees F. and the ray showed no signs of distress or loss of appetite.

Maximum size - Unknown.

In December of 2000, Keith "Catfish" Sutton caught the largest Paratrygon aiereba on record, measuring approximately 47 inches.

http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/skates_rays/Paratrygon aiereba.html

http://i31.tinypic.com/33df6hl.jpg

(Pictured below: Woodysun's deceased ceja, measuring 31 inches! WOW!)
http://i32.tinypic.com/20u3cwi.jpg

Reproduction - Very little is known about the reproduction of Paratrygon aiereba.

(Pictured below: A juvenile Paratrygon Aiereba. So cute!)
http://i28.tinypic.com/1pgq2w.jpg

Physical Characteristics - The disc is longer than it is broad. They are shaped much like an apple when viewed from above. One of their common names, "Manzana", meaning apple, is derived from this characteristic. The eyes are smaller than those of Potamotrygon and located just in front of the spiracles. The common name "Ceja" [pronounced "say-hA"], meaning eyebrow, is derived from the eyebrow-like markings near the front of the disc on some individuals. The pelvic fins are covered entirely by the disc. The tail is thicker at the base and long and whip like towards the end.

(Pictured below: Ceja ray, courtesy of Woodysun.)
http://i27.tinypic.com/212iudl.jpg

Feeding habits - These rays are specialized predators. They typically do not actively hunt their food. They are ambush predators, lying in wait for prey to pass by. Using a current of water created by the disc, prey is sucked under and then consumed.

Here is a video of my ceja, Woody, exhibiting this behavior.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=jyo7RIJ4alk

These rays are said to feed primarily on live fish, but I have heard of them being weaned onto prepared foods. My ceja accepted guppies and goldfish right away. I recommend staying away from goldfish as well as any other cyprinids due to their high level of thiaminase, unless vitamin B1 is supplemented.

Weaning my ceja off live fish proved to be very difficult.
I offered blackworms and red wigglers and although my ray would show interest and suck them under his disc, he would not consume them.
He never did accept anything other than live fish.

I hope this was informative.
Best regards,
Tom
 
Nice Tom, but the link to the vid of yours doesn't work.
 
[YT]jyo7RIJ4alk[/YT]
 
Ceja's are a very underrated ray. They are quite hardy for small eyed rays, and their behaviours are different from the potamotrygons commonly kept in the hobby. I like how they like to stick to aquarium walls more so than the bottom sometimes. They ambush their prey as already described/shown. In my experience they aren't as active as other rays. I will say that I know a worker that hand feeds them feeders at the warehouse when they come in. Not an immediate thing, but they do learn to eat from your hand. Given their very thin tail, it tends to become a target for other fish such as characins or even other rays.
 
Superlaz;5080425; said:
Ceja's are a very underrated ray. They are quite hardy for small eyed rays, and their behaviours are different from the potamotrygons commonly kept in the hobby. I like how they like to stick to aquarium walls more so than the bottom sometimes. They ambush their prey as already described/shown. In my experience they aren't as active as other rays. I will say that I know a worker that hand feeds them feeders at the warehouse when they come in. Not an immediate thing, but they do learn to eat from your hand. Given their very thin tail, it tends to become a target for other fish such as characins or even other rays.
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I agree, they are underrated. The tail not only can become a target to other fish but to other rays as well. I put mine in with a hystrix and it immediately went for his tail. It might have mistaken it for food because of how long it was. My ceja (Woody, named after the user Woodysun) had a perfect tail so I separated them immediately.

Thank you for sharing!


keepinfish;5080392; said:
that is insane!! How long have you had him? How big is he?
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I only had him for a few months last year. I gave him to a friend for a number of reasons. At the time, I was keeping a pair of red retics, one of which I suspected to be pregnant. There is a thread on another forum by a ceja owner who had a large one that ate or chewed up some of his newborn leo pups. I was enamored with the idea of having little caqueta puppies at the time so that outweighed my love for the ceja. The other factor was the difficulty weaning him off live fish. I was afraid of losing him to a nutritional deficiency.
 
Here are some pics of Woody when I first brought him home, prior to being moved into the pond.

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2qia2c1.jpg
 
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