Hi. Can someone please help me to ID these, or point me to any info that I haven't seen yet??
I picked up these two young Hampala, about 4.5" and 5". I only have the original description of H. salweenensis to go off, and it gives ways of distinguishing all 6 species. I think these are H. ampalong, rather than H. salweenensis, based on the following...
1. Lateral Line scale count... I get about 26 on the body, but I'm not totally sure where to stop at the head end, and I can't get a clear enough picture of this end... yet. Also there are "4 scales on the tail fin in ampalong, 2 in salweenensis" (my made up quote). These are added to the LL count, and again I'm a bit confused. Maybe someone could give me a more experienced count?
2. The mid blotch meets the Lateral Line but doesn't cross it. In the one picture I've seen of salweenensis (the same one Fishbase uses) this blotch goes way below the LL...
The blotches on mine are also much smaller, and more laterally shaped. And there is no blotch on the shoulder behind the operculum.
3. There are no black bands in the caudal lobes. There have been none from 3.5" till now (the time they were in the shop).
4. There is a picture (dead) of each species in the salweenensis description. AQmpalong has a different shape to all the others, and this is the shape of mine. (the shape just suggest to me that they're young, it's the pointy not-filled-out-yet shape of young fish... but it could be a valid point all the same).
5. The shop said they were from a Celebes-area import.
I found this picture before I got these fish, but can't remember where. It looks just like mine...
They are stunning fish, very greedy, but very calm and composed.
If you have any other information about these fish, please share. Especially on sizes. Ampalong and salweenensis are not supposed to grow that big... but this is based on only a few specimens.
Just how rare are they?
Many thanks. Happy new year.
I picked up these two young Hampala, about 4.5" and 5". I only have the original description of H. salweenensis to go off, and it gives ways of distinguishing all 6 species. I think these are H. ampalong, rather than H. salweenensis, based on the following...
1. Lateral Line scale count... I get about 26 on the body, but I'm not totally sure where to stop at the head end, and I can't get a clear enough picture of this end... yet. Also there are "4 scales on the tail fin in ampalong, 2 in salweenensis" (my made up quote). These are added to the LL count, and again I'm a bit confused. Maybe someone could give me a more experienced count?
2. The mid blotch meets the Lateral Line but doesn't cross it. In the one picture I've seen of salweenensis (the same one Fishbase uses) this blotch goes way below the LL...
The blotches on mine are also much smaller, and more laterally shaped. And there is no blotch on the shoulder behind the operculum.
3. There are no black bands in the caudal lobes. There have been none from 3.5" till now (the time they were in the shop).
4. There is a picture (dead) of each species in the salweenensis description. AQmpalong has a different shape to all the others, and this is the shape of mine. (the shape just suggest to me that they're young, it's the pointy not-filled-out-yet shape of young fish... but it could be a valid point all the same).
5. The shop said they were from a Celebes-area import.
I found this picture before I got these fish, but can't remember where. It looks just like mine...
They are stunning fish, very greedy, but very calm and composed.
If you have any other information about these fish, please share. Especially on sizes. Ampalong and salweenensis are not supposed to grow that big... but this is based on only a few specimens.
Just how rare are they?
Many thanks. Happy new year.
