New Lung

[MrGuyPerson]

Hey all,

I managed to find myself an annectens locally. He's about 14 inches or so. His paired fins look a little short and he looks a bit thin, but he's been active in his new home and has some cool markings (sulfury yellow specks around his head). I was assuming he'd be too stressed to feed right away, but I offered him an earth worm anyway. He wasn't terribly interested. About how long should I expect for him to settle in?

I'll try to get some pics up when I get new bulbs for the strip light. He doesn't really look that different from most lungs I've seen other than his yellow flecks.

Cheers,

 

[santoury]

Is he black or dark gray? Sounds like (from the yellow flecks) that you have, actually, a South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

He's gray. His dorsal side is a darker gray than his ventral side, and he has slate gray mottling. There are a few flecks around his anterior end, but nothing extensive.

I'll try to run up to Home Depot in the next few days and get some new bulbs so I can get photos of him for a confirmation.

I'm beginning to think you're right the longer I look at him. He was a big hider at the store when I got him (stuck for months in a 15). He's a lot easier to see in the 75, but the lighting isn't great.

He has annectens mottling but it isn't as nice as many of the annectens I've seen (at aquariums, shops and online). Anyway, I'll get some pics in a day or two (or do my best, given my photography skills ).

 

[santoury]

I do not want any one to come in here and say "Hybrid?" LOL, just kidding dudes and dudettes

Most SA lungfish do not have "markings" but a FEW do have lighter colored markings which are basically the same color.

The legs on a SA lung are very very thin, and short, to begin with. Look up a picture of a SA lung in the meantime.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Yeah I've been trying to figure this fish out. He has tiny legs as I noted in the original post. He used his pelvics for locomotion and the pectorals just sort of stuck out perpendicular to his body. They are especially short. I just thought that they were nipped, but who knows. He does have pretty obvious mottling, but his body is darker overall than a lot of annectens that I have seen, so it doesn't show up as nicely.

The last 3rd of his pelvics are also white. I don't know if it's coloration or if that's what they look like during regrowth or something entirely. I'm pretty sure it's not an illness. It doesn't look like any external disease I've ever seen, that's for sure. He looks pretty healthy, other than being crammed into an undersized tank for several months (he had no tankmates when I purchased him).

I guess it's all a moot point without good pictures.

 

[E_americanus]

i'm sure seeing some pics of your fish will help figure out the ID no problem...until that time, just provide him with clean water (frequent large water changes) and make sure nothing pics on him in his new home (didn't catch if you had him with tankmates or not...it will work with a SAL, but not with African lungfishes). give him time and clean water and the lungfish should heal up just fine.

what were they feeding it at the store? i would suggest shrimp or a quality pellet...staying away from feeders is highly advised.

for some photo references, check www.primitivefish.com...there are pics of all six species of lungfishes there, at both juvenile and sub-adult/adult stages. hopefully more pics will be added in the near future as well, but that should at least help a bit with some ID possibilities--
--solomon

 

[MrGuyPerson]

He was eating freeze-dried krill at the LFS (according to the owner). Never planned on getting any feeders. Live foods will probably be earthworms as that's what his immediate neighbor (my axolotl) eats. I may try convict youngin's at some point, but that's down the road. The rest of the time I was planning on frozen krill and sinking pellets.

His only tankmates are 9 zebra danios, which will be moved soon if they aren't eaten. After that he won't have any tankmates.

Also, I've actually been using your site (primitivefish.com) for a while. Lots of neat photos.

Thanks a lot guys.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

At this point I'm pretty sure it's Lepidosiren. No external gills at all, tiny limbs, indistinct mottling and relatively thin body have me just about convinced. It's actually the first time I've ever even seen one. I'm pretty happy with my find. I'm going to home depot today to get him a nice place to hide and some new light bulbs, so I should have pictures up this evening.

 

[E_americanus]

At this point I'm pretty sure it's Lepidosiren. No external gills at all, tiny limbs, indistinct mottling and relatively thin body have me just about convinced. It's actually the first time I've ever even seen one. I'm pretty happy with my find. I'm going to home depot today to get him a nice place to hide and some new light bulbs, so I should have pictures up this evening.

sounds good man, they are definitely a great fish! good luck and looking forward to checking out the pics! keep in mind, since it is (most likely) an SAL, you can probably keep tankmates with it in the future if you decide you'd like to...one of the benefits of that species --
--solomon