Pike ID?

[Conner]

I've had this little guy/gal for about a little over a month now. Posted up pics when I first got him, but no ID possible at the time.

Well, here he/she is with some better pics. Its put on about 3/4" since I got it, and is a little piggy. So much of a pig that it just ate a 1-1/4" long skunk botia . And that was AFTER being fed in the morning...

I just moved it to a larger tank (with no small tankmates), so its a little stressed out in these pics, but these are pretty true to color. Unfortunately I couldn't get one with the dorsal nice and proud, I'll try to get some more in the next couple of days.

Anyways, can anyone ID this mystery pike from these pics? Its currently about 4-4.5" long.

 

[Conner]

Nobody? Man, do I have the plague or something? Does my breath stink?

 

[Cichlidgeek]

Conner,
Any idea of where it came from? That is, which country or collection locality??

 

[Conner]

Conner,
Any idea of where it came from? That is, which country or collection locality??

No clue. It was in an LFS tank with a bunch of belly crawlers and saxatilis pikes. It was the only one like it in the tank, and they haven't gotten any others in like it since.

 

[BigPic]

I would say from Columbia. Last order I helped land here in Winnipeg had 7 of these, they were mixed with the Belly crawlers and the Sveni. . . They were ordered as Johanna LOL. They were tiny and weak and I had no room in my tanks at the time, so, I put them in a tank with a bunch of cory cats. I came back a couple days later to pick them up . . . all dead . The point is, I wanted to know what they were as well haha

 

[Cichlidgeek]

Well if it was in with belly crawlers and saxatilis then I would agree with Ray for sure. Chances are they all came from the same shipper, but not a guarantee of course.

That all said, and in combination with the incomplete caudal ocellus and the number of bars and further in combination with the humeral blotch set higher than the horizontal black stripe, which also runs through the eye, and the small red teardrop below the glaring red eye.........(pauses to take a breath)........to me says Crenicichla anthurus.

But I caution you.....I am no expert when it comes to sax-type-pikes so take my guess with a grain of salt!!

 

[Conner]

Well if it was in with belly crawlers and saxatilis then I would agree with Ray for sure. Chances are they all came from the same shipper, but not a guarantee of course.

That all said, and in combination with the incomplete caudal ocellus and the number of bars and further in combination with the humeral blotch set higher than the horizontal black stripe, which also runs through the eye, and the small red teardrop below the glaring red eye.........(pauses to take a breath)........to me says Crenicichla anthurus.

But I caution you.....I am no expert when it comes to sax-type-pikes so take my guess with a grain of salt!!

A little long winded, but that's ok .

Anthurus, eh? I know its hard if you don't have collection point, and this LFS just orders from suppliers, they don't pay attention to where fish come from other than maybe continent.

The pike did come in the same shipment as the belly crawlers and saxatilis, so I assume it came from the same point of origin, although there's always the possibility it came from somewhere else and got mixed in at the supplier.

I guess I'll just keep growing it up to see what it develops into. Whatever it is, I think its a pretty pike, and I definitely enjoy having it.

 

[Cichlidgeek]

As long as you enjoy it and respect the animal for what it is then nothing else really matters.

 

[cichlid fiend]

Crenicichla sp. aff. anthurus "Kolumbien"



In that group for sure !!

I think !!!

 

[Cichlidgeek]

Here's another photo for reference. Not one of the ones I used to come to my conclusion, but clearly a close fit. I should mention that I believe the fish pictured below are very small, hence the lack of spangling on them as compared with your fish. Notice the red in the dorsal fin and the placement of the post humeral blotch along with the semi-enclosed caudal spot. Again, maybe not a perfect fit, but damn close I think. Either way, I'd be willing to bet my collection that the care and husbandry of the fish in question is basically identical to that of the fish below. Sorry, long-winded again

PS----Also the ringed post humeral spot is a clear identifier of this species if memory serves me right. PP am I right here??? LOL