Marc van Arc wrote:The new Peru shipment has been postponed for another month, so I guess we'll have to wait a little longer to see which fish is called Novia alligator. That is, if they send it along this time.....
I will fill you in shortly with some notes I made while watching the Auchenipterids doing their thing in the blue light
It turned out that the new Peru shipment from this wholesaler has been postponed forever.... Let's hope the LFS-chain is able to find another Peruvian exporter who does more than just promise.
Anyway, here are a few notes on Auchenipterid nocturnal behaviour related to feeding. People who object to feeding live fishes(*) should skip this one.
As stated before, the blue light enables me to witness things that were literally in the dark previously.
Initially, all fishes come to the surface after feeding flakes and/or frozen foods, which makes the surface very crowded. Nevertheless, no agression between species or individuals is noticed. Nr. 1 bulger is undoubtly
; they'll cruise the surface in a hurry until no food particle is left.
Most
act likewise, but return to the bottom sooner (probably because of the Jaguars?) with the exception of T. fisheri, which are not easily impressed and remain very calm near the surface. I would have thought that
would avoid this crowdedness, but no, they're as happy to join in as all others.
My true hunters,
and
show less involvement. They'll certainly eat, but stay away from the feeding frenzy displayed by the above mentioned species.
When feeding live fish it is - obviously? - the other way round. Most woodcats are just too enthousiastic to catch a live fish - in a tank that is; I take it no-one feeds them flakes in the wild - and if they ever do it's sheer luck. They'll certainly give it a go but after some time they'll return to the bottom to see if they can find anything there. Except for the fisheris, which hang head up near the surface and are thus able to catch at least something. The Tetranematichthys, which seem dead during the day and won't take anything (not even when a feeder is hovering above their heads), turn out to be very keen and quick hunters and are more than able to catch their share from the surface and middle water layers. They sneak upon a prey and then gulp it away in an instant of a second. Contrary to Tetranematichthys, Ageneiosus will also hunt during the day. They have a very keen eye sight and are fast as lightning. They are gulpers as well, hence their common name gulper catfishes, which is far more appropriate than dolphin or bottlenose catfishes. One might argue that
is the gulper cat, but I would suggets we call that one shopping bag catfish
.
I feed live fishes occassionally. I get them from amateur breeders, who offer me their bad (mostly deformed), yet healthy fishes. Due to bad experiences in the past I will not feed ill fishes nor goldfishes.
I breed guppies myself for feeding purposes. I hope this post will not arouse a discussion about the ethics of feeding live fishes.
. I am truly amazed with what I see; I should start making notes. Contrary to what I was used to the fishes are not in the least bothered by my presence and just do their thing.
