Leaf fish pretends to be ABN

[CACAdmin]

I posted a thread and pictures about the amazing ability of leaf fish to change their color drastically in the Leaf fish and camouflage (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4489) thread.

I am used to their camouflage, however, tonight I saw the female attempt something new (or at least something I hadn't seen before)

Here she is hanging out with an ABN, matching color. Don't worry adult BN's are not on the menu (too large). I guess she's hoping the feeders I added to the tank earlier will think she's just an oversized ABN. :rolleyes: :laugh:

http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/jb_images/Leaf-fish-F-mask-color-ABN.jpg

[Melody]

That's awesome! I really had to look for her in the picture. It's so amazing how creatures have evolved and developed defense/hunting/survival mechanisms, and even more amazing that they instinctively know how to use them.

Is that a female ABN? I think mine are both males. Name your price sir! lol

[CACAdmin]

Yes that's a female ABN. There are two in that tank with a White Tipped Male. I've had at least one spawn (not sure which female). However, in that the spawn took placed in that tank, I only ever saw one baby which along with the others I'm sure became part of the dinner menu. :rolleyes: You're welcome to one of the females, if I can succeed in catching one.

[Melody]

That'd rock, thanks. We can trade for the other male if you like. I don't want to put him in the 90G with that big brute you call a White Tip male...lol. He's the biggest White Tip I've ever seen. A testimony to his colourful ancestry I'm sure. :yes:

[CACAdmin]

I actually have a female white tip that almost rivals his size. :twitcy: And wait until you see the actual size of the female ABN... definitely not dainty.:rolleyes:

[Melody]

What are you feeding those things? LOL Mine have always stayed on the small side. There's a larger common BN that I think has something to do with today's variances. I had the brown version before and he was similar in size to your male. The White Tips I got from Patrick stayed more dwarf size. Healthy as can be, lots of weight to them, but under 4" I'd guess.

[CACAdmin]

The only BN's I've ever introduced into my tanks were Albinos or White Tips (and my 2 sources were Pam and Patrick). Maybe it's something in their genetic history that's coming through or it's all the food they get around here... yes, I'm guilty of overfeeding... and they probably get a wider variety of foods than I do. :rolleyes: ... homemade foods (Critter Crumbs and Bottom Bites), frozen foods (Brine Shrimp, Emerald Entrée, Bloodworms), Fresh veggies (zucchini, peas, green beans), pellets (Danichi Veggie Deluxe), Flaked Seaweed, Algae wafers and a variety of flaked foods including Brine Shrimp Plus and HBH Veggie Flakes.... and probably another half dozen or more varieties of of flakes and pellets I try at random plus they get to clean up what the fry miss in of the powdered veggies I got from you and Instant BBS. :spinny: Now I'll leave it to you to figure out why they grow to that size. :twitcy:

[Pamelajo]

Jay this is soo neat!


This is my biggest guy, his brother and sister are a good inch smaller. He is a confirmed bachelor. Gave up putting females in with him, none were good enough.:rolleyes:Not sure why the size difference.

[CACAdmin]

That is neat... my largest albino females are about 4 in. I'm pretty sure the male Melody got from me is 5 in. maybe a little more and I'm quite sure he was one of yours. We'll have to get Melody to measure him.

[Melody]

I'll see what I can do! I don't think it's a food shortage - who do you think taught you people how to feed fish anyways? :rofl: The genetics are intriguing though. My common brown was about the same size and I know there are two different albinos that are routinely crossed. The Whitetips get a tad bigger than my Ancistrus sp. 'L144'. The Whitetips entered the hobby as a 'dwarf' species. I'm sure they've been crossed into the larger common browns many times over.

[Melody]

Okie dokie, here we go...

'Brute', the Ancistrus Sp. at just over 5", tip to tip:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-AncistrusSp-M-5.jpg

Female from Pam - bigger than the original 'dwarf', which I believe was supposed to be under 3":

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-AncistrusSp-F-3.jpg

And of course, the other kids had to be measured too :rolleyes: :

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-Mollies7.jpg

[CACAdmin]

I'll see what I can do! I don't think it's a food shortage - who do you think taught you people how to feed fish anyways? :rofl: The genetics are intriguing though. My common brown was about the same size and I know there are two different albinos that are routinely crossed. The Whitetips get a tad bigger than my Ancistrus sp. 'L144'. The Whitetips entered the hobby as a 'dwarf' species. I'm sure they've been crossed into the larger common browns many times over.

Thanks for measuring him and posting a pic of him and the female. What? you didn't get to measuring all those other pretty fishies.?...lol :DevilGrin:

Genetics play such a huge role in and some ancestral traits resurface generations down the road which makes for fun surprises. Like when I get albinos in a tank with only White Tip parents. Cool! I wonder if pairing two albinos (whit-tip offspring) could throw any white-tips or if the albino gene is dominant. Just thinking. It's fun to ponder these things.

One thing I sure don't have to worry about is any outcrossings with the Leaf fish ABN wannabe. :laugh:

[gedidiah]

I used to love my leaf fish, I had to get rid of it I could not afford to feed it, he would eat 2 or 3 fish a day. The person who bought says it is 6 inches now, it was 3-4 when i sold it. Everything I read said 4 inches was full grown, the guy who ordered it for said the breeder had a "giant" leaf fish 14 inches?ever hear of such a thing?

[CACAdmin]

Yes, the can eat a couple of fish a day depending upon the size of the fish. Mine do eat quite a few (I use culls and also breed some feeders myself). However, they will only eat until they are full. Fish can swim happily around the tank under their noses until they get hungry and decide to hunt for their next meal.

I don't recall reading anything about leaf fish that grow that size. However, there are a number of species of leaf fish. I'll see if I can find out which species is sold under 'Giant' leaf fish.

[CACAdmin]

Well, the female who changed her color to look like an ABN is apparently even smarter than I gave her credit for.

Last night I as I watched she kept hovering on the bottom of the tank right next to the male white tip BN I have in there. He of course likes to sit motionless on the bottom nibbling on some food and then when done moves an inch or two to another food morsel. She changed to his color and then sat with her belly on the bottom. I had to laugh, thinking that there was no way one of the feeder fish would think she's a pleco as she's tall and thin.

This morning I found her in his exact spot laying on her side on the gravel with her mouth angled upward to catch unwary prey as they swam by. She didn't move... not even flinch, until the pleco (making his rounds for breakfast and I'm guessing not realizing she was a fish) landed on top of her. When she moved so did he and she rose very slowly to the top of the tank.

Here's a pic (sorry shots are almost impossible with all the reflection I get in the morning.. so I tried to cut out as much of the reflection as I could). Just wish I had had the camera ready when the BN came swimming along and landed on her. :twitcy:

Here she is mimicking a White Tip BN (you probably can't see him but he's in the distance off to the far right)
http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/jb_images/leaf-fish-F-mask-behavior.jpg

[Pamelajo]

I can see him and her. That is so neat. Can you try and put brightly coloured objects in and see what she does?

[CACAdmin]

I would have loved to try your idea Pam, as I have thoroughly enjoyed watching their various behaviors and camouflage techniques since the day I got them. Although they have always loved to come and watch me as I sit at my desk, whenever I started mucking about in the tank they would turn the color of the underside of the water lettuce leaves and float horizontally just underneath them at the surface until they were sure I was finished.

However, sadly, they have succumbed to the heat. These leaf fish like cooler temps (I kept them at room temps, no heater). I have struggled to keep all my tanks cool but with an apartment where the temps have exceeded 84F day in and day out and for a few days didn't go lower than 90F (highest it hit was 93F), it eventually took it's toll. And so I lost both leaf fish. :frown: I will miss them.

So far, thankfully, the only other casualty was one heavily pregnant female molly. Everybody else seems to be doing ok.

[Pamelajo]

Awww Jay so sorry you lost them to the heat. We will miss the stories about them.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks, Pam.