Tom

I found it in the bag of ghost shrimp and I have no idea what it could be. So if you can ID it for me, that would be great. Sorry if the pic isn't the greatest, but I have the fish in a small 0.5 gallon right now and just have the water and glass.

Tom

COBettaCouple

Looks like a tetra. maybe a blind tetra.

Tom

No, it's not a tetra, cause it doesn't have that weird little fin between the dorsal and caudal fins.
Tom

susitna-flower

It looks rather like my Liberty Molly....mine never did get the lovely colors you see in pictures, just an off white, but the body shape looks similar.

Tom

I was thinking it was either some sort of livebearer or some sort of cyprinid. I'll check it out.
Tom

Butterfly

Nope it doesn't have an adipose fin and the body is kind of elongated like a minnow of some kind.
Carol

Tom

But the question is, what kind?
Tom

Butterfly

What do the fins on the bottom look like? any chance of a pic of it swimming?
Carol

Tom

I'll see what I can do. It has a little dark lateral line that goes the full length of the body, which I doubt is the actual lateral line, but it is part of the coloration.
Tom

susitna-flower

I have included a picture here of my Libertys that might give you an idea what I was saying.....the female is easier to see, the male behind and below....

Attached Images

picresized_th_1206779275_P1000063.jpg (178.4 KB, 37 views)

Tom

I don't think those are them. Mine is more slender and longer too.
Tom

gremlin

mosquito fish.

I am attaching a couple of pics of some of mine. I have them in my outdoor pond. The larger ones are females (they have rounded bottom fins) - the smaller ones are males (they have a long thin bottom fin that is usually carried up against their bellies). The dark spot towards the back is because most of (if not all of) my females are pregnant. after all, it IS spring... Here in Phoenix, Arizona, the cooperative extension service will give away these little fish as mosquito control. They are voracious when it comes to anything that wiggles in the water. I call them my little pirahna fish because of the way they attack the tubifex worms I throw in to feed them. They like to be kept in groups. They are live bearing. Mine love to sun themselves. they will all line up against the edge of the pond in the sun and just sit there for as long as the sun in on the pond. When my pond was in full shade, they did not survive. I think they must need at least some exposure to full sun in order to survive/thrive. If they are not outside, you may consider a full spectrum light. anyway, that's what your pic looks like to me.

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	04-03-08_2213 mosquito fish.jpg (56.2 KB, 22 views)
	04-03-08_2221 mosquito fish.jpg (51.8 KB, 24 views)

Tom

It could be a mosquito fish, I will check the anal fin tomorrow.
Tom

gremlin

any word on if this is what you have? I'm curious to know how they do in an inside tank. I always assumed they would not do well inside as they seem to need sun exposure. Please let me know how it is doing.

Marc

Definitely a livebearer/killifish of some kind. Did you figure out if it's a mosquitofish or not? There are LOADS of fish it might be, in any case... it's almost certainly female, but it doesn't seem to have the gravid spot which most/all livebearers have. How big was it? I'm thinking it's a killifish of some sort, though female killifish are ridiculously hard to identify due to their incredibly common coloration.

gremlin

any word on id ing this one yet?

Alessa

yes im curious... it kind of has the face of a platy/guppy so like it was said before, some sort of livebearer?

mlinden84

my guess is it's a baby alligator

Tom

Wow, I completely forgot about this thread, but I have no idea what it could be still. I do know that I have some mosquito fish in a tank for the winter though, but they are outside right now in a pond. Those are doing great. I think I should go through my old posts and see what needs to be updated and what not some time soon.
Tom

gremlin

do you have a current pic? since it has been a while?

Tom

No, the mystery fish died a short while after I got it, so no new pics.
Tom

gremlin

bummer - however, that would go along with it being a mosquito fish. I haven't been able to keep any alive in a tank - they need to have access to full sun part of the day. My sister just put a rock shelf in her pond and she barely got her hands out of the pond before the mosquito fish were swarming over the top of the rock. They seem to prefer water about 2 inches deep over the rock.

Tom

Weird, cause I have had nothing but luck with mosquito fish here in a tank inside, I've even had them breed for me too.
Tom

gremlin

do you use full spectrum lighting? that may have been my problem, I just didn't have the right lighting.

Tom

No, just a regular incandecent bulb, like one you can get from any store, just enough to put a little light in the tank. But I wonder if it has to do if they are born and raised in the regular light, compared to being born and raised in the sun light, that would be really interesting if it was. I'll have to look into that.
Tom

gremlin

all of mine have been ones that I tried to keep in a tank after they had been bred in the pond. I wonder if it is a different subspecies or if it is just what they are used to.

peacemaker92

I think it's a female guppy! I've been staring at the picture for more than half an hour and I see the stomach and the tail which reminds me of guppy! And it is definitely a livebearer! So it's either a mosquito fish or a guppy!

Tom

I know it's not a guppy, that's a guarantee, but a type of mosquito fish, it's a good chance.
Tom

peacemaker92

Okay, it's not a Guppy... Weird.

gremlin

I'm pretty sure it was a mosquito fish - If it was sick or starving, that would explain the sunken look to its belly and the lack of the black spot behind the belly.