Banggai and Pajama Cardinal hybrid

[Fish-mom]

Okay, I am totally new to this forum but have a 55-gallon saltwater aquarium and a totally interesting situation! I have a banggai and pajama cardinal and didn't even think them breeding was possible or likely, but my banggai cardinal has been acting strange- not eating, staying in a corner... well I was trying to get a closer look at him and some of the babies came out of his mouth, not fully developed. I am going to separate him from my other fish but never intended to breed them. I am pretty amazed that they bred together. Has anyone else had this happen? I am attaching pictures of the fetuses that escaped his mouth.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Yeah uhhhh....that first picture looks like a mysis shrimp head. So does the second picture...

 

[Wolf89]

Thats food

 

[Fish-mom]

Yeah uhhhh....that first picture looks like a mysis shrimp head. So does the second picture...

Except he hasn't eaten in over a week and I literally watched them come out of his mouth and more are in there.

 

[Fish-mom]

Thats food

No, I watched them fall out of his mouth and he hasn't been eating for over a week. There are still some in his mouth.

 

[Sosuke]

Thats definitely food. Here is a Mysis shrimp (Top photo) here is a baby Banggai cardinal (bottom photo)

 

[Fish-mom]

They are not fully developed. I literally watched them come out of his mouth, I am new here, but not new to saltwater aquariums by any means. He hasn't been eating. It isn't food. I sent the photos to my friend that regularly breeds and sells saltwater fish and they agreed he is holding babies.

 

[ichthyogeek]

While I’d love to be wrong, I’m doubtful. Get us better non mysis looking pictures, and I might be less skeptical.

Mysis can live in the rockwork, so it’s not unlikely that the banggai went and ate some that live in the tank.

 

[Sosuke]

When the fish hatch they just look like the adults but small. Also I don't think any stages of the cardinal fish looks like that.

 

[Nick Steele]

Do you have a picture of the male that is holding?

 

[TangGang]

No, I watched them fall out of his mouth and he hasn't been eating for over a week. There are still some in his mouth.

Sorry Fish-Mom this is definitely mysis shrimp. Doesn’t matter if he hasn’t eaten it in a while. I’ve bred both fish and I can tell you with certainty that this is not what fry of either species look like at all.

 

[Fish-mom]

While I’d love to be wrong, I’m doubtful. Get us better non mysis looking pictures, and I might be less skeptical.

Mysis can live in the rockwork, so it’s not unlikely that the banggai went and ate some that live in the tank.

The only mysis ever in the tank is frozen. The tank is immaculately clean right now also. The photo I attached is not my fish, but you can see the partially developed babies do resemble mysis.

 

[Fish-mom]

The only mysis ever in the tank is frozen. The tank is immaculately clean right now also. The photo I attached is not my fish, but you can see the partially developed babies do resemble mysis.

Sorry Fish-Mom this is definitely mysis shrimp. Doesn’t matter if he hasn’t eaten it in a while. I’ve bred both fish and I can tell you with certainty that this is not what fry of either species look like at all.

They are not fully developed, it definitely looks like developing fish babies. There is no mysis in my tank except when they are fed frozen. I have had this aquarium for almost a decade and never seen them floating around any other time, even after feedings.

 

[TangGang]

The only mysis ever in the tank is frozen. The tank is immaculately clean right now also. The photo I attached is not my fish, but you can see the partially developed babies do resemble mysis.

Sorry not really they don’t. The pictures you sent earlier look exactly like frozen mysis, because it is. If you get a picture of the male maybe that would tell us yes or no but from the pictures so far it’s a no. Honestly from your descriptions so far I’m worried about your bangaii. Even when they breed they don’t act strange, and considering he is now spitting up old food, I think something is wrong with him. A male bangaii holding fry is still pretty active. I’d be more worried than excited right now.

 

[Sosuke]

The only mysis ever in the tank is frozen. The tank is immaculately clean right now also. The photo I attached is not my fish, but you can see the partially developed babies do resemble mysis.

Sometimes pieces of food land on rocks and stay there and some fish will eat off of that, also the Cardinalfish in the photo of the underdeveloped babies are circular.

 

[Fish-mom]

Sorry not really they don’t. The pictures you sent earlier look exactly like frozen mysis, because it is. If you get a picture of the male maybe that would tell us yes or no but from the pictures so far it’s a no. Honestly from your descriptions so far I’m worried about your bangaii. Even when they breed they don’t act strange, and considering he is now spitting up old food, I think something is wrong with him. A male bangaii holding fry is still pretty active. I’d be more worried than excited right now.

Actually, they do seclude themselves when they are holding. I literally have been checking with a friend that owns a fish store and breeds and sells these fish. I guess when I post the babies in a few weeks I will prove it then. I know what frozen mysis looks like. He didn't vomit old food. I saw his mouth full of babies when he opened it.

 

[Sosuke]

Just because your friend told you doesn't mean they are right. If you want to show us a picture of the male maybe you can prove us wrong

 

[TangGang]

Actually, they do seclude themselves when they are holding. I literally have been checking with a friend that owns a fish store and breeds and sells these fish. I guess when I post the babies in a few weeks I will prove it then. I know what frozen mysis looks like. He didn't vomit old food. I saw his mouth full of babies when he opened it.

Well I hope your right because that would be cool. I’ve bred and sold both these species too, and have never been so certain in my life that this is frozen mysis. The daily mail picture u sent is not even of a bangaii, and the fry still looks nothing like your picture of mysis. I’m genuinely worried about the health of your fish if it is spitting out old food. Again I hope I’m wrong, and I wish you the best of luck if it is fry.

 

[Fish-mom]

Well I hope your right because that would be cool. I’ve bred and sold both these species too, and have never been so certain in my life that this is frozen mysis. The daily mail picture u sent is not even of a bangaii, and the fry still looks nothing like your picture of mysis. I’m genuinely worried about the health of your fish if it is spitting out old food. Again I hope I’m wrong, and I wish you the best of luck if it is fry.

It isn't old food. I am certain. I know it isn't a banggai, but the baby fish look the same as what I saw in the tank. I have never, in almost a decade, seen frozen mysis look like what I am seeing.

 

[TangGang]

It isn't old food. I am certain. I know it isn't a banggai, but the baby fish look the same as what I saw in the tank. I have never, in almost a decade, seen frozen mysis look like what I am seeing.

Ok good luck then. I hope you post some updates if they turn out to be fry cause that’s awesome and I’m sure tons of people would love to see that.