Chalk Bass Spawned

[TrappedMetal]

Hi guys.
We've had a pair of chalk bass for about a month now, for about 3 weeks they've been spawning and eating the eggs.
It now seems the male has a mouthfull of eggs for the first time.
Can anyone offer any tips regarding care of the fry, how long they'll stay in the mouth and around the parents? the female isnt interested at all, its the male thats hiding out and chugging them around in his mouth.
Thanks for any advice.
James

 

[Valab]

Don't have any advice, but congratulations! Very cool.

 

[Justinandkrista]

Any pics that sounds cool. I have liked the chalk bass alot but dont see many people keeping them. I know its part of the basslets and they dont get along with same species so im try to decided if i want a chalk bass or a royal gamma

 

[ssavader]

Too cool, get pics and we'll hope someone who knows what to do will chime in!

 

[sunfish11]

Wow, that is really neat. I like chalk bass and I had no idea they were mouth brooders. Very cool.

Lisa

 

[philter4]

They aren't mouth brooders, they are hermaphoraditic egg traders. What this means is they have both eggs and sperm and the dominant fish begins the spawning as male and after "he" spawns as male, they switch and "he" becomes the "she". I've witnesses the spawing several times while diving and they are broadcast spawners where they just put the eggs and sperm into the current and hope for the best. There is also a great discription of the event in Paul Humann's Reef Fish Behavior on page 266.

There could be 2 different reasons for the behavior you are talking about, one is they are not the chalk bass, Sarranus tortugarum, or they have eaten so many eggs that the rest are just in the mouth because they can't swallow any more. If you could post some pics that would be great.

 

[sunfish11]

Very interesting philter4, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[philter4]

TrappedMetal, I'm very curious as to what the fish are doing, are the eggs still in the mouth of one of the pr? Can you get any pics, or a positive ID on the pair? Also if they spawn frequently could you get pics of that?