two rare fish:longtail tripodfish and the ribbed gunnel

[youngspecialist]

I just bought two really rare fish on liveaquaria's divers den...ive never seen either in the aquarium trade or anywhere else..the first is the ribbed gunnel (pholis gunnelus) and the second is the longtail tripodfish (tripodicthys blochii)...both are sutible for a 70 gallon aquarium and i think i can feed mysis....please help...i usually kno my fish but these species are crazy!!! any info will help thanx.

 

[tchndie]

Could you post a pic of them??

 

[youngspecialist]

If you look up the scientific name for the longtail tripodfish (Tripodichthys blochii) on google images you'll see a fish that is kinda like a file fish...thats it....as for the gunnel...u can do the same...it looks like an eel

 

[youngspecialist]

picture aint workin

 

[billsreef]

Fishbase lists the diet of the Tripod fish as unspecified benthic inverts. This would typical translate to the researchers finding bits of worms and various pods in the stomach. From this, I'd try frozen mysis, cyclops, brine, etc.

With the gunnel, are you sure of that species name? The one you listed is a cold to temperate Atlantic species. I've caught them and kept them in temperate aquaria. They don't tend to do well when the temps get over 68 to 70 and typical move offshore to cooler waters when things get that warm in the summer around here. They usually do will with mysis and other small shrimp as far as diet goes. They are also eel like in habit, so like cover

 

[youngspecialist]

liveaquaria said it was collected in shallow japanese waters and adapted to temps of as high as 78 degrees...and it posted the scietific name of pholis gunnelus

 

[NyReefNoob]

tried a gunnel before and was told it came from japan as well, lasted a little over a month in my reef

 

[billsreef]

liveaquaria said it was collected in shallow japanese waters and adapted to temps of as high as 78 degrees...and it posted the scietific name of pholis gunnelus

Going to have to beat Kevin with a bristle worm for that one :lol:

 

[billsreef]

tried a gunnel before and was told it came from japan as well, lasted a little over a month in my reef

I'm not surprised it didn't last long in a reef tank. The entire family is temperate to arctic in distribution for both Atlantic and Pacific species. Not a single tropical species that I've ever found reference too. Keeping gunnels in tropical temps is right up there with keeping Catalina Gobies in tropical temps, just don't work long term.

 

[BBraker]

I had a Tripodicthys blochii a number of years ago. As I recall, it was very similar in habits to a seagrass filefish. They aren't rare, they just come from a habitat that isn't routinely collected for the pet trade. I don't remember why it died - maybe Cryptocaryon....

I agree with the last poster, gunnels are temperate / arctic - I've never seen one that I would trust at tropical temperatures.

BBraker

 

[youngspecialist]

Yea, both fish came...there both healthy..they share a tank with a hybrid scopas x yellow tang, a tomni tang and a bloodspot squirrelfish...tank is 75 degrees...liveaquaria stated the gunnel adapted well to temps as high as 78 so im just gonna take the risk and keep em there...both are feeding on mysis and the tripodfish also takes pellets and flakes.

 

[Booboobear259]

Would you be so kind as to put a link to their care I am ordering one also