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Shorty shortnose

Started by Guest_iturnrocks_* , May 28 2007 02:37 AM

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17 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 02:37 AM

Here are some pics of a baby gar I caught today.

Hes still a little camera shy, but I think the pics will only get better as time goes by.

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I was lucky enough to just see him attempt to catch a fish. As I looked in the tank the back half of his body was curved like an 'S' and then he struck (and missed).

#2 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 03:36 PM

Awesome...Very nice little fishy!!! Watch them by the way because as soon as that snout starts to elongate a bit they become very cannibalistic.

BTW...just as a comparison and why I'm fairly sure (but not fully sure) these are platostomus. This is a pic of a Osseus that is about the same DAH, (estimated by fin development and might be slightly off by about 10 days). You will notice the snout is much longer at this size. In a short bit the platostomus actually catches up to this and also gets a fairly long snout but the development of this is more gradual than in Osseus.

#3 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 08:15 PM

Just to let you know, he finally caught that fish-

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Im keeping this one separate from the others. He is the smallest, about 1.5 inches long. Most of the others are about 2 inches.

Here is what I am feeding them. I believe they are carp, they are quite abundant where I collected the gar. They come in small and xtra small.

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#4 Guest_killier_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 08:43 PM

those dont look like carp to me more like a salmonoid sp.

#5 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 10:24 PM

those dont look like carp to me more like a salmonoid sp.

Its probably just a bad photo, but I think the only salmonoids in kansas are introduced and they are believed not to spawn here. But then its the Missouri River so I suppose anythings possible. These fish were collected when the Missouri River overflowed its banks on the Kansas side of Kansas City. The fish in that picture is about 3/4 inch long.

#6 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 28 May 2007 - 11:06 PM

Here are some pictures of where these were collected.

This first photo is where I collected the baby paddlefish, baby goldeyes, and 1 of the shortnose gars. My previous description may have over-exaggerated the size of this pool, but it always seems bigger when youre walking in foot deep mud trying to hold a net in the water without catching any of said mud. I imagine this pool will be dry within a week or two.

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Here is the pool where I have caught most of the shortnose. It doesnt look very large, but it actually goes back into the trees where it gets deeper, and the actual water surface area is a few acres.

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#7 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 08:13 AM

Since Im new to baby gars, im wondering- whats the pointy tail for? It seems to vibrate.

#8 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 10:48 AM

Since Im new to baby gars, im wondering- whats the pointy tail for? It seems to vibrate.

It's an extension of the verebrate and acts as sort of a "propeller". The paired fins are very reduced in young fish so this helps them move around as well as hunt without giving away they are a fish and not a stick..

#9 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 01:30 PM

It's an extension of the vertebrae and acts as sort of a "propeller". The paired fins are very reduced in young fish so this helps them move around as well as hunt without giving away they are a fish and not a stick..

How long will they have the pointy tail?

#10 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 02:38 PM

How long will they have the pointy tail?

Usually only to about 4 to 5 inches..very rarely longer.

#11 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 06:59 PM

Heres a couple new pics that show off his pointy tail better.

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#12 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 30 May 2007 - 11:58 PM

One of these days Im gonna get a perfect pic, but heres what I got for today. At least its the natural color.

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I fed him 2 tiny dead fish today with forceps(note the lump). They really do pick it up quickly. I cant wait to try pellets someday.

#13 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 31 May 2007 - 07:54 AM

One of these days Im gonna get a perfect pic, but heres what I got for today. At least its the natural color.

I fed him 2 tiny dead fish today with forceps(note the lump). They really do pick it up quickly. I cant wait to try pellets someday.

If he's taking fish on forceps it is a quick step to get him on pellets. Once the fish Identifies anything on a stick, or in forceps as food, they usually quickly start to take about anything you throw at them. Just takes a bit of patience and persistence.

#14 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 31 May 2007 - 10:37 AM

Well, youre definitely right about cannibalism. I had 2 in a tank at work. Heres whats left of them both.

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Edit: Apparently some people have trouble with this photo. The top fish is just a closeup of the same fish on the bottom.

#15 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 01 June 2007 - 11:16 AM

Another successful forceps feeding-

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Were well on our way.

#16 Guest_bflowers_*

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Posted 02 June 2007 - 12:14 AM

I am not sure about Shortnose but Longnose gar fry can hold close to 10 of their brothers and sisters in there bellies. I had 30 fry in a 5 gallon one day and the next day I was down to 4 -5 with VERY enlarged bellies.

Bill F.

#17 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 02 June 2007 - 07:45 AM

I am not sure about Shortnose but Longnose gar fry can hold close to 10 of their brothers and sisters in there bellies. I had 30 fry in a 5 gallon one day and the next day I was down to 4 -5 with VERY enlarged bellies.

Bill F.

Definitely very true for Longnosed.(really all gar)...There have been times I never even got them out of the bucket and I was down a few..

I've always had the best success in raising small gar by keeping each fish individually or in a large wide shallow tank that is sparsely populated. Even if well fed they will still go after each other.