What is this fish

[Angus]

Knowing the breeding habits of the species id say if there is one there will be a lot more.

They have probably been caught often but just get confused with Tilapia.

Angus

[Fishhunter69]

hey guys

i contacted the DPI to day about the fish in the photo.

i sent an email of the photo to them and they emailed me back

saying that its not a tilapia. so they r going to look into it now.

they think it a redhead cichlid.

[shortie]

i agree with them as stated earlier, but its not a pure strain its crossed with something else

[maxi]

bit like u eh shortie ......lol lol

[fishingnut]

One for elops

[Fishhunter69]

yea we will have to see what happens. i hope they will let me know whats going to happen

[roobs]

looks like a big firemouth cichlid to me.

[aussie123]

That fish is a female synspilum.

By the looks of the gut it would have bred within the next week.

[Fishhunter69]

yea that what i was thinking. but i dont know what sex it was but.

[elops]

That fish is a female synspilum.

By the looks of the gut it would have bred within the next week.

Thanks for that mate

The definative ID by someone far more experienced with cichlids than myself.

[SJS]

yeh may be a cichlid -there are so many types though!

[aussie123]

I used to breed my Synspilum every 12 to 15 days so if the conditions are good in the lake they will spawn anywhere from 200 to 500 eggs twice a month.

I have also heard from a reliable source that a dam full of them washed away into the Upper Albert River system during the floods so that's a bit more sad news.

[elops]

Am I the only person who reads and comprehends english ?

This fish is Vieja synspillum, identified as a female.

Surely that OP's question has been answered :whistle:

[elops]

We posted at the same time aussie 123, quick question what is lower temperature tolerance of V. synspillum ? VERY bad news re Albert if they will survive winter.

[noddy]

About 24ish but they would survive down to about 20 degrees for prolonged periods before the would be experiencing any adverse effects. They are a very hardy fish though and others opinions may vary...

[aussie123]

They will survive just fine as the water temps drop very slowly after summer and they acclimatise as the weather cools off.

They will tolerate down to around 16 degrees just fine if done slowly although they will not breed over winter at those temps.

They will be like any other fish and sit in the thermoclines over winter for protection.

Ray said they caught one there last year sometime so looks like they are surviving and breeding ok.

The abundance of small fish and shrimp will make a perfect habitat for them and all that weed will provide mass cover for the fry to survive so I believe there is no stopping them now.

I guess the only saving grace is they really have no where to go except the salt but once these nasty predators start reaching the 30cm range they will hunt down and kill everything in their path.

[elops]

Then they will do well in Kurwongbah unfortunately.

At what age are they sexually mature ?

[aussie123]

Most Central American cichlids including the Veija family are fully mature for breeding at around 12-14cm and some even a bit smaller than this.

[aussie123]

I guess if you look at the Brazilensis near Dum Dum on the Tweed River and also at Doon Doon Creek below Clarrie Hall Dam,the Jack Dempseys in the Clarence River and the quarry down there and also the Red Devils and Convicts in the Hinze Dam there would be bugger all difference in the water conditions to Kurwongbah.

Hinze and Kurwongbah would be nearly identical over winter and the cichlids are surviving and breeding just fine.

There is also a unconfirmed report of Electric Yellows now in the Hinze but I do think winter temps may slow them down a bit.

Geos have also been caught in a small stream up on the Sunshine coast early last year.

[elops]

Is it possible to give an age at maturity ? have been searching reference material without any luck. Age at maturity is the key to estimating potential population growths.

[aussie123]

Rough guess would be 14 to 16 months to reach breeding maturity.

They will start laying around 150-200 eggs per spawn every 2 weeks if conditions and food are suitable otherwise they will breed every 4 weeks.

By 2 years old they will be laying up to 500 eggs per spawn and very large adults can easily lay 800-1000 eggs.

Any temps above 22 degrees will see full spawning regularity and 26-28 degrees will see them at their peak spawning capabilities.

[elops]

Trophic ecology of Kurwongbah is is infinately greater than any river system unfortunately,would be classed as eutrophic.

G. brasiliensis also well established in Stanley/Somerset

[elops]

Thanks for that, at least they dont mature at < 6 months, > 12 months and the figures work out less frightening.

cheers

Steve

[aussie123]

Unfortunately we may be in for a few surprise catches in the next year or two in the brissy catchment.

I know of a number of breeders who lost all their fish in the floods.

One guy had 200 tanks,another 70 tanks and another had 30 odd and most fish disappeared in the floods.

I can just imagine how many exotic fish were washed away from tanks,pools,dams and ponds in the floods from peoples houses and back yards.

[elops]

Yes anything could turn up Channa, Gar, RTC, maybe even A. gigas, most likely just the odd Barra though.

[aussie123]

I know of 2 Gigas and a RTC all over 1m gone missing.

I also know of 2 other very large RTC but I have not heard yet if the guy got them out of his pond before his house went under.

Also half a dozen arrows gone missing.

Hopefully with the gigas they may both be males due to the excessive growth rates of both the fish.

Plenty of barra,bass,JP's ect out there too.

[elops]

Just got an email from a mate on the northside who catches "feeders" for his fish in Kurwongbah. Caught a 20 cm male V. synspillum this afternoon

[aussie123]

I would say the lake is full of them.

[elops]

Well not full of them, most likely a breeding population of them it seems.

My mates Cod ate it.

Are these things likely to be able to hold a pipe or drum Cod breeding site against a 55 cm Cod ?

[aussie123]

I doubt they would worry a cod of that size but they certainly will predate on their fry.

[elops]

Everything predates on Cod larvae and fry dont need anything else.