NANFA-- RE:NANFA Mystery fish... River Reef

Nicholas J. Zarlinga (njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com)
Fri, 22 Jun 2001 13:28:19 -0400

It would seem to me that your mystery fish might be a black crappie. When
young, they can be a darker black color and are very thin, as you
described. They also have a pointy, up turned mouth which in dim light and
at a partial glimse, I could see being mistaken as an angelfish. They can
also be quite reclusive.

Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216-661-6500 ex 4485

"Fish worship... is it wrong??" (Ray Troll)

On Monday, June 25, 2001 9:32 PM, nanfa
[SMTP:owner-nanfa-digest_at_aquaria.net] wrote:
>
>
> Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 09:23:19 -0500
> From: kahley <kahley7_at_ptd.net>
> Subject: NANFA-- Mystery fish... River Reef
>
>
>
> ....As to the black mystery fish...
> I did find an Audubon Society fish book which is quite good for me
because
> it features photos
> rather than just the illustrations. As fine as the illustrations are, to
> my untutored eye, they
> aren't as helpful as pictures. I have never seen a side shot of my black
> fish as it is sooo shy.
> If I sneak up on it from down stream, I can catch it outside it's
> home. It's home is one of the
> "caves" I have arranged in the smaller reef. It prefers an actually cave
> to the overhangs or
> gullies that will do for others.
>
> From the rear, I can tell that it's a thin fish, but not much more. As
> soon as I get close, or
> attempt to move to get a side view, it darts back inside. Peering in
> through the opening
> gives only a glimpse of shadow. This year, I had a brainstorm. I
included
> a skylight in
> the caves, which allows backlight to illuminate the fish. The last day I
> was there, I did
> catch a look, before it retired further into the shadows. I only saw the
> front half of the
> fish dimly and the half I saw looked a lot like a black angel fish. Of
> course, I know it
> isn't...but the shape of the front end is the same. In looking at the
> pictures, I'm
> leaning to it being a bluegill, but if that is correct, then the fish I
> "thought" were blue
> gills are something else.............
>

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