There's a Baby ???? Fish in My Tank!

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mlefessler

AC Members
Mar 4, 2008
205
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Rochester, NY
All my water parameters are within acceptable range for these fish:
2 figure-8 puffers (both ~2")
1 violet/dragon goby
3 bumble bee gobies
3 lyretail mollies (dalmation, white and black)

Recently, about 2 weeks ago, I've noticed that the black molly had given birth to 6 babies. So far, they're thriving (I will have to set up, yet, another tank for the molly population in the 55-gallon is becoming rather much).

While doing a water change this morning, I usually do a fish count after using the siphon tool. 2 puffers, check. 1 dragon, check. 3 bumble bees, check. 3 mollies, check. 6 baby mollies, check. 3.......wait......3 more?!

Yes, I found 3 more fish in my tank. However, I'm having an extremely hard time deciphering who they belong to. I've posted the best images I could take since they're so small and really, really good hiders.

I've come down to some conclusions to whether this is an unintentional puffer breeding:
- the babies have only one dorsal fin (bumble bees have two, mollies have a long dorsal fin, and in comparing the baby mollies to the new babies, their dorsal fins are not shaped at all the same)
- the babies are green/brown in markings (mollies are black, white and dalmation)
- the eyes are very, very similar to the puffers (very big, yellow ring around the pupil)
- the skin looks more like scales than scaleless skin?
- an appearance of MAYBE a white belly

Hopefully someone else can help me out in figuring out who these babies belong to. I feel it's the puffers, but I've read that puffers are extremely hard to breed in captivity, and besides, I have NO idea the sex of the two. What would the chances be? I suppose only time will tell!

DSCN2342.JPG DSCN2353.JPG DSCN2374.JPG DSCN2376.JPG DSCN2369.JPG DSCN2352.JPG
 
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Cichlidgirl91

AC Members
Feb 8, 2008
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Tobaccoville, NC
I would guess it's either a puffer or a molly. Looks like a molly to me, but the coloring looks different... and there's just something...well... different about him. Keep us posted though! I'm excited to see what it turns out to be!
 

mlefessler

AC Members
Mar 4, 2008
205
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Rochester, NY
I will indeed! I'm curious to see what they are, too. I'm stumped as far as the coloring goes (the mollies are white, black and dalmation).....and the babies here are rather brown! However, the more I look and study them, the mouths seem to resemble mollies, but it's just the coloring that really throws me off. I will definitely keep posting!
 

AquatiCreations

Registered something or another...
Feb 25, 2008
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Does he buzz around like a puffer or does he swim like other fish do?, that may be a clue as to who he belongs to.In photo 4 the mottled markings make me think hes a puffer.
 

wildman117

AC Members
May 13, 2008
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D-M-V
i don't think its a puffer as the mouth is upward and i think it might be a molly as the lyre tails are captive bred and it might have brown in it that showed up with the dalmatians
 

AquatiCreations

Registered something or another...
Feb 25, 2008
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Yes the mouth is that of a surface feeder...It is probably a molly,most likely a female due to the placement of the dorsal fin.I was confused until i looked at the mouth. Because the dorsal fin was nearest the tail,and the markings got me.
 

Mr. U

Can I have a cookie...pweeeze?
Oct 18, 2006
84
1
8
California Central Coast
i got a bunch of lyretail fry in a 10 gallon...that fry doesn't look like any of them :) I'd bet on it being a puffer...Good Luck! :)
 
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