Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

When I bought my Jade perch and my big silvers, I ended up with a fish that I am increasingly convinced is neither, It is starting to get quite dark now in coulour (earlier than silvers normally do), has dark fins, is smaller than the others and is quite agressive. Here are some pics - I hope you can all spot the one I am talking about.

more.

Looks like a Macquarie Perch??

Maybe - fits most of the description, except that mine is agressive. Thanks LB.

By counting fins etc of what I can see it looks to be a throwback of the same species. Perhaps it is ill. A fish will be darker than it's peers when ill, also explaining the size difference and agression.

Could be wrong.

Not familiar with the maquarie. EB did you say yours were argressive? VB also stated this.

Its has the scales more like the silver, but the shape more like the jade so i don't think its either of those.

Looks a bit like a bream to me, only a stab in the dark though, small scales, very spikey fins

Edit slaps head, how the hell could have a bream got into that batch of fish?

Almost definately a Sooty grunter, (Hephaestus fuliginosus) commonly mistaken for our Southern Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). The most obvious difference is the shape of the lower dorsal fin and the caudal fin (tail fin). Another test is to count the ridges on the anal fin.... if you can... there should be 8-9.

They are a pest fish, I have caught them many times in the Moore River, you can tell the difference on a small fishing rod.

Here is a picture:

Tim, I reckon you are right, you can see the line along the body in his photos, doesn't make me feel so bad about the black bream comment though!

Good spotting there too monya, didn't see that line. I just new straight away it was a grunter. They are quite aggressive too, I could swear once that I caught the same bastard 3 times one trip.

Thanks everybody - looks like TC gets the prize (of which there is none ).

So what should I do with him. Keep it in the system or dispose of it?

eat it Show it what happens when you are nasty to your aquarium mates

Either isolate it somehow, or let it grow a bit more and do as monya says. They are a bit 'muddy' tasting but they are edible, I suppose it depends on their diet. See how it goes with the rest of them for a while.

Sheez, it doesn't pay to be different in VB's tank, poor fella better start fitting in or its grilling time it seems!

All fish must conform to regulation standards. Fish going against the norm are deemed dangerous to themselves and others. Just look at the little blighter, it's obvious he's planning something.

iki sticks and sushi bars, that's what happens to rebellions round here.