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Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 4:19 pm Post subject: Fish ID
Any ideas what species this fish is? After heavy rain on Wednesday about a hundred of these little guys were left stranded in our field beside the drain & presumably came out of the farm pond. The coin is a 5p.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 4:59 pm Post subject:
Not a clue, but if they keep bringing you money I'd advise you to encourage them.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 6:13 pm Post subject:
It's a Teleost. Possibly an immature one. That said, there are some who say that there is no such thing as a fish...

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 6:43 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Not a clue, but if they keep bringing you money I'd advise you to encourage them.

I wish! There's not a lot on them to eat...

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 8:25 pm Post subject:
Looks like a minnow that's been dead for some time. A live one.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 8:45 pm Post subject:
Heavy rain on Wednesday, photographed on Thursday.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 8:57 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Heavy rain on Wednesday, photographed on Thursday.

It may have died on Monday: there is nothing to say that it swam onto the field. Could be that a heron threw up...

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 9:18 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

Rob R wrote:

Heavy rain on Wednesday, photographed on Thursday.

It may have died on Monday: there is nothing to say that it swam onto the field. Could be that a heron threw up...

They definitely weren't there on Tuesday, and a hundred is a lot to throw up... My first thought was a predator stash but couldn't think why any animals would do that, leaving them out in the open. The chickens were picking at them today, though.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 9:50 pm Post subject:
We're thinking stickleback because of the very slender tail and the stripes. Might have to try catching some lives ones to compare.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 10:47 pm Post subject:
Easy way to tell stickleback is lift the dorsal fin & count the spines. I'll bet a 50p to that 5p it's a minnow.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 16 11:06 pm Post subject:
I better get myself a fishing rod... A true minnow? I can't find a picture with such a narrow tail. I examined the bodies but they're all a bit past it now.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 16 12:32 am Post subject:
I think it's a female stickleback.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 16 7:27 pm Post subject:

im not sure,
it aint very fresh
it probably isnt some of the suggestions so far as it does not have features they would have even if they were a bit stale and bloated
for instance the right sort of spines,colourings,shapes etc etc

it has characteristics of a few that might live in your pond but not all and some contradictory ones
dace,rudd roach and a few others can hybridize so my best suggestion is it might be a young mongrel of some type

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 16 9:46 pm Post subject:
Rudd & Roach have red fins. Stickleback have spines. Minnow like slow flowing, muddy bottomed fresh water. Make a minnow trap, easier than trying to hook them.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 16 10:00 pm Post subject:
Well they've certainly got slow/no flow, but the tail seems much too slender for a minnow. We shall have to see what we get. They must like the shallows to have got where they did.

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