Breeding Journal, Species: Synchiropus ocellatus "Scooter Blenny" (mPedersen)

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:10:34 GMT

Breeding Journal DataSheet for Synchiropus ocellatus

General
Species: Synchiropus ocellatus
Social Structure: they are independent, coming together in male female pairs only for spawning
Size of Individuals: Male 2.5", female 1.5"
Age of Individuals: unknown (wild caught)
Date added to Tank: Female added on 6/8/2008, Male on 5/14/2008

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank: 24 gallon nanocube
Substrate Details: live sand
Filtration Details: stock JBJ filtration
Water Changes: 25% per week
Water Temperature: around 80F
Lighting: stock lighting
Lighting Cycle: was probably on for 13 hours per day, always on a timer
Other Tank Inhabitants: I have kept my scooters with many other fish, including other dragonettes.

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types: After settling in, the Scooter Blennies learn to eat Pellet Foods (formula 1 and 2) as well as Frozen Mysis and Frozen Enriched Adult Brine
Feeding Schedule: Multiple feedngs per day

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: 10-3-2008
Spawn Time of Day: 11:30 PM
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:
CourtShip Details: Male Displays his large dorsal fin to the female. If female accepts, they will start going through "dry runs" of the spawning rise. Scooter Blennies have the typical dragonette spawning rise, with the pair swimming together parallel up towards the surface in their spawning rise.
Egg Size: 0.8 mm
Egg Color: clear
Egg Count: not many...I didn't note any exact number, but would guess maybe less than 50...female was small.

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:
Hatch Time of Day:
# Days after Spawn:
Larve Description:

Larval Tank Details
Temperature:
Size of Larval Tank:
Substrate Details:
Other Tank Decor:
Filtration Details:
Lighting:
Lighting Cycle:
Water Changes:

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:
Feeding Schedule:

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:
Days after Hatch:
Date of Settlement End:
Description of Fry:

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature:
Size of Grow-Out Tank:
Substrate Details:
Other Tank Decor:
Filtration Details:
Lighting:
Lighting Cycle:
Water Changes:
Size at Transfer:
Age at Transfer

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types:
Feeding Schedule:

Additional Information
Miscellaneous Information:

The original full documentation of these events was on MOFIB at - http://www.marinebreeder....b/viewtopic.php?t=2671

I never really put much effort into breeding this species. This journal documents the only one verifable spawn I ever collected, and it failed to hatch.

I've since sold this pair of Scooter Blennies prior to our move to Duluth, and now have set up a new pair (I figured this was a species that is easily obtainable and cheap, so no need to carry more fish up north than I had to ) I should add that this is by far the easiest Dragonette of the 4 common species to keep, readily accepting prepared foods in all my experiences. Still, they always arrive emmaciated. For the person looking to spawn a Dragonnette Species, this may be the easiest.

Some Pictures from my experiences:

My first pair...

The pair I sold off, shot in January of 2009 - male in foreground, female in background, you can clearly see the difference in the dorsal fin

Eggs, newly spawned, at 10X

The same at 60X magnification

Ten hours post spawn at 60X magnification, and development suggests they are not fertile or perhaps have died...

22 hours post spawn, and dead eggs are showing up (again, 60X)