Breeding Journal, Species: Corythoichthys haematopterus (Dragonface pipefish)

General
Species:  Corythoichthys haematopterus (Dragonface pipefish)
Social Structure:  Pair
Size of Individuals:  5-6", female slightly smaller than the male
Age of Individuals:  Unknown
Date added to Tank:  12/4/10

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  Still in QT....10 gallons
Substrate Details:  barebottom
Filtration Details:  bacteria
Water Changes:  daily water changes
Water Temperature:  75
Lighting:  ambient...from a clamp lamp
Lighting Cycle:  16 hours
Other Tank Inhabitants:  none 

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  brine, pods, frozen mysis, trying to get them eating pellets
Feeding Schedule:  3x daily

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  I didn't actually observe the spawn, and I didn't know the male was holding until I saw the fry.  I'm going to assume, based on research, that they spawned 1/7/11, though it could've been as early as Jan 1.

Spawn Time of Day:  ?
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  ?
Courtship Details:  Based on what others have seen, courtship consists of the pair being intertwined with their lower abdomens being held tightly together.  Eggs get transferred to a "flapped area" on the lower third of the male's abdomen
Egg Size:  1mm round or so
Egg Color:  clear
Egg Count:  unknown...maybe 350-400?

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  1-27-11
Hatch Time of Day:  Evening
# Days after Spawn:  unknown
Larvae Description:  And I thought goby larvae were hard to see!  These babies are maybe 1/2-3/4" long, a hair's width, and basically look like little eels.  They're clear and have the pipefish head...move by undulating back and forth.


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  79
Size of Larval Tank:  2 gallon bucket
Substrate Details:  barebottom
Other Tank Decor:  airline tubing/airstone
Filtration Details:  constant water change
Lighting:  ambient
Lighting Cycle:  not on a timer...somewhere between 12-16 hours
Water Changes:  constant drip in and drip out

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  rotifers
Feeding Schedule:  constant

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

(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 
I didn't even realize that the male was holding eggs until I saw a bunch of little worm things in the pair's tank!  Upon closer examination the little worm things were babies!  I pulled the male out and only about half the eggs have hatched.  Hopefully the rest hatch soon!


You will be required to provide photographic or video evidence in this thread of each event submitted for the MBI Program.
If your thread does not contain these photos the MBI Committee will not be able to approve your reports. PHOTOS AND VIDEO S MUST BE PLACED IN ADDITIONAL POSTS, NEVER IN THE FIRST POST IN A JOURNAL.

Male holding the eggs...top down shot.  Female is in there too, kinda.

Closer shot:

 
Male flipped over on his side:

 
BABIES!!!!

 

Those are some great shots of the eggs and babies!

Thanks!   I'll see what I can do about getting a bunch more, but I'm hesitant to mess with them too much in fear of aggravating the male too much or stressing and killing the babies. 

Can we see a picture of the full Broodstock tank..Personally I think that is an important piece of information to others that we often miss in the Journals.
 

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

I'll see what I can do Chad   I wouldn't really consider it "the broodstock tank" because they're still in QT, but I'll snap a picture.

Congrats Chelsey
 
If you got those specimens from Blue Zoo Aquatics they're most likely Corythoichthys flavofasciatus. The ones I've gotten from them in the past that were advertised as Corythoichthys haematopterus were in fact verified to be C. flavofasciatus.
 
Do you see them snickering at the rots? Are they in fact feeding on them? I anticipated rots as being too large for their micro mouths.
 
Good Luck!

Live and Learn

Thanks   I didn't get them from Blue Zoo, I got them from a local fish store in STL.  They are snickering at rotifers, yes.  I haven't pulled any out and looked at them under a microscope, but they appear to be feeding on them just fine. 

Congrats! Awesome photos!

Doni Marie~

Congrats the baby pics are incredible !
 
How often do you feed them, and for how long will they be on rotifers- being that their mouths are so small...will this carry on for a longer period than say clownfish for example?
 
Also- you do not need to separate the young from the parents once hatched?

Michelle  
 

Any updates, Chelsey? I recently had a C. flav hatch myself The last fry only made it to day 7.

Live and Learn