Breeding Journal, Species: Zoramia Leptacantha

General
Species:  Zoramia Leptacantha
Social Structure:  Pair
Size of Individuals:  2 inches
Age of Individuals:  not known
Date added to Tank:  01/21/11

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  18"x12"x12"
Substrate Details:  coral sand
Filtration Details:  centralised filter foam, bio balls, live rock, skimmer
Water Changes:  none
Water Temperature:  25 deg C
Lighting:  std flourescent in fishouse. Non direct
Lighting Cycle:  14 on
Other Tank Inhabitants:  Red head gobies

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  mysis, brine.
Feeding Schedule:  3 times day

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  03/19/11
Spawn Time of Day:  20.15
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  5/6/2011
Courtship Details:  Female displaying in fornt of male raising caudal fin and arching.
Egg Size:  not known
Egg Color:  white
Egg Count:  maybe 300

Hatch Details
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Larval Tank Details
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Larval Feeding Details
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Metamorphosis/Settlement
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Grow-Out Tank Details
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Additional Information

(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 



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.

I was shocked tonight when after feeding my Blue streak cardinals and moving on to feed other fish, I had one last look around the tanks before I had to pull a nest of red head eggs and noticed an egg ball hanging out of my female blue streak..... Wow...
 
I quickly rushed to get my camera and took this shot.

 
I was amazed to see it buy didn't actually witness the spawning so don't know if the male actually fertilised them.
What was really interesting is that the male seemed completely clueless. The female swam around for 10 mins with the male occasionally joining her and rising in the water column, but not taking the eggs. I was baffled. Eventually the female shook herself to release the eggs and they both rose in the water column and to my surprise the female took the eggs!!!
She would then swim upto the male, (again looking clueless) shakeing her head from side to side and posturing. Occasionally they would swim together and I expected to see the female spit the eggs and the male take them. But no, at lights out the female still had the eggs, at least some of them anyway. Will have to wait till the morning to see if she has eaten the eggs or if the male has manned up and taken on his duties. Was fascinating to watch.

Very cool.

Found another egg ball on the bottom of the tank this morning. Don't know if they are any good, but tumbling them in a brine shrimp hatcher. They have started to float after a couple of hours, dont think this is a good sign?
Will try and get them under the scope later.

As there's not much info on these fish apart from Matt's report, thought I would post a picture of the male with his 'courting look' as it is a clear indication from what I have observed that he wants the female to spawn. (Even though he does'nt seem to know what to do when she does).
His blue and gold colouring really stands out and his head nearly turns black. The female also recipricates this colouration from time to time. They face each other twitching their bodies with the male occassionally gapping to show the size of his mouth. Compare the first picture with the second and you can see the difference in the intensity of colouration, particularly the darkness of the head region.