Plesiops corallicola

[ThRoewer]

I found out that my Plesiops corallicola had spawned again. The video quality is not great since I had to film the reflection of fish and eggs in the bottom glass panel:



I turned the rock over to inspect the eggs with my microscope and it seems they are a couple of days from hatching (my guess is 2). The eyes are clearly recognizable but not jet silver and the yolk sack is still fairly large. I'm debating if I pull the nest to try to raise some of the larvae but I'm kind of short on space as it is. I expect my Marine Bettas to spawn again within the next days and I also have a large bicinctus nest I plan to raise. Adding the Plesiops into the mix might just not be a good idea right now...

 

[Big G]

Interesting fish. You just don't see them very often. Do you have another pic of the fish? Would love to see the color/patterning.

 

[ThRoewer]

Interesting fish. You just don't see them very often. Do you have another pic of the fish? Would love to see the color/patterning.

I've tried a few times but they are very shy fish and usually only come out of the rockwork to snap up food - and that's usually darting out, grabbing the bite, and then shoot right back into the rocks. You basically just see a flash and the food bite being replaced by a hole in the water.
Best is usually to stalk them shortly after lights-out or in the early morning hours which are the times they are most active.

 

[SaltBabies]

Awesome. Are you going to try to raise the young? Do you have a larva catcher?

 

[ThRoewer]

Awesome. Are you going to try to raise the young? Do you have a larva catcher?

I'm kind of torn: I'm expecting my Calloplesiops to spawn today, my bicinctus will hatch Friday or Saturday, and I'm still hoping for offspring of my BSJ (which may hatch any day now). And then there are my Bluestripe Pipefish who constantly have eggs I'd rather raise before the Plesiops. And to make matters worse - I'm flat out of space in the garage and in the middle of constructing a new rack to create more space for breeding.
On the other hand, it would be a nice opportunity and I'm literally drowning in rotifers.

I have the Vossen trap but have it right now with the BSJ. But I could easily take the rock out and transfer it to a bucket for hatching. I might just do that and see where it goes...