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What to feed tidepool sculpin fry?


Polarcollision

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Polarcollision

In the temperate tank, three of the sculpin fry have grown to 1" long. They'll nibble on cyclopeze but oyster eggs are too big. Any other suggestions for feeding these tiny things?

 

The acrylic is impossible to photograph through, so here's a blurry pic of one

064DCE9D-F0A3-4918-BCEC-86CF8E88C935-570

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Polarcollision

Are they the coldwater type of sculpin? There pretty cool, IMO.

yeah, they're the PNW variety. Two of them are green and the other is black. They look like little dragons!

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Blubbernaut

yeah, they're the PNW variety. Two of them are green and the other is black. They look like little dragons!

Cool! I have actually caught bullhead (Spiny Sculpin) while shark fishing before. If I had the tank, and if it was legal, I'd try to bring one home.

As for feeding the fry, try cutting extremely tiny pieces out of some frozen anchovy and feed them with that.

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Polarcollision

Cool! I have actually caught bullhead (Spiny Sculpin) while shark fishing before. If I had the tank, and if it was legal, I'd try to bring one home.

As for feeding the fry, try cutting extremely tiny pieces out of some frozen anchovy and feed them with that.

That's cool! Spiny sculpin are the kind that come with venom, yes? I think these tidepool sculpin didn't get that weapon - they just look like dragons.

 

Collecting in Oregon is legal in some places - with the fishing permit. Just sayin. ;-) I'll give it a try - they have itty bitty mouths but maybe they'll love anchovies anough to rip them up. Do you live on your boat?

 

 

Get whatever you feed the adults and crush it

 

 

That's why I'm asking for advanced advice - they don't go for it...

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Blubbernaut

That's cool! Spiny sculpin are the kind that come with venom, yes? I think these tidepool sculpin didn't get that weapon - they just look like dragons.

 

Collecting in Oregon is legal in some places - with the fishing permit. Just sayin. ;-) I'll give it a try - they have itty bitty mouths but maybe they'll love anchovies anough to rip them up. Do you live on your boat?

 

 

 

 

That's why I'm asking for advanced advice - they don't go for it...

So far I'm not aware that Spiny Sculpins have venom, but I don't want to test that theory....

No, I don't live on my boat.....It's a 19 foot Boston Whaler :wacko: That would be interesting....

The anchovy should work, as long as you give them small enough bits.

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Polarcollision

So far I'm not aware that Spiny Sculpins have venom, but I don't want to test that theory....

No, I don't live on my boat.....It's a 19 foot Boston Whaler :wacko: That would be interesting....

The anchovy should work, as long as you give them small enough bits.

Oh, yeah, that would be a little cramped on a Whaler. I lived on my sailboat for a couple of years and automatically assume "I'm on a boat" means the same thing. ;-)

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Blubbernaut

Oh, yeah, that would be a little cramped on a Whaler. I lived on my sailboat for a couple of years and automatically assume "I'm on a boat" means the same thing. ;-)

Might be a little windy too.....

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  • 4 weeks later...
AquaticEngineer

Try some really small live crustaceans.

 

I find tigriopus californicus in the upper splash pools all the time and the farther up the tide line you go the smaller the sculpins. I'm assuming its just a predatory protection thing for the sculpins, but the tigriopus are a native critter and I've even fed newly hatched Bay Pipefish with them.

 

If you cant find any up there hit me up I've been growing my cultures out for a couple years so I got plenty :)

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Polarcollision

Any updates with the French fries?

Yes! They sure are healthy eaters! Already graduated to brine shrimp and mysis. Looks like all three are going to do just fine.

 

Here's the littlest one:

9170659947_4727d6a2a8_o.jpg

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Polarcollision

The green one was a juvenile. I was showing a little 4 year old girl all the fish in the tide pools and cupped it slowly in my hands so she could hold it swimming in her tiny 'hand' tide pool. She thought she was a sea-princess holding a fish. It seemed super mellow, so I kept it. The adult sculpin appears to be gravid... though no idea if the eggs are viable. Shouldn't be too long before she pops.

 

Edit: I found the green ones among the lettuce algae if you're looking to collect them, too. She'll try and turn a darker green color over the black sand, but changes to that bright green to camoflage in lettuce. A few years ago I saw a variety with orange and blueish stripes in a tidepool at Salt Creek. Can't collect there, but would love something similar in OR (or if you happen to find a small 3" one).

 

Did you hatch them out or did you collect them as juveniles? Super Cool :D

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AquaticEngineer

The green one was a juvenile. I was showing a little 4 year old girl all the fish in the tide pools and cupped it slowly in my hands so she could hold it swimming in her tiny 'hand' tide pool. She thought she was a sea-princess holding a fish. It seemed super mellow, so I kept it. The adult sculpin appears to be gravid... though no idea if the eggs are viable. Shouldn't be too long before she pops.

 

Edit: I found the green ones among the lettuce algae if you're looking to collect them, too. She'll try and turn a darker green color over the black sand, but changes to that bright green to camoflage in lettuce. A few years ago I saw a variety with orange and blueish stripes in a tidepool at Salt Creek. Can't collect there, but would love something similar in OR (or if you happen to find a small 3" one).

I bet the Orange / blueish one was a male Fluffy Sculpin, they show some pretty awesome colors when they are ready to breed. If you want one I have a few in house right now, you are more than welcome to come by and check out stuff since you are local. I'm home most everyday

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Polarcollision

I bet the Orange / blueish one was a male Fluffy Sculpin, they show some pretty awesome colors when they are ready to breed. If you want one I have a few in house right now, you are more than welcome to come by and check out stuff since you are local. I'm home most everyday

Tempting! I'll have to get your location--I'm in Oregon to photograph often and I could just swing by on the way home.

 

Do they look like this: http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Longfin_003-143395763.jpg

http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Sculpin_056-482727611.jpg

http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Tidepool_Sculpin_055-661657777.jpg

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AquaticEngineer

Tempting! I'll have to get your location--I'm in Oregon to photograph often and I could just swing by on the way home.

 

Do they look like this: http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Longfin_003-143395763.jpg

http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Sculpin_056-482727611.jpg

http://rwglobal.com/~8arm/images/Tidepool_Sculpin_055-661657777.jpg

I wish they looked like that! lol,

 

Those first two pics are Longfin Sculpins and the third one is a Scalyhead Sculpin. We get the Scalyheads, but the longfins have evaded us thus far.

 

I'm just outside of Clackamas if you are ever heading up the 205 just give me a ring :) We have Fluffy Sculpins, Snubnose Sculpins, Corraline Sculpins all just chillin here if you wanna come take a peek.

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Polarcollision

Well, the bright side is that you knew it was a Longfin sculpin. If you ever catch one, it's mine.

 

I wish they looked like that! lol,

 

Those first two pics are Longfin Sculpins and the third one is a Scalyhead Sculpin. We get the Scalyheads, but the longfins have evaded us thus far.

 

I'm just outside of Clackamas if you are ever heading up the 205 just give me a ring :) We have Fluffy Sculpins, Snubnose Sculpins, Corraline Sculpins all just chillin here if you wanna come take a peek.

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