FIsh ID: SAE or Flying Fox?

[sudz]

Hey guys... I just went to the fish store... bought 3 fish labeled as flying foxes... but i REALLY believe they are SAE's. The manager said if they didn't eat my BBA, i could return them for full credit (i hav eNO problem spending credit at a petstore, lol)

Attached are some pictures.

Flying foxes tend to have black bands on their fins, and these fins are clear, which is what made me think they are SAE's. As well, False SAE's Black stripe ends before the tail fin, this one goes right through .

Let me know what you think.

THanks for opinions in advance!

 

[petunia100]

They look like the fish I just got from the LFS, and they told me that they were definately SAE not Flying Foxes. I got the SAE to help with my algae, but I don't know how much help they will be. Take a look at my pics of them in my gallery (they might not be approved yet, I just posted them).

 

[sudz]

Thanks Petunia! Im thinking i got lucky with labelling these as SAE's, not as Flying foxes like the label said they were! Please vote everyone! i want to be sure because i have 7 days to return them!

 

[Guest]

That fish has a gold bar above the black bar. True SAE do not have a gold bar above the black bar. although its hard to tell in your pic.. flying foxes have red in their fins. Here's how i found out how to id them.
http://www.petresources.net/fish/article/sae.html

 

[rich311k]

Looks like a flying fox to me. According to two different reference books.

 

[krap101]

could you get a pic from the side?

 

[sudz]

Hmm. I was under the impression that it couldn't be a flying fox because of its clear fins. There is no red in the fish at all. Its black, and silver and i guess grey. No brown tint either. They are also schooling. (well, 2 of them are... the 3rd one is a hermit)

They are also "sleeping" on the highest stump of my driftwood, which happens to be a haven of BBA. :-|

But yes... There is a definate gold stripe. Guess i'll be returning them wednesday. :-( Now i have to catch them. *sighs*

 

[petunia100]

What about mine?

What do you think about mine, the lfs swore they were SAE and not flying foxes. If they are flying fox, I'm going to take them back. Let me know your opinion. (Sorry to take the thread but it would be nice to compare the photos).

 

[sudz]

... I kinda like them though. They're peaceful, but jittery when they do move. They like to sit on the various peaks on my driftwood...

Are they harmful?

 

[sudz]

K, here are some more pictures. I really want to remove all doubt, because judging by how fast these guys can dart, it'd take me ages to catch them, specially in my tank now... My watersprite is growin like a weed.

 

[krap101]

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/

thats a pretty good site for the SAE variants

 

[petunia100]

Looking at http://www.petresources.net/fish/article/sae.html it seems like the number "whiskers" is the easiest way to tell them apart.

False SAE and CAE don't have visible whiskers
Flying foxes have two forward facing and two other whiskers
True SAE have two forward facing whiskers

It seems like the number of whiskers is less objective than other characteristics, coloration, fin stripes, etc.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Guest]

a way to tell for sure.. how many "whiskers" or barbells does it have? SAE have 1 set- 2 and Flying foxes have 2 sets -4. Also the fact that the black bar is wide in the tail is more like a flying fox.. where in a SAE the black band gets more pointed.. (in botht he band goes all the way through the tail) I did a lot of research before i found mine. Whats throwing me off with yours is the gold bar and the broad band in the tail. I can't really count the barbells on yours though but i can tell you MY SAE that i just got have no gold bar and the black bar tapers towards theend.

EDIT- Petunia-i didn't realize but you pointed out the whiskers fact as well... sorry i didn't read your post.. lol.

 

[krap101]

im pretty sure sudz are SAE's because the fins are clear because the other ones have yellower fins.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I would say Flying Fox because the black stripe goes into the tail and has a gold stripe along the top of the black. But then again, pic 2 looks like there are there 2 whiskers sticking out the front? If so, it's a SAE.

 

[Guest]

The black strip extending into the tail is a trait of both the flying fox and the SAE. The more i look at them the more i want to say that they are SAE and not flying foxes. And also your description of their activity seems more like SAE as well. I say if you like them keep them.. lol. Have you looked at the barbells yet?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

ignore the fins, 2 of my true SAE have a yellow tint to their fins, yet they are TRUE sae as they fit no other description.

If you could, can you get a close picture of their tail. it's the easiest way to ID an SAE. If the lateral line goes straight through then it's a flying fox, if it decays through the tail (can't think of the right word) and comes together at the point in the fork.

Pay close attention to the tail. it is the key to an easy ID.

I know the first pic you posted is not an SAE, the others look like they are flying fox awell. I vote no, they are definately flying Fox.

Also, the whisker method has been disproven, they all have 2 pairs and since they are not visible when they are moving or at rest good luck getting a good enough picture.

http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html <- excellent article. scroll to the bottom to see a chart of the differences.

 

[Simpte]

Coloration can be misleading. Newly transportd or stressed fish tend to be pale to begin with.
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html
Figured I would add my link to everyone elses who has linked the same info from different sites.
To me it looks like SAE. Flying Foxes have a more profound line through the tail. I own flying foxes and those pics aren't them.

 

[sudz]

OK. New pictures! I took a macro of the single back fin, as well as the "whiskers"
The "whiskers" ar ea bit blurry, i tried to sharpen it in photoshop, but it didn't do so well.

Keep in mind the fish is pale because I flicked the lights on and took the picture before it could "wake up" and skitter away.

 

[Lance M.]

I'm 99.9% sure your fish are SAE's.

I have both SAE and true flying foxes.