Is this a Flying Fox or SAE? (W/Pic)

[thetmaxx]

http://www.wheresgeorge.net/getimage.php?key=5db34011a0078c044ded351ceb7ac74e&id=6&ext=jpg

Is this a Flying Fox or a Siamese Algae Eater? It fits the description of SAE exactly, but it has that light band, but does not have the other discriptive features of a Flying Fox....

Also, I'm not sure they've been eating my Red Algae/Bearded Algae(?) but went crazy just now when I dropped some flakes in. They seem to scour the gravel quite a bit, as well as eat some algae, but I'm just not sure.

Thanks!

 

[Xzap]

From what I've read in the last 2 days, I'd say that's an SAE.

Dave

 

[greenmaji]

If you read the description closely in the picture provided (plantgeek.com) it appears that you have something other then the true SAE.. HTH

1. The black band goes from nose to the fork of the tail and the edges are zig zaged..
2. All the fins are transparent or slightly milky without any yellowish or redish sheen.
3. The whole upper body is brownish and every scale has a dark edge, wich makes the top look regtangular.
4. It has a pair of thin, forward-pointing barbels but they might be pressed against the cheeks when fish is swimming or resting.

accompanying image

 

[thetmaxx]

Thats what i'm thihnking... It looked perfect in the aquarium store, but i was just so happy to find it. The other shop had them too, but ran out. so I guess I'll head back to the other shop and get the real deal.

#3 is the only one that doesnt add up right. i guess it could be a half breed of 2 fish that arent SAE's or something.

There are certain types of people i'm starting to not trust in the aquarium shops. like when you walk in and ask if they have any SAE's and they say they never heard of that fish, You must be mistaking the CAE. Then I tell them, no, i'm looking for SAE. Then they tell me, I must be making that up, They've never heard of it. :x

 

[Xzap]

There are certain types of people i'm starting to not trust in the aquarium shops.

Me too.. all of 'em !

dave

 

[Xzap]

The reason I think it's an SAE is because it doesn't have a gold stripe on top the the black one and the fins don't have any dark bands in them.
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/

Dave

 

[malkore]

I can't tell from the photo, but greenmagi's 4 indicators are dead on. I can't rule out that it could be a true SAE. The coloration looks fine..but I can't see the tail well enough, and the photo's a bit blurry to see the front barbells.

thankfully I've seen both true SAE's, CAE's and flying fox. SAE and CAE don't look that much alike...its the flying fox and SAE that are strikingly similar, except for the 4 noted points listed above.

Here's some more reading and photos to help you out.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/saesags.htm

I'd advise against simply goolging for SAE photos, because you'll get a ton of pics of flying foxes mislabel'd as SAE's

 

[greenmaji]

By looking at your photo of your fish I could not see the lateral stripe going down the tail fin or the dark edges around the scales on the upper half of the fish.

 

[Xzap]

I picked up 3 Flying Fox today. Not only are they good algae eaters, they are a beautiful fish !

I floated them for about 1/2 hour... they spent about 5 minutes checking out the tank and then went to work

Thx,

Dave

 

[krap101]

yyeah another thing, its probally not becuase (from the angle) the fins are yellow, and SAE's are suppose to be clear

 

[thetmaxx]

Thank you so much for the help,

These fish do have the black band that extends all the way through the tail, and they do have barbs off their mouth.. one trait i see, is they tend to be aggressive toward each other, which i though i read was a trait of flying fox?

Also, the fins apear to be very clear, but I think i see a hint of yellow tinting...

And the top scales arent black on every scales edge, they have that light band. I really need to condem these as flying fox's because I need my algae problem rectified, and i don't think they are doing the job. I'm pretty sure these will go back, and I'll try to get SAE's from a more reputable shop... if they aren't sold out yet!

 

[Zezmo]

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/gfox.html Flying Fox

http://www.petresources.net/fish/article/sae.html SAE and False SAE
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/pic/sae-n-krib.jpg This is a real nice shot of an SAE. I think that the colors are a bit washed out by the flash.

I have 3 "true" SAE's and they pretty much look just like the pics in that second link. I would however describe that the fish and thier fins are more "gold" than "silver". The link Greenmagi provided shows thier colors the best.

I was fortunate, in that not only was the store I bought them from reputable. They had 3 tanks side by side, one with SAE's (labeled as Siamese Foxes), one with Flying Foxes (labeled Thai Flying Foxes), one with False SAE's (labeled as False Thai Foxes). I went home and printed that article on identifying these fish. Then I went back and got the right fish. It was pretty easy to identify them side by side... which I think was maybe the store owners point of having them side by side.

When I brought em home, I had a real BBA problem, which they promptly mowed that stuff down, and keep it in check. The closest I have ever seen them to bothering another fish was earlier today when one was following my Rainbow around munching on a string of his poop. 8O

 

[krap101]

oh... i looked at some other site awhile ago and on it... okay nvm

i guess thats a SAE then. heh