# Enneacanthus gloriosus



## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Another fish I have been searching for and finally found, Blue Spotted Sunfish. Beautiful fish, imo rivals most SA Cichlids. As they get more comfortable I will get better pics.


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

I have been looking for those too. Kudos to you for setting up a native NA tank. Did you collect those yourself? If so where? Can they be purchased somewhere? Way cool!


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Very nice fish...


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

ArtyG said:


> I have been looking for those too. Kudos to you for setting up a native NA tank. Did you collect those yourself? If so where? Can they be purchased somewhere? Way cool!


There are 2 or 3 places online that sell them, I did collect them on my own here in Orlando. You could try: 
Sach's SACHS SYSTEMS AQUACULTURE
Zimmermans Zimmerman's Fish - North American Native Fish
Jonah's Jonah's Aquarium... Need Fish?


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Nice fish. How big are they?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If I lived in the United States, I'd be saving my pennies for an order from Sachs - they have some incredible species there. Those pygmy sunfish stop me every time I browse their site. Now, if I lived around Orlando, I'd be exploring ditches like dirtydutch does - that's an amazing ecosystem for small and attractive fish.

I really enjoy these postings of southern US native fish. It's good to see the photos - they are things very few aquarists keep.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

right now 1 is about 2-2.5 inches and the other is about 1-2


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

pics, 1 with both but look closely for the smaller 1 right in front of the first in the background.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Well here I am 10 days in with these gorgeous fish and I am happy to see that they are readily taking flake foods and freeze dried blackworms with no hesitation at all. I was worried because I read on NANFA that they will not accept flake or floating foods, so yes very happy about that. I am noticing that a lot of what I read on them does not seem to occur for me. The biggest is the feeding but I also read that they will scatter and lose their color when the light comes on in the mornings but they never seem to do this, they are also very social from what I am seeing with other fish and with me being near the tank and yesterday I was rearranging some things and the bigger kept swimming to my hand and bumping and rubbing on me and stayed near by as I worked. Really seemed to have no fear, again happy about that!


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## Hawk1018 (Apr 12, 2012)

wow they are really starting to show some color. Great looking fish


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

The more I look at that picture, the more impressed I am by that fish!
When I like things, I become very curious, and I can't find much on them. If you don't mind, I'll fire off some questions...

How do you catch them? What equipment do you use?
I always used minnow traps for natives here, when I kept Canadian fish. Is that what you are doing?

What are the habitats like?

Are they easy to find, said the guy who might be around Orlando next Spring and is very curious.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I use a regular net nothing fancy along the shoreline in heavy vegetation. I have only found them in one place here so far and it happens to be a very wide section of river here in Orlando. They seem to only be in areas where the vegetation completely covers the surface and there is very little movement in the water which is why I find it funny that I have only caught them in a river and not a lake or pond. In order to get these 2 I had covered an area of around 50 feet so they were not right in the same spot, not saying there were not more in the same spots I just did not see them ot catch them. I can not try to spot them because they are always hiding I assume. But yes they are extremely nice looking and from what I am seeing very well mannered with other fish in close quarters, the larger one was caught in 1 scoop with 2 Evergladei at the same time so real close together. I have never used a minnow trap before but I do not know that they would be susceptible to one as they are most likely foraging around the plants and not searching for anything not moving. Again all in my experiences and not saying this is all that works but works well enough for me. This is the river and on the left you can see what appears to be flowers, that is the vegetation on the water, this is where the smaller one came from as well as several E. Evergladei.


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

Its funny how things work out. Last month I ordered Dr. Ed Menhinicks book "Freshwater Fishes of North Carolina". Dr. Ed was my faculty adviser back in 1967 when I started at the [email protected] I was surprised and pleased to discover he was a fish guy and he was amazed to discover I had actually met Dr. H.R. Axelrod himself and spent two summers as an intern at TFH when it was in Jersey City, NJ. I grew up in Bayonne and was a member of the Greenville Aquarium Society in Jersey citry. We had a lot in common to discuss. Any way, fast forward to 2012 and I just received his book which tells me that both E. chaetodon and E. gloriosus are available wild as close as two counties west. In the past I have done this with my kids manning a seine net but now I am on my own (they done growed up) . I would appreciate if you had a suggestion as to what I could use to catch them. If this doesn't work I will buy myself a bunch from Jonah's Aquarium.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

If collecting is something you enjoy then before you order fish from Jonah's I would suggest a trip to Bass Pro for a dip net, if they do not carry them once in a while Walmart stocks decent nets, and as a last resort I would order a dip net from Jonah's before the fish. I reach my net as far out as possible go straight to the bottom and try to lift up under the vegetation, then just carefully go through the plants in the net and do not where sunglasses because I learned real quick they are hard to spot when covered in weeds. These are IMHO the best fish I've collected or kept up to date.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

The habitat isn't what I expected - it seems so large for fish like that. Then again, in Mexico, I caught mollies scooping up under lily pads, so why would it be different in Florida?
I still have a colony of Honduran Gambusia nicaraguensis I caught five years ago. There's something special about catching your own fish, and especially, in breeding them after. The only North American native I've managed to breed is Fundulus diaphanous, a killie. 

I'm going to try a sachs order, delivered to the US side of the border. I'll drive down and pick them up - bring them back across. I'm going to stick with pygmy sunfish and latipinna mollies this time, and see what I can do with a fishing licence in Florida when I next go. You have so many great fishes there, and no one sells them in the 'mainstream' trade.

Do you ever check out baitshops? I used to find wonders in the ones outside the city here - I got to see some very interesting fish being sold by bait dealers.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I was shocked when I caught them there also, I would have never guessed it. Yes I have checked a few, which considering where I am and all the tourists and such you would think they would be all over, but mostly found minnows and gambusia being sold as bait.


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

dirtydutch4x said:


> If collecting is something you enjoy then before you order fish from Jonah's I would suggest a trip to Bass Pro for a dip net, if they do not carry them once in a while Walmart stocks decent nets, and as a last resort I would order a dip net from Jonah's before the fish. I reach my net as far out as possible go straight to the bottom and try to lift up under the vegetation, then just carefully go through the plants in the net and do not where sunglasses because I learned real quick they are hard to spot when covered in weeds. These are IMHO the best fish I've collected or kept up to date.


Thanks for all the good info.


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## tjwes112 (Dec 26, 2010)

dirtydutch4x said:


> Well here I am 10 days in with these gorgeous fish and I am happy to see that they are readily taking flake foods and freeze dried blackworms with no hesitation at all. I was worried because I read on NANFA that they will not accept flake or floating foods, so yes very happy about that. I am noticing that a lot of what I read on them does not seem to occur for me. The biggest is the feeding but I also read that they will scatter and lose their color when the light comes on in the mornings but they never seem to do this, they are also very social from what I am seeing with other fish and with me being near the tank and yesterday I was rearranging some things and the bigger kept swimming to my hand and bumping and rubbing on me and stayed near by as I worked. Really seemed to have no fear, again happy about that!


This is very good to hear..I just won 4 of these little guys on Aquya-Bid yesterday and they are being shipped out to me this morning.

I`ll provide more feedback once they arrive in the mail.

Great looking fish and setup you have there.


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## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

tjwes112 said:


> This is very good to hear..I just won 4 of these little guys on Aquya-Bid yesterday and they are being shipped out to me this morning.
> 
> I`ll provide more feedback once they arrive in the mail.
> 
> Great looking fish and setup you have there.


From what I've experienced, it's quite easy to get them to eat flake food. I have 8 or 9 different sunfish/bluegill/bream of all sizes ranging from about an inch up to about 6 inches. All of them will take the flakes, even though I most often feed a cube of mysis shrimp with a cube of bloodworms.


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## tjwes112 (Dec 26, 2010)

Yes,I have kept pumpkinseeds and green sunfish,and had no problem with them eating flakes or floating food sticks,but I read the same article on the web about Bluesspotteds not eating anything but live food and I was a bit worried if I could coax then into eating prepared foods.

Can`t wait until they get here.

I`ll keep you posted as to how they are.

Thanks for the great info !!


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I never had a problem with any of my sunfish, longear, dollar, warmouth, bluegill, but it did take some time to get the blue spotted to take them, I could be wrong but I think from observation they watched the H. Formosa, Bass fry, and flag-fish all take the flake and they just followed suit. You will love yours, not only are they beautiful but I love their demeanor as well.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

My pumkinseed sunfish won't eat flakes but he eats pellets just fine. I think the flakes are just too small for him, he will have a go but he spits them out or they come back out through the gills.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I'd really appreciate it if people could keep a bit of a log on these fish, as they really interest me, and I will probably order some in the Fall. It's not just their looks (which would be enough) but I am very intrigued by the behavior. I have kept Canadian sunfish twice, and liked them - but they grew large and were difficult to handle because of that. A tiny sunfish is a fish behavior fan's ideal species...


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Have not considered doing so, I will tell you that the 2 I have share the tank with a male/female couple of flag-fish, about a dozen H. formosa, 4 swamp darters and a few mosquito fish. They seem to be very social with all of them as far as swimming with and around them, sometimes its as if they just sit there and just observe the others for periods of time. they are eager eaters and accept all foods now, and like most of the sunfish i have kept they attack their food like they are hunting. they dont bother the grass shrimp one bit. still not sure of the sex of them, i am pretty sure the bigger is a male but not positive.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

navigator black said:


> I'd really appreciate it if people could keep a bit of a log on these fish, as they really interest me, and I will probably order some in the Fall. It's not just their looks (which would be enough) but I am very intrigued by the behavior. I have kept Canadian sunfish twice, and liked them - but they grew large and were difficult to handle because of that. A tiny sunfish is a fish behavior fan's ideal species...


I agree, this is one of the most interesting fish I've seen in a while. Wish I had a hope of getting them here in Portugal... but then I'd need another tank so it is probably just as well. Still I'll be following the post with interest.


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

another interesting fish is Enneacanthus chaetodon. they are curious and peaceful. if you already have another sunfish with them, they learn to eat frozen bloodworms pretty quickly. i never was able to get mine to eat flake though. as with all, your mileage may vary.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I would love to find some of them but have not been lucky enough. I think if I got my hands on some the 2nd 55 would be back out of storage real fast. I like them a lot but do not think they are local to me here in Orlando.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Here are a couple of pics taken today, no real growth showing on either. They are completely hooked on the California freeze dried blackworms and frozen blood worms.


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