# My snakehead gudgeons



## louisvillain2.0 (May 16, 2007)

These guys are natives I caught recently. Will try and get a vid of them eating prawns later. They are currently in my 180, biggest guy is over 1ft. Photo's really don't do the males justice as far as colours go.
Fresh from the creek








In the tank


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Very cool!


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## khmerboiRED (Jul 15, 2008)

they have nice colors on them.


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

WOW! I can tell the colours on that guy are great..I'd beleive it's a sight to see in person!
You caught those guys eh? Where are you from again? I wan't to say Australia for some reason...I didn't think Snakeheads were native to Australia..but then again I don't know too much about them yet.

Either way..your a lucky sob









Great setup too..I'd love to do my 180g like that if I could find some nice branching wood.


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## huck (Mar 6, 2006)

Awsome, colours are great love the tank set up! natural!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Sheppard said:


> WOW! I can tell the colours on that guy are great..I'd beleive it's a sight to see in person!
> You caught those guys eh? Where are you from again? I wan't to say Australia for some reason...I didn't think Snakeheads were native to Australia..but then again I don't know too much about them yet.
> 
> Either way..your a lucky sob
> ...


I believe he is from Oz, but he's talking about "Snakehead Gudgeons", which are not really that close to snakeheads proper--they are, in fact, in the family Eleotridae, home to the "Sleeper Gobies". The gudgeons you often see in the hobby are the Goo-Obo, the _Mogurnda_ spp. brethren and the Peacock, but those Snakehead Gudgeons certainly make me hope that one day Oz can be reopened to exporting fishes (or that the SHG is already in the hobby in the States, and I just don't know it yet)...or that, perhaps, one of the myriad of countries with SHGs might have been exporting them or be open to it.


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

They look like a cross betwwen a rainbow snakehead and a common wolfish! Very Nice!!


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

amazing setup! stellar colors on your snakeheads


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## louisvillain2.0 (May 16, 2007)

ChilDawg said:


> I believe he is from Oz, but he's talking about "Snakehead Gudgeons", which are not really that close to snakeheads proper--they are, in fact, in the family Eleotridae, home to the "Sleeper Gobies". The gudgeons you often see in the hobby are the Goo-Obo, the _Mogurnda_ spp. brethren and the Peacock, but those Snakehead Gudgeons certainly make me hope that one day Oz can be reopened to exporting fishes (or that the SHG is already in the hobby in the States, and I just don't know it yet)...or that, perhaps, one of the myriad of countries with SHGs might have been exporting them or be open to it.


Got it in one. These are like giant purplespot gugdgeons(morgund sp) with a bit more attitude. Unfortunately Oz is pretty tight on imports/exports and only getting worse, unlikely that will change any time soon. The best bet to source some Stateside would be through an importer who deals with SE Asian exporters, especially one who sells wildcaught fish(these aren't bred in captivity as far as I know). Maybe holler at Pedro, whoever he gets the paradise threadfins from might be able to source them?
Cheers for the comments guys, tank is a bit crap atm after being away for a month.


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Good call on Pedro--I forgot he had those Paradise Threadfins recently. To be honest, I wish that a lot of countries were as tight with their wildlife as ya'll are, because the heart's in the right place, but I also have found a love for a lot of the fishes from Down Under...some day when I get a place where I can put a large tank or two, I think an Aussie community would be great!

Have you kept many other of your nation's native fishes?


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## louisvillain2.0 (May 16, 2007)

ChilDawg said:


> Good call on Pedro--I forgot he had those Paradise Threadfins recently. To be honest, I wish that a lot of countries were as tight with their wildlife as ya'll are, because the heart's in the right place, but I also have found a love for a lot of the fishes from Down Under...some day when I get a place where I can put a large tank or two, I think an Aussie community would be great!
> 
> Have you kept many other of your nation's native fishes?


Heart's in the right place but it does make it hell for serious fishkeepers to obtain any exotics legally which in turn encourages smuggling. Because these fish bypass customs/quarantine it opens the gates for all sorts of nasty disease entering. However there is little danger of any of these fish and pathogens being released due to the premium prices we pay for such fish. Channa micropeltes are fairly available in right circles and fetch $200-400 for 10cm, motoro rays etc fetch upwards of $1200 for 15cm disc. The list goes on and on, prices that would make you weep. Red bellies go for around $300 at 2", I've been trying to get them for two years and still no luck.

Natives I've kept....just about all of em. I grew up in the tropics where most of our species are found in the creeks. Mangrove jacks, barra, tarpon, longtom, mouth almighty, jardini, various grunters and perch, bullrout, eeltail catfish etc etc. Grew up with tanks and ponds so have always been well stocked. Nowadays I enjoy exotics more though.


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## smitty (Dec 31, 2008)

wished i lived there that would be a blast catching all them exotic fish


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