Aug 142013
 
Rose Levanti-Niblock with her champion Australasian native fish at the Ekka, 2013

Rose Levanti-Niblock with her champion Australasian native fish at the Ekka, 2013

ANGFA Queensland member Rose Levanti-Ni​block has done extremely well in this years RNA Pisciculture Competiton with her two native freshwater fish displays.

Tadpole the Lungfish

Queensland lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) "Tadpole", owned by Rose Levanti-Ni​block.

Queensland lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) “Tadpole”, owned by Rose Levanti-Ni​block.

Taking first place in the Big Fish Category was Rose’s pride and joy “Tadpole”, a 6yr old Queensland lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri). Tadpole usually lives at home in an all native 5 foot tank with a 20cm archerfish (Toxotes sp.), another lungfish, two bass (Macquaria novemaculeata), two red/spotted scats (Scatophagus argus) and two purple-spot gudgeons (Mogurnda sp.). Rose hand feeds Tadpole, Massivore delite, sinking granules, algae wafers, crayfish, fish, snails and a homemade seafood and veggie mix.

Tadpole was entered into the Big Fish category, which allows for large fish that wouldn’t fit into the show at their full size (as long as they’re at least 20cm at time of judging), and won first place.

Rose purchased tadpole 18 months ago from Ceratodus.com. His parents were wild caught and he is microchipped to prove he was captive bred as lungfish are a no-take species under Queensland law and there trade is restricted by CITES. Fossils similar to the lungfish date back 380 million years, approximately the time when higher vertebrate classes began evolving. It has remained virtually unchanged for at least 100 million years. The only natural populations occur in Queensland’s Mary and Burnett river systems.

 

Ambassis agassizii display. Winner of the "Australasian Native Fish: Any Other Variety" class (essentially native non-rainbow fish) and champion of the Australasian Native Fish category.

Ambassis agassizii display. Winner of the “Australasian Native Fish: Any Other Variety” class (essentially native non-rainbow fish) and champion of the Australasian Native Fish category.

Champion Australasian Native Fish: Olive Perchlets

Rose also entered a group of Olive Perchlets (Ambassis agassizii) into the “Any Other Variety” class of the Australasian native category. Not only did the Olive Perchlets win their class, they held their own against Australian and New Guinea rainbowfishes entered by previous winners to take out the category as Champion Australasian Native Fish!

Rose’s display included  5 full size (65 mm), 8 medium, and 6 tiny Olive Perchlets that were “by-product” from a local crayfish farm, otherwise destined to be used to feed other peoples pets anlongside firetail gudgeons… The 2 foot display tank was furnished with red river gravel, river rocks, and vine wood. It was planted with native Vallisneria nanaPotamogeton perfoliatus, some exotic crypts and other plants.

Congratulations Rose, it’s great to see some other native fish giving the rainbows more than just a run for their money!

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