Eft Help

[wargar]

Hi,

My Chinese Fire Belly Newts have bred, they laid about 100 eggs between them and all seemed to hatch over a 2 week period. Most of the efts are normal size and colour however 3 have grown very fast and are over 3 times the size of the others. They are also not the usual black in colour but are still almost see through with black speckled tails.
I have 5 adults and 3 juviniles from last year' they live in a large 4' x 2' tank. I never had any efts that looked like this last year and whilst they don't appear to be aggressive towards their fellow efts it just seems strange. Has anyone else ever come accross this please?

Dave

 

[Azhael]

Pictures please.
I have absolutely no idea what this might be...except perhaps that you got eggs from two different species mixed together??
Are they really efts? I mean, are they terrestrial and metamorphosed? Because in that case i can´t think of a single species that is big, almost see-through with black speckled tails after metamorphosis (but i can think of a few that fit the description while still being larval).

 

[wargar]

Sorry, they are still larval (in the water). The adults are definatly all 100% Chinese Fire Bellies.

 

[Azhael]

Pictures would still be very useful if you can take some.

The larvae of this species can vary in coloration, although i don´t think i´ve ever seen one with a speckled tail.
What you say about some being over three times of the others makes me think they might be another species..even the largest metamorph is barely twice the size of an average larvae. Have you ever put anything in the tank from a pond or something?

Again, if possible, post pictures, that will wipe out all doubts in a sec.

Oh, and for future reference eft is only used for metamorphosed juveniles, and in particular (and most commonly) of the species Notopthalmus viridescens.