Physical description: A long-bodied fish. Males have elaborate anal and dorsal fins which are tall and pointed. The body color of males range depending on the population. Commonly, the back is golden-brown, while the flanks are bluish, and the belly is gold. The body is marked with two rows of red spots. The rear body parts are often light turquoise with a light blue iridescence. The anal and pelvic fins are yellow to pastel green with a red edging. The caudal fin is green with red rows of spots and has bright yellow tips. The dorsal fins is marked as is the caudal fin. Size/Length: To 2" (5 cm) Similar species: Other Aphyosemion species. Habitat: Western Africa; southern Nigeria and Cameroon S: bottom, middle Aquarium: A 20" (51 cm) or 10 gallon (38 L) tank is sufficient for a pair. The tank should be dimly lit, with a cover of floating plants. Plants the tank heavily along the sides and rear, and leave an open swimming area. Water chemistry: pH 5.8-7 (6.5), 1-8 dH (3), 73-79°F (23-26°C) Social behavior: A peaceful, but active species that can be kept in pairs. Suggested companions: As for A. gardneri. FOOD: Live; insects, insect larvae, worms, crustaceans; may accept flakes. Sexual differences: Males are more colorful with elongated fin extensions. Breeding techniques: As for A. volcanum, except use warmer water (75-81°F) Breeding potential: 6. Breeding is not difficult. Remarks: A. bivittatum is a member of the sub-genus Chromaphyosemion, which consists of some eight described specieS: A. bivittatum, A. bitaeniatum, A. loennbergi, A. lugens, A. poliaki, A. riggenbachi, A. splendopleure, and A. volcanum. STYLE="mso-bidi-font-style : normal ; mso-spacerun : yes"> Among these eight species, over 170 unique populations are represented. A. bivittatum itself has numerous color forms. Difficulty of care: 5. This beautiful species is not especially difficult as long as given live foods and favorable water conditions. Recent articles about fish Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees (2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees (10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine. Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater (12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina. |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
