Physical description: A stocky bodied species with a "lumpy" body profile. The back is brown to olive and the flanks are gray brown with a light green iridescence. The flanks are marked with numerous rows of red spots. There is a dark spot in the middle of the flanks. The anal and dorsal fins are reddish while the other fins are colorless. Size/Length: To 2.3" (6 cm) Similar species: None Habitat: North America; inhabits still and slow-moving marshes, ponds, swamps, and lakes from the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) north to Florida. S: bottom, middle Aquarium: A 20" (51 cm) or 10 gallon (38 L) tank is sufficient. The tank should be densely planted with species that can tolerate cooler water. Leave open swimming areas and use a dark substrate. This species is most comfortable when the tank receives sunlight and there is some algal growth. Water chemistry: pH 6.7-8.2 (7.7), 6-20 dH (12), 66-72°F (19-22°C) Social behavior: An active species which is peaceful towards most other companions, but combative towards its own species. This species guards its brood. Suggested companions: Livebearers, Loricarids, Corydoras , minnows. FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, insects, worms, crustaceans; spinach; algae. Sexual differences: Males are colorful, while females are dull brown. Females are fuller bodied, with less elongated fins. Breeding techniques: Raise the water temperature to 73-77°F (23-25°C). The pair should be placed in a spawning tank of their own furnished with many fine-leafed plants, and retreats for the female. The eggs are laid each day, in previously dug pits in the substrate or in the plants. The spawning process continues for several days until as many as 80 eggs are laid. Remove the female after spawning is complete. The eggs are guarded by the male and hatch in 6-9 days. Start feeding with Paramecia and infusoria. Breeding potential: 5. Breeding is easy. Remarks: This species can be kept in outdoor ponds during the summer. Difficulty of care: 3. This hardy species is ideal for a temperate community 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. |
