Live Breaders
Even amongst non fish keepers the Livebearers are
truly famous. Ask anyone to name three tropical fish and the answer is
almost always the same, Siamese fighting fish, Neon Tetra, and the
Guppy. Less well
known is the fact that Livebearers actually come from several different
families and that there two totally different methods of Embryo
development. Indeed the
only thing that they do have in common is the fact that they do not lay
eggs, but instead give birth to live offspring.
There are some very beautiful wild forms of
livebearers, but nowadays there are also a great many cultivated
varieties that are very popular. Through selective breeding their
colours and fin shapes have been changed to create some unusual effects
Most livebearers are schooling fish, and so you
should keep more than one of each species. It is also very important to
have at least three females to each male, as the males will become too
aggressive towards each other and pursue the females without end.
A large densely planted tank
with open areas for swimming is ideal. Livebearers will accept all types
of food, but should have some plant material in their diet.
For almost all the livebearers, the
water in the aquarium should be medium hard with a pH on the alkaline
side, 7.0 - 7.8. As with all fish regular water changes are important
and the addition of a little salt is desirable.
Indeed Black Mollies demand it if they are to thrive and keep
their rich sooty-black appearance. If you’re interested in
watching courtship behaviour, then the Livebearers are for you. The
males are continuously in courtship display, always chasing after the
females. If more than one male is present a pecking order is established
with the dominant male driving away all others. This continues down the
order line.
Most livebearers can be kept without
any problems with other active schooling fish, but stay away from the
larger Cichlids. Often male
Guppies and Siamese Fighters don’t get along, possible because the long
fins are mistaken by each species as a rival male.
There is no special skill or
requirements needed to breed the Livebearers, just have a male and some
females and nature will do the rest. Because the babies are born live
and quite large, many will survive and grow right in a community tank
Because the eggs cells of female livebearers are fertilized inside her
body, the males have developed sexual organs to accomplish internal
fertilization. It is a modified anal fin. Because of differences in
appearance, it has different names, Gonopodium in the livebearing tooth
carps and the andropodium in the Goodeidae and Hemirhamphidae families.
The Andropodium is folded when inserted into the female, while the
Gonopodium is flipped forward. As noted above the development of the
embryos also happens in two different ways depending on the species.
In the Tooth Carps the young develop inside eggs
inside the mothers body, hatch there, and then are "born", the Swordtail
is an excellent example. In the
other families the young develop without an eggshell inside the mother,
receiving nourishment through an umbilical cord, the Ameca Splendens (a
Goodeid) is another excellent example.
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