Live Bearing Fish Reproduction

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Live Bearing Fish Reproduction

• Dr. Craig Kasper
• HCC Aquaculture Program
• Spring 2007

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Introduction

• Live bearing or ovoviviparous fish
• Species of interest to aquarists are almost
  always members of the family Poeciliidae, most
  commonly guppies, mollies, platies and
  swordtails.
• Live-bearing fish are
• often easy to spawn
• and provide a great
• introduction to the hobby
• of fish aquariums.

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Mollies (Poecilia spp.)

• Habitat fresh, marine, brackish (preferring
  marshes, lowland streams, swamps and estuaries in
  the Americas.
• Food algae, plants, aquatic invertebrates,
  mosquitoes.
• Temperature
• Reproduction Internal fertilization (gonopodium
  ?)
• Gestation 3-4 weeks
• Brood size 10-140 (live)
• Parental Care None

4
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

• Habitat fresh, marine, aquaria, hard water
• pH 5.5-8.5
• Temperature 22C-28C (68F-82F)
• Food omnivors
• Reproduction Internal fertilization, ? gravid
  spot near the anus enlarges and darkens.
  Females store sperm (can result in multiple
  spawns from the same sperm (superfetation)
• Gestation 3 -4wks
• Brood size 20-60
• Parental Care None

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Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Guppie morphs!
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Platyfish (Xiphophorus spp.)

• Habitat They prefer water with a 7.08.0 pH,
  moderately hard
• Temperature 18C-25C (64F-77F)
• Food omnivors
• Reproduction Internal fertilization, slight
  sexual dimorphism
• (males caudal fin slightly pointed)
• Gestation 3 -4wks
• Brood size 40-50
• Parental Care None

Xiphophorus maculatus
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Butterfly Splitfin Ameca splendens

• Habitat They prefer water with a 7.0 pH,
  moderately soft water
• Temperature 20C-25C (68F-77F)
• Food omnivors (voracious)
• Reproduction Internal fertilization, slight
  sexual dimorphism
• Gestation 6 wks
• Brood size 40-50
• Parental Care None

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Halfbeaks (many)

• Habitat brackish water (hard), pH 7.0-7.5
• Temperature 20C-25C (68F-77F)
• Food omnivors
• Reproduction Internal fertilization
• Gestation 6 wks
• Brood size lt50
• Parental Care None

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Halfbeaks (genus)

• Arrhamphus
• Chriodorus
• Dermogenys
• Euleptorhamphus
• Hemirhamphodon
• Hemiramphus
• Hyporhamphus
• Melapedalion
• Nomorhamphus
• Oxyporhamphus
• Rhynchorhamphus
• Reporhamphus
• Tondanichthys
• Zenarchopterus

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Egg Layers
Corydora eggs
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Bubble Nesters Gurami

• Habitat Moderately hard water (breeders actually
  like it a bit soft)
• pH 7.0-8.0
• Temperature 22C-28C (77F-82F)
• Food omnivors
• Reproduction external fertilization, males have
  pointed fins, females more rounded.
• Incubation 30 hrs.
• Brood size 40-50
• Parental Care None
• Trichogaster trichopterus

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Typical bubble nest