Poeciliopsis prolifica – Blackstripe livebearer

22. September 2009

This tiny species of livebearer originates from northwestern Mexico. The males reach a maximum length of 2 cm, the females of 3.5 cm. At the first glimpse the fish look somewhat unspectacular, but no one who keeps the fish has regrets about it. The whole day through the males are after the females or fight their harmless clashes. When doing this they swim in a typical head-down position and spread the gonopodium in an 90° angle from the body.

This minuscule fish fits perfectly for nano tanks. Regarding the water chemistry they are completely undemanding. In nature they are even found in brackish waters. It is possible to keep this peaceful species in a community tank, but they do much better in a species tank.

It is very interesting that the young are not born at a time, but over a period of several days. So a person, who observes this, could get the idea the fish would give birth every day. This is why the species got its name.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Angaben zum Tier
Herkunft Nachzucht / bred
Verfügbare Größe in cm 2 - 3.5