nmonks
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The "Big 4" livebearers
The common livebearers are all varieties of guppy, molly, swordtail, and platy. Wild examples of these fish are almost never traded, and instead hobbyists enjoy a large variety of artificial, or fancy, strains and hybrids. It takes considerable skill to create and maintain these varieties, and for lots of people doing this is what breeding livebearers is all about.
But there's more to livebearers than guppies, mollies, swordtails, and platies!
The unusual livebearers
A significant proportion of fish are livebearers. Many sharks and rays are livebearers. The coelacanth is a livebearer. A group of perch-like fish called the surf perches, closely related to the cichlids, also give birth to live young. Seahorses and pipefish are, in a way, livebearers, though in this case the male becomes 'pregnant', rather than the female.
Among aquarists, the important groups of livebearers are the Anablepidae (the four-eyed fish), the Goodeidae, the Hemirhamphidae (halfbeaks), the Poeciliidae (the guppies & co.), and the Potamotrygonidae (the freshwater stingrays). Guppies, mollies, platies, and swordtails come from the family Poeciliidae, but there are plenty of 'oddballs' in there, including such curious beasts as the pike-livebearer, 20 cm of toothy, cannibalistic meanness.
Examples of unusual livebearers
Butterfly goodeid Ameca splendens A small (~4 cm) fish from Mexico, the butterfly goodeid is, as its name suggests, brightly coloured. Both males and females are metallic, with the female being peppered with black spots. The male has blue stripe running along the flanks and yellow fins with blue-black edges. Needs the same sort of aquarium as swordtails as far as space and water conditions go. Breeding is straightforward and comparable to the common livebearers. The peculiar thing to goodeids is that the embryos are nourished via a placenta, in other words a system very similar to the mammalian reproductive system. The poecilids like guppies, by contrast, merely retain the eggs inside the female's body, she provides the eggs with yolk but otherwise gives them no nutritional support. The butterfly goodeid is considered a good community fish and will mix well with swordtails and platies. It appreciates some algae in its diet.
Red-tail goodeid Xenotoca eiseni A small (~3 cm) goodeid livebearer broadly similar in requirements to the butterfly goodeid mentioned above. Females are relatively plain, metallic fish with a peppering of dark spots, but the males are gorgeous, with a blue region halfway along the body and then a bright red or orange tail. This species can be a fin-nipper, so only keep with fast-moving tankmates and certainly not with things like fancy guppies.
Celebes Halfbeak Nomorhamphus liemi These large (females up to 10 cm) livebearers are hardy and easy to look after except for one thing: they don't like sudden changes in water chemistry. Otherwise tolerant of soft, acid water through to medium hard and slightly alkaline. Breeding is easiest in soft water, but isn't essential. The fry are huge, around 13 mm long when born, and can take small daphnia immediately at birth. Halfbeaks like to jump, so cover the tank. For more, see the FishForum's fish index entry for more.
Four-eyed fish Anableps spp. These big (30 cm), brackish water livebearers are among the most difficult fish to look after. They need clean, oxygen rich brackish water (SG 1.010) with at least part of the tank modified into a very shallow 'sandbank'. These sandbanks are where the fish like to rest, and without them they tend to be nervous. Breeding is difficult because the brood sizes are small (no more than 6 fry) and the parents are very cannibalistic. These fish are famous for having divided eyes that can look above and below the water line at the same time. A remarkable fish, but best left to experience aquarists. More than one species of Anableps is traded, but telling them apart is very difficult. In Europe at least, Anableps microlepis is said to be the most commonly imported species. In the US, four-eyed fish are sold as Anableps anableps, but whether or not they are truly this species is unknown (to me at least!).
Pike Livebearer Belonesox belizanus A large (females up to 20 cm), predatory livebearer that resembles a small gar or pike in form as well as habits. Can only be kept with larger fish! Plecs,, thorny catfish, etc., make fine tankmates. Not easy to keep. Despite being cannibalistic, actually does best in groups, though ensure all fish are of equal size. Big females will eat the small males! Appreciates hard, alkaline water, with slightly brackish (SG 1.005) water being perhaps the best. Needs floating plants. Prefers live fish, but tank-raised specimens can be weaned onto invertebrates (mealworms, earthworms, river shrimps, etc.). May take dead food eventually. Breeding is straightforward, provided the female accepts the male rather than eats him. The fry are intensely cannibalistic and so larger ones must be separated from small ones. Not easy fish.
Dwarf Mosquito Fish Heterandria formosa Tiny (less than 3.5 cm) but hardy poecilid livebearers from the South Eastern United States. Females resemble small female guppies, but the males are dark and peppered with metallic blue spots. Very adaptable, but does best in moderately hard water. Due to its small size should not be mixed with larger tankmates. Need small foods, in particular algae-rich flake. Unusually for a livebearer, these fish don't produce fixed broods but drop fry more or less continually.
Western Mosquito Fish Gambusia affinis These livebearers are about the same size as guppies, and need much the same conditions. This species is best known as an invasive species following introductions around the world to combat malaria (by eating mosquito larvae). It multiplies rapidly and has a negative impact on native livebearers, killifish, and other small fish in any exotic habitat it is introduced into. They are equally aggressive and pushy in aquaria, and are not really worth keeping in community tanks.
Endler Guppy Poecilia sp. Tiny (less than 4 cm) wild-type guppies. No-one is certain if they are a separate species or simply a geographical variant of the common guppy Poecilia reticulata. Requirements much like fancy guppies, but they should not be mixed as they will hybridise. Cheap, commercially produced Endler guppies are often hybrids with regular guppies and of variable quality; for "real" Endler guppies, get them through one of the livebearer clubs (see the links below) or through specialist web sites such as Endlers R US.
Montezuma Swordtail Xiphophorus montezumae Medium sized (~6 cm) livebearer, resembles the green swordtail but has a much longer sword and a somewhat sail-like dorsal fin. Basic requirements similar to common swordtails, but this species also tolerates subtropical conditions well. Males are aggressive towards one another (like common swordtails). Do not mix with common swordtails unless you want hybrids!
Black-bellied Limia Limia melanogaster Small, guppy-like poecilid livebearer. It is sociable and does work well in community tanks, though as with many livebearers it is best to keep two or three females per male. Males and females are similar, being yellowish-green fish with large, clearly marked scales and a series of vertical bars along the flanks. Though not showy, they are certainly attractive, lively fish and have been popular among aquarists for many years. They need somewhat hard, alkaline water and plenty of algae. They will nibble on soft plants. These fish are astonishingly active and very fast swimmers: make sure they have plenty of space!
Freshwater Stingray Potamotrygon motoro Large (30 cm+ disk, plus tail) but attractive fish, this species is typical of the Amazonian freshwater stingrays. All are delicate, and need perfect water conditions: a stable pH and hardness (preferably, but not neccessarily low), zero ammonium and nitrite, and virtually zero nitrate. Weekly water changes of 50% are essential, and you need a nice big fish tank (600 litres+) to get the desired water stability. Definitely fish for advanced hobbyists only. Incidentally, the Oddballs Institute is the place to research stingrays rather than the livebearer board.
Why keep the unusual livebearers?
They offer the aquarist a challenge. Breeding many of these fish is much more difficult than breeding guppies, and in some cases, simply keeping the adults alive is hard work, let alone breeding them. The four-eyed fish and the freshwater stingrays fit into this category. Halfbeaks and goodeids are not especially difficult to breed, comparable in difficulty to the easier egg-layers such as cichlids.
Many are attractive aquarium fish. Halfbeaks and goodeids are small, lively, and colourful, making them excellent propostions for small to medium sized aquaria. Though somewhat more delicate than guppies or mollies, they aren't especially difficult to maintain, and certainly much less work than, say, discus.
Do they work well in community tanks?
In some cases, yes. Halfbeaks, poecilids, and goodeids generally make excellent community tank residents though there are exceptions. Most are at least fairly hardy.
Where do you find them?
Compared with the standard livebearers, these unusual livebearers are not easy to find. Only a few species, notably several species of halfbeak, the freshwater stingrays, and a few of the goodeids (e.g., Ameca splendens and Xenotoca eiseni) are regularly available in aquarium stores. Most shops can get the others easily enough though, so you can always order them if your retailer doesn't have them in stock. While stingrays are very expensive, halfbeaks and goodeids cost only a little more than regular livebearers.
British aquarists can use the Tropical Fish Finder web site to find places with unusual livebearers (or any other fish) in stock. Use the search box on the right hand side. Since the database is only updated on a weekly basis, be sure and telephone the shop be sure and check they have what you want in stock before travelling.
http
/www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk
Where do I find out more?
There are lots of livebearer groups and web sites. A few of these are:
http/www.britishlivebearerassociation.co.uk/
http/livebearers.org/
http/groups.yahoo.com/group/BritishLivebearer/
There are also lots of worthwhile books. Any of the Baensch Aquarium Atlases will give you information on lots of species (volume 1 in particular covers all the basic species). Also consider Livebearing Fishes: A Guide to Their Aquarium Care, Biology and Classification by John Dawes and Fishkeepers Guide to Livebearing Fishes by Peter Scott.
Cheers,
Neale
The common livebearers are all varieties of guppy, molly, swordtail, and platy. Wild examples of these fish are almost never traded, and instead hobbyists enjoy a large variety of artificial, or fancy, strains and hybrids. It takes considerable skill to create and maintain these varieties, and for lots of people doing this is what breeding livebearers is all about.
But there's more to livebearers than guppies, mollies, swordtails, and platies!
The unusual livebearers
A significant proportion of fish are livebearers. Many sharks and rays are livebearers. The coelacanth is a livebearer. A group of perch-like fish called the surf perches, closely related to the cichlids, also give birth to live young. Seahorses and pipefish are, in a way, livebearers, though in this case the male becomes 'pregnant', rather than the female.
Among aquarists, the important groups of livebearers are the Anablepidae (the four-eyed fish), the Goodeidae, the Hemirhamphidae (halfbeaks), the Poeciliidae (the guppies & co.), and the Potamotrygonidae (the freshwater stingrays). Guppies, mollies, platies, and swordtails come from the family Poeciliidae, but there are plenty of 'oddballs' in there, including such curious beasts as the pike-livebearer, 20 cm of toothy, cannibalistic meanness.
Examples of unusual livebearers
Butterfly goodeid Ameca splendens A small (~4 cm) fish from Mexico, the butterfly goodeid is, as its name suggests, brightly coloured. Both males and females are metallic, with the female being peppered with black spots. The male has blue stripe running along the flanks and yellow fins with blue-black edges. Needs the same sort of aquarium as swordtails as far as space and water conditions go. Breeding is straightforward and comparable to the common livebearers. The peculiar thing to goodeids is that the embryos are nourished via a placenta, in other words a system very similar to the mammalian reproductive system. The poecilids like guppies, by contrast, merely retain the eggs inside the female's body, she provides the eggs with yolk but otherwise gives them no nutritional support. The butterfly goodeid is considered a good community fish and will mix well with swordtails and platies. It appreciates some algae in its diet.
Red-tail goodeid Xenotoca eiseni A small (~3 cm) goodeid livebearer broadly similar in requirements to the butterfly goodeid mentioned above. Females are relatively plain, metallic fish with a peppering of dark spots, but the males are gorgeous, with a blue region halfway along the body and then a bright red or orange tail. This species can be a fin-nipper, so only keep with fast-moving tankmates and certainly not with things like fancy guppies.
Celebes Halfbeak Nomorhamphus liemi These large (females up to 10 cm) livebearers are hardy and easy to look after except for one thing: they don't like sudden changes in water chemistry. Otherwise tolerant of soft, acid water through to medium hard and slightly alkaline. Breeding is easiest in soft water, but isn't essential. The fry are huge, around 13 mm long when born, and can take small daphnia immediately at birth. Halfbeaks like to jump, so cover the tank. For more, see the FishForum's fish index entry for more.
Four-eyed fish Anableps spp. These big (30 cm), brackish water livebearers are among the most difficult fish to look after. They need clean, oxygen rich brackish water (SG 1.010) with at least part of the tank modified into a very shallow 'sandbank'. These sandbanks are where the fish like to rest, and without them they tend to be nervous. Breeding is difficult because the brood sizes are small (no more than 6 fry) and the parents are very cannibalistic. These fish are famous for having divided eyes that can look above and below the water line at the same time. A remarkable fish, but best left to experience aquarists. More than one species of Anableps is traded, but telling them apart is very difficult. In Europe at least, Anableps microlepis is said to be the most commonly imported species. In the US, four-eyed fish are sold as Anableps anableps, but whether or not they are truly this species is unknown (to me at least!).
Pike Livebearer Belonesox belizanus A large (females up to 20 cm), predatory livebearer that resembles a small gar or pike in form as well as habits. Can only be kept with larger fish! Plecs,, thorny catfish, etc., make fine tankmates. Not easy to keep. Despite being cannibalistic, actually does best in groups, though ensure all fish are of equal size. Big females will eat the small males! Appreciates hard, alkaline water, with slightly brackish (SG 1.005) water being perhaps the best. Needs floating plants. Prefers live fish, but tank-raised specimens can be weaned onto invertebrates (mealworms, earthworms, river shrimps, etc.). May take dead food eventually. Breeding is straightforward, provided the female accepts the male rather than eats him. The fry are intensely cannibalistic and so larger ones must be separated from small ones. Not easy fish.
Dwarf Mosquito Fish Heterandria formosa Tiny (less than 3.5 cm) but hardy poecilid livebearers from the South Eastern United States. Females resemble small female guppies, but the males are dark and peppered with metallic blue spots. Very adaptable, but does best in moderately hard water. Due to its small size should not be mixed with larger tankmates. Need small foods, in particular algae-rich flake. Unusually for a livebearer, these fish don't produce fixed broods but drop fry more or less continually.
Western Mosquito Fish Gambusia affinis These livebearers are about the same size as guppies, and need much the same conditions. This species is best known as an invasive species following introductions around the world to combat malaria (by eating mosquito larvae). It multiplies rapidly and has a negative impact on native livebearers, killifish, and other small fish in any exotic habitat it is introduced into. They are equally aggressive and pushy in aquaria, and are not really worth keeping in community tanks.
Endler Guppy Poecilia sp. Tiny (less than 4 cm) wild-type guppies. No-one is certain if they are a separate species or simply a geographical variant of the common guppy Poecilia reticulata. Requirements much like fancy guppies, but they should not be mixed as they will hybridise. Cheap, commercially produced Endler guppies are often hybrids with regular guppies and of variable quality; for "real" Endler guppies, get them through one of the livebearer clubs (see the links below) or through specialist web sites such as Endlers R US.
Montezuma Swordtail Xiphophorus montezumae Medium sized (~6 cm) livebearer, resembles the green swordtail but has a much longer sword and a somewhat sail-like dorsal fin. Basic requirements similar to common swordtails, but this species also tolerates subtropical conditions well. Males are aggressive towards one another (like common swordtails). Do not mix with common swordtails unless you want hybrids!
Black-bellied Limia Limia melanogaster Small, guppy-like poecilid livebearer. It is sociable and does work well in community tanks, though as with many livebearers it is best to keep two or three females per male. Males and females are similar, being yellowish-green fish with large, clearly marked scales and a series of vertical bars along the flanks. Though not showy, they are certainly attractive, lively fish and have been popular among aquarists for many years. They need somewhat hard, alkaline water and plenty of algae. They will nibble on soft plants. These fish are astonishingly active and very fast swimmers: make sure they have plenty of space!
Freshwater Stingray Potamotrygon motoro Large (30 cm+ disk, plus tail) but attractive fish, this species is typical of the Amazonian freshwater stingrays. All are delicate, and need perfect water conditions: a stable pH and hardness (preferably, but not neccessarily low), zero ammonium and nitrite, and virtually zero nitrate. Weekly water changes of 50% are essential, and you need a nice big fish tank (600 litres+) to get the desired water stability. Definitely fish for advanced hobbyists only. Incidentally, the Oddballs Institute is the place to research stingrays rather than the livebearer board.
Why keep the unusual livebearers?
They offer the aquarist a challenge. Breeding many of these fish is much more difficult than breeding guppies, and in some cases, simply keeping the adults alive is hard work, let alone breeding them. The four-eyed fish and the freshwater stingrays fit into this category. Halfbeaks and goodeids are not especially difficult to breed, comparable in difficulty to the easier egg-layers such as cichlids.
Many are attractive aquarium fish. Halfbeaks and goodeids are small, lively, and colourful, making them excellent propostions for small to medium sized aquaria. Though somewhat more delicate than guppies or mollies, they aren't especially difficult to maintain, and certainly much less work than, say, discus.
Do they work well in community tanks?
In some cases, yes. Halfbeaks, poecilids, and goodeids generally make excellent community tank residents though there are exceptions. Most are at least fairly hardy.
Where do you find them?
Compared with the standard livebearers, these unusual livebearers are not easy to find. Only a few species, notably several species of halfbeak, the freshwater stingrays, and a few of the goodeids (e.g., Ameca splendens and Xenotoca eiseni) are regularly available in aquarium stores. Most shops can get the others easily enough though, so you can always order them if your retailer doesn't have them in stock. While stingrays are very expensive, halfbeaks and goodeids cost only a little more than regular livebearers.
British aquarists can use the Tropical Fish Finder web site to find places with unusual livebearers (or any other fish) in stock. Use the search box on the right hand side. Since the database is only updated on a weekly basis, be sure and telephone the shop be sure and check they have what you want in stock before travelling.
http
/www.tropicalfishfinder.co.ukWhere do I find out more?
There are lots of livebearer groups and web sites. A few of these are:
http
/www.britishlivebearerassociation.co.uk/http
/livebearers.org/http
/groups.yahoo.com/group/BritishLivebearer/There are also lots of worthwhile books. Any of the Baensch Aquarium Atlases will give you information on lots of species (volume 1 in particular covers all the basic species). Also consider Livebearing Fishes: A Guide to Their Aquarium Care, Biology and Classification by John Dawes and Fishkeepers Guide to Livebearing Fishes by Peter Scott.
Cheers,
Neale
