Callopanchax toddi
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| ( Clausen , 1966) |
Callopanchax toddi is a West African representative of the killifish . The colorful animals are well-known aquarium fish , but due to their demands (see reproduction ) and short life expectancy, they are rarely kept. The species wasfirst introduced to Germany in1963 as a subspecies of the golden pheasant pheasant , but received its own species status in 1966.
Occurrence
The distribution of the species is limited to West Africa and there to the area of western Sierra Leone . It populates there mainly small and tiny pools of water and swamps, which can also dry out with the seasons.
Appearance
The body shape is stretched club-shaped with an upper mouth. In captivity, the males reach a total length of up to eight centimeters, while the females remain slightly smaller. The basic color is a metallic blue with bright red dots, especially in the back area. The dorsal and anal fin are band-shaped, the caudal fin is elongated. All fins have red bands and white seams. The males in particular are very colorful, while the females are much less contrasting.
Way of life
The animals live individually or in loose groups in herbaceous shallow water areas, where they feed on smaller invertebrates and insects that have fallen into the water. The intraspecific aggressiveness is particularly pronounced in the males.
Reproduction
Callopanchax toddi is a seasonal fish . In order to adapt to the habitats that regularly dry out, the eggs are laid in the muddy ground where they go through a resting phase during the dry phase, which can last for several months. If the water is replenished in the rainy season , the fry hatch after a short time and become sexually mature after eight to ten weeks.
literature
- Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquarien Atlas, Volume 1 , 15th edition, Mergus Verlag, Melle 2007, ISBN 978-3-88244-227-4
- Lothar Seegers: Killifische - egg-laying tooth carps in the aquarium , Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 978-3-80017-055-5
Web links
- Callopanchax toddi on Fishbase.org (English)
- Callopanchax toddi inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Lalèyè, P., 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2014.