Spotted pike
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Spotted pike ( Pachypanchax playfairii ) |
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| Pachypanchax playfairii | ||||||||||||
| ( Günther , 1866) |
The spotted pike ( Pachypanchax playfairii ) is a fish that lives in the Seychelles and Zanzibar . The species name is derived from Sir Robert Lambert Playfair, who was British consul in Zanzibar from 1862 to 1867 . He collected the type specimens in the Seychelles and sent them to the ichthyologist and first descriptor of the species, Albert Günther . The spotted pike, which was first introduced in Germany in 1924, is kept as an aquarium fish , although it is considered relatively easy to care for and easy to reproduce.
distribution and habitat
Spotted pike inhabit the free, near-surface areas of fast and slow flowing brooks and mangrove swamps. The species lives in fresh and brackish water. The original distribution area was limited to the Seychelles islands Mahé , Praslin and Silhouette . The populations that exist in Zanzibar today are most likely due to stocking, possibly by Playfair itself.
Appearance
The body shape of the spotted pike is typical of the species . It reaches a total length of a maximum of ten centimeters, but usually remains smaller. The largest specimens come from brackish water populations. On an olive-brown basic color, the males show greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown flanks that shimmer green when exposed to light. The sides have several irregular rows of round red polka dots, from which the common name is derived. The unpaired fins are yellow to yellow-green and lined with thin red and black lines. Two rows of red spots are found parallel to the belly line at the base of the anal fin . Young specimens have a black spot at the base of the dorsal fin , which in males disappears with age. Female spotted pike are similar but much less intensely colored than their male counterparts. Except for the spot on the dorsal fin, their fins are colorless to slightly yellowish in color. In adult males, the dorsal scales are conspicuously ruffled, which when observed incorrectly suggests a disease, but here is typical of the species.
- Dorsal 12-14
- Anal 17-19
Way of life
The spotted pike feeds on insects, small crustaceans and other invertebrates as well as smaller fish. It preferentially spawns over finely feathered plants. During the roughly week-long spawning period, a female produces around 50 to 200 sticky eggs. At 24 degrees Celsius, the larvae hatch after about twelve to fourteen days. Spotted pike are spawning predators that also eat their own brood.
literature
- Werner Neumann: Pachypanchax plaifairi. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , p. 736.
- Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquariums Atlas. Volume 1, Mergus Verlag, Melle 2002, ISBN 3-88244-065-1 .
- Günther Sterba : Freshwater fish in the world. Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-991-7 .
Web links
- Spotted pike on Fishbase.org (English)