Two-banded pike
| Two-banded pike | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Epiplatys bifasciatus bifasciatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Steindachner , 1881) |
The two-banded pike ( Epiplatys bifasciatus bifasciatus ) is a West African representative of the killifish and belongs together with Epiplatys bifasciatus taeniatus to the species Epiplatys bifasciatus . It is kept as an aquarium fish , but less often than the more colorful members of the genus.
Occurrence
The species has one of the largest areas of distribution among the African pike-flyers and occurs from Senegal in the west to South Sudan in the north and Congo in the south. Mainly smaller, plant-rich savannah waters are populated .
Appearance
The fish have the pike-like shape typical of all Epiplatys species with an overhead mouth. The males reach a total length of up to six centimeters in captivity, females stay a little smaller. The basic color is a light green-blue with a metallic sheen, the fin edges have a yellowish color. Typical are two longitudinal stripes along the side line and parallel to it on the back. The anal fin of the males is pointed, in the females it is round. The dorsal fin is relatively small and only starts behind the middle of the anal fin. The caudal fin is elongated-oval.
Way of life
Like all representatives of the genus Epiplatys , the two-banded pike is a stalker living close to the surface , which feeds mainly on insects, smaller invertebrates and fish larvae. The fish standing in the cover of aquatic plants capture their food by suddenly advancing and occasionally jumping.
Reproduction
The fish spawn in pairs. In the course of several days, up to 150 eggs are attached individually to root fibers or leaves of aquatic plants. Brood care does not take place; the fry hatch in captivity after ten to twelve days.
Special features: Guma'a (1982) describes a local variant from southern Sudan in which viviparous animals occur. In these, the rear part of the ovary is reshaped like a sack, the eggs develop after fertilization until the young fish hatch in the body of the female. In captivity, however, this and the mating process could not yet be observed.
literature
- Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquariums Atlas. 15th edition. Volume 1, Mergus Verlag, Melle 2007, ISBN 978-3-88244-227-4 .
- Lothar Seegers: Killifische - egg-laying toothcarps in the aquarium. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 978-3-80017-055-5 .
Web links
- Two-Banded Pike on Fishbase.org (English)