Breeding Forktail Blue-Eye (Pseudomugil Furcatus) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in fast-moving, forest streams and creeks with a lot of plants. This is endemic species to Papua New Guinea. Its habitats are located in lowland tropical forest reservoirs between Dyke Ackland and Collingwood Bays.

Body description

Body of the fish is fusiform. Colour of the body is olive-beige. All fins have yellow border. The fish has 2 dorsal fins, wide anal fin, forked tail with black border, blue iris of the eye. The fish raises its pectoral fins when swimming to the surface. Male is more colourful and larger. He usually has yellow-orange under-side. His fins have elongated rays – especially first rays of the dorsal fin. Female’s pelvic and pectoral fins are clear.

Temperament and behaviour

This shy, active and shoal species. It does not fight for food with aggressive and big fish. Fish prefers to live in a group of several minimum and remember more then better but make sure you have more females. In a group fish are less stressed and males present the best colors when they compete against each other for females attention. You should keep these fish with similar size and temperament species like danios, microrasboras, barbs, tetras, threadfin rainbowfish, peacock gudgeon and freshwater shrimps.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefers spacious tanks which is longer than higher. Aquarium should include a lot of plants, space to swim, dimmed light, dark substrate and decorative elements, floating plants and pieces of wood, a lot of hiding-places among roots. Water should be oxygen-rich with medium flow and regular partial water changes. The fish are very sensitive to water quality and that is why you should only put this fish to chemically stable water.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You can breed these fish in the general tank where aquarium should include a lot of plants including floating, fine-leaved plants where fry can hide. You can also do it in separate aquarium and then tank should have fine-leaved, floating plants like java moss or it can have breeding mops. You transfer group of fish to the breeding tank, making sure there is more females than males. The spawning is preceded by intense courtships. Male spreads his fins and he can be a bit insistent towards female. Female lays small portion of eggs among plants or mops over several days. Every day you should check and move the eggs to a separate small container like plastic box with water. Single male can spawn with several females at the same time. The eggs hatch after 10-21 days. It depends on the water temperature. The fry starts to swim and feed at once. You should feed them twice a day and you should regularly exchange water. The parents do not take care for the roe and fry.