Females may also court males occasionally. He may court her with showy displays, or alternatively he may sneak up on her and insert sperm quickly before swimming away. A male will use one of two basic strategies to mate with a female. In the typical system with internal fertilization, the male has a modified anal fin (called a gonopodium) that he uses to transfer sperm packages into the female. This difference in fertilization has a huge impact on the mating and care strategies that can evolve. The reproductive strategies of all fishes can broadly be broken up into two groups based on how egg fertilization occurs: internal fertilization versus external fertilization. Cichlids provide the best opportunity to examine the evolution of parental care in fishes, as they show quite a bit of diversity in caring for their offspring. They are an incredibly diverse and behaviorally interesting group of animals. ColemanĪ look at the fascinating mating strategies and amazing parenting skills that make the cichlids a perennial hobby favorite (aside from their good looks, of course!).įishes are an amazing group of animals in that for almost any mating or parental strategy that exists in the natural world, there is a species of fish that uses it. The fry are large enough to take Artemia nauplii and crushed dried foods from the moment they’re released by the mother.Mating Systems and Parental Care in CichlidsĪuthor: Samantha A. The fry are large enough to take Artemia nauplii and crushed dried foods from the moment they’re released by the mother. This approach is strictly for experts only, however. Some breeders artificially ‘ strip‘ the fry from the mother’s mouth at the 2 week stage and raise them from that point, as this usually results in a larger number of healthy young.
Wait as long as possible before moving a female, unless she is being harassed constantly. It’s also worth noting that if a female is away from the colony for too long she may lose her position in the pecking order of the group. If a female is overly stressed she may spit out the brood prematurely or eat them, so care must be taken if you decide to move the fish. She will not eat during this period and can be easily spotted by her distended mouth.
RED ZEBRA CICHLID BREEDING FREE
The female will carry the eggs for 3-4 weeks, before releasing the free swimming fry. Numbers are usually quite low, with 10-15 being the average.
RED ZEBRA CICHLID BREEDING FULL
The female then lays her next batch of eggs and the process is repeated until she is carrying the full brood. When she tries to add these to the brood in her mouth the male releases his sperm. The male has ‘ egg spots’ ( egg-shaped spots of colour) on his anal fin and the female is attracted to these, thinking they are eggs she has missed. Fertilisation occurs in typical Mbuna fashion.
When a female is receptive, she will approach the spawning site and lay her eggs in several batches, immediately collecting each batch in her mouth. He can be quite aggressive in his pursuits and it is to dissipate this that the species should be spawned in a harem. Displays of intense colour designed to entice passing females to mate with him will follow. When in condition the male will proceed to clean a spawning site of his choosing. Condition the fish on a high quality diet, and they should take care of the rest. The pH should be around 8.0-8.5 and the temperature 77-80☏. Be sure to provide some flat rocks, and leave some areas of open sand to act as potential spawning sites. A 48″ tank is a good size for a breeding project, and this should be furnished as suggested. It will spawn in a community situation, although obviously the rate of fry survival will be lower. Ideally it should be spawned in a species tank, in a harem of one male and at least 3 females. It’s a maternal mouthbrooder that utilises a similar breeding strategy to others in the genus. Fully mature males will be larger than fully matured females. The dominant male will have more vivid colouration, and all males will have more intsensely coloured egg-spots on their anal fin, as well as growing a hump on their forehead as they age. This will help disperse aggression appropriately. Keep a ratio of three females to every male, with no more than one male in any tank less than 200 litres. It will be fine in most Malawi communities, though do not house with “gentle” Mbuna species such as those of the the Aulonocara genus (Peacock cichlids). One of the more aggressive species of Mbuna, the Zebra is in no way suitable for the general tropical aquarium. To find other high quality, highly recommended foods click here.
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