Common name(s): Metallic Livebearer, Metallic Girardinus, Metallic Topminnow, Black Chin Livebearer
Scientific name: Girardinus metallicus Poey, 1854
Family: Poeciliidae
Synonyms: Girardinus garmani, Girardinus pygmaeus
Maximum size: Males: 1.6 (4 cm) Females: 2.8 (7 cm)
Social structure:
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Swimming level: Middle and top
Temperature: 72-81 F (22-27 C)
Water hardness: 8-25 dGH
PH: 6.0-8.0
Distribution: Endemic to Cuba.
Habitat: Found in ponds, ditches, lakes and streams. The water in these areas is clear, stagnant or with very little movement, and may be either fresh or brackish.
Maintenance: Prefers a well planted tank including floaters, which will help to maintain clean water, provide hiding places for fry, and offer females a respite from the attention of males. Filtration should be gentle to help emulate the natural habitat. A low end brackish aquarium is also a possibilty.
Diet: The Metallic Livebearer is an omnivore and in nature feeds on diatoms, algae, vegetation, and insect larvae. The species is unfussy about food in the aquarium and will readily accept prepared foods, preferably with a spirulina/kelp/algae base. Small live and frozen foods will also be taken, as will blanched vegetables.
Compatibility: The Metallic Livebearer is a peaceful species. Males are relentless in their attempts to spawn with females, so it is best to maintain a ratio of one male to every two or three females. The Metallic Livebearer readily mixes with other small, hardwater species like rainbowfish, tetras, cyprinids, and catfish, as well as other livebearers.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are smaller, slimmer, and possess a gonopdium. Males also have a stripe of color that runs along the underside of the body from the mouth to almost the tip of the gonopodium and to the caudal peduncle. The color of the stripe is dependent on the form (black chin or the rarer yellow belly/gold).
Breeding: Provided clean water that is not too soft and acidic, breeding is easily accomplished. The species reproduces in the typical livebearer manner in which the male transfers a packet of sperm to the oviduct of the female by way of his modified anal fin known as a gonopodium. Extra sperm is stored in the oviduct walls for future pregnancies.
Gestation ranges from 20-30 days, after which 5-30 roughly 0.25 inches (6-7 mm) young are born. Adults will eat fry, so they should be removed, although some will survive in a heavily planted aquarium. A diet consisting of foods such as crushed flakes, cooked egg yolks, Artemia nauplii, blanched spinach, and spirulina fed 2-3 times a day will allow the young to grow quickly.
Additional notes: Not often seen in fish stores, the Metallic Livebearer is typically obtained from other hobbyists.
The genus Girardinus is named in honor of French biologist, Charles Frédéric Girard. The species epithet is Latin for metallic, a name given for the sheen the species possesses.
Profile is short and not as easy as I had thought it was going to be. I still abhor short profiles. What follows is a whole bunch of insanity and random bits and pieces of notes I'm calling Cory's grumblings.
Several other synonyms listed in Baensch (and Aquarium Wiki...although I don't trust that site), but not on Fishbase or CAS. Heterandia metallica and Poecilia metallica could not be found at all, while Heterandia cubensis is actually a synonym for Girardinus cubensis.
Fishbase and Baensch listed simply Cuba as native range, every single other source included Costa Rica (yes, Jes that includes SF).
So what did I do? I found a book online called the Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of Central and South America. Only Cuba was listed and only the synonyms listed at FB and CAS. In fact not one Girardinus species was listed as being from anywhere but Cuba. In other words I'm too freaking anal for this crap. It took me 20 minutes of research to add 7 words (2 of which were the same word!) to this profile!
Then there was the issue with gonopodiums and whether all Poeciliads have them. After researching I'm leaning towards no, as the African species are egg layers that fertilize externally, something I knew but didn't put together. So the sexual dimorphism on the Humpbacked Limia needs tweaked. At least I didn't on the Tiger Teddy. That was roughly another 15 minutes. We should probably include stored sperm on the Humpback Limia profile too, plus it's not quite clear on the Tiger Teddy that they do not.
Random note the Tiger Teddy should say one male for every two females...forgot me an important word there.
One more thing to comment on is the tank dimensions. I saw everything from 5-29. 10 seemed used most often. The size of the fish was in debate so I went with the majority, which is actually lower end. Perhaps I should list 20 to be safe? Although saying that the only info I used from an actual owner/breeder (Sam Borstein who writes profiles for the Chicago Livebearer Society) had them flock breeding in the same 5 gallon aquarium for years. So 10 might be a safe bet.
Hey, did you guys know that Girardinus were called topminnows? They are and so are Fundulus from the US. Killifish and Livebearers! Better not list topminnow under a Killifish subgroup.
Grumble all you wanna, this is damn near perfect! You rocked it. . . you always do! Thanks, Cory! ^__^
Sharon: Did you see this site? http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile187.html
Scientific name: Girardinus metallicus Poey, 1854
Family: Poeciliidae
Synonyms: Girardinus garmani, Girardinus pygmaeus
Maximum size: Males: 1.6 (4 cm) Females: 2.8 (7 cm)
Social structure:
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Swimming level: Middle and top
Temperature: 72-81 F (22-27 C)
Water hardness: 8-25 dGH
PH: 6.0-8.0
Distribution: Endemic to Cuba.
Habitat: Found in ponds, ditches, lakes and streams. The water in these areas is clear, stagnant or with very little movement, and may be either fresh or brackish.
Maintenance: Prefers a well planted tank including floaters, which will help to maintain clean water, provide hiding places for fry, and offer females a respite from the attention of males. Filtration should be gentle to help emulate the natural habitat. A low end brackish aquarium is also a possibilty.
Diet: The Metallic Livebearer is an omnivore and in nature feeds on diatoms, algae, vegetation, and insect larvae. The species is unfussy about food in the aquarium and will readily accept prepared foods, preferably with a spirulina/kelp/algae base. Small live and frozen foods will also be taken, as will blanched vegetables.
Compatibility: The Metallic Livebearer is a peaceful species. Males are relentless in their attempts to spawn with females, so it is best to maintain a ratio of one male to every two or three females. The Metallic Livebearer readily mixes with other small, hardwater species like rainbowfish, tetras, cyprinids, and catfish, as well as other livebearers.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are smaller, slimmer, and possess a gonopdium. Males also have a stripe of color that runs along the underside of the body from the mouth to almost the tip of the gonopodium and to the caudal peduncle. The color of the stripe is dependent on the form (black chin or the rarer yellow belly/gold).
Breeding: Provided clean water that is not too soft and acidic, breeding is easily accomplished. The species reproduces in the typical livebearer manner in which the male transfers a packet of sperm to the oviduct of the female by way of his modified anal fin known as a gonopodium. Extra sperm is stored in the oviduct walls for future pregnancies.
Gestation ranges from 20-30 days, after which 5-30 roughly 0.25 inches (6-7 mm) young are born. Adults will eat fry, so they should be removed, although some will survive in a heavily planted aquarium. A diet consisting of foods such as crushed flakes, cooked egg yolks, Artemia nauplii, blanched spinach, and spirulina fed 2-3 times a day will allow the young to grow quickly.
Additional notes: Not often seen in fish stores, the Metallic Livebearer is typically obtained from other hobbyists.
The genus Girardinus is named in honor of French biologist, Charles Frédéric Girard. The species epithet is Latin for metallic, a name given for the sheen the species possesses.
Profile is short and not as easy as I had thought it was going to be. I still abhor short profiles. What follows is a whole bunch of insanity and random bits and pieces of notes I'm calling Cory's grumblings.
Several other synonyms listed in Baensch (and Aquarium Wiki...although I don't trust that site), but not on Fishbase or CAS. Heterandia metallica and Poecilia metallica could not be found at all, while Heterandia cubensis is actually a synonym for Girardinus cubensis.
Fishbase and Baensch listed simply Cuba as native range, every single other source included Costa Rica (yes, Jes that includes SF).
So what did I do? I found a book online called the Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of Central and South America. Only Cuba was listed and only the synonyms listed at FB and CAS. In fact not one Girardinus species was listed as being from anywhere but Cuba. In other words I'm too freaking anal for this crap. It took me 20 minutes of research to add 7 words (2 of which were the same word!) to this profile!
Then there was the issue with gonopodiums and whether all Poeciliads have them. After researching I'm leaning towards no, as the African species are egg layers that fertilize externally, something I knew but didn't put together. So the sexual dimorphism on the Humpbacked Limia needs tweaked. At least I didn't on the Tiger Teddy. That was roughly another 15 minutes. We should probably include stored sperm on the Humpback Limia profile too, plus it's not quite clear on the Tiger Teddy that they do not.
Random note the Tiger Teddy should say one male for every two females...forgot me an important word there.
One more thing to comment on is the tank dimensions. I saw everything from 5-29. 10 seemed used most often. The size of the fish was in debate so I went with the majority, which is actually lower end. Perhaps I should list 20 to be safe? Although saying that the only info I used from an actual owner/breeder (Sam Borstein who writes profiles for the Chicago Livebearer Society) had them flock breeding in the same 5 gallon aquarium for years. So 10 might be a safe bet.
Hey, did you guys know that Girardinus were called topminnows? They are and so are Fundulus from the US. Killifish and Livebearers! Better not list topminnow under a Killifish subgroup.
Grumble all you wanna, this is damn near perfect! You rocked it. . . you always do! Thanks, Cory! ^__^
Sharon: Did you see this site? http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile187.html
