Publication2 med aquascape Publication1cs complete | Page 125

is soot black. The snout displays a very dark grey/
blue colour and subtle orange blue and greens are
displayed in the unpaired fins. For a black and white
fish the spawning dress of Herichthys bartoni is one
of the most striking displays of any aquarium fish!
I wasn’t sure how the pair would bond as they were
still quite young, but during tank light hours they
appeared strong and defended the spawning site
well. I had my concerns as during night time, they
would abandon the eggs which left them open to
predation and possible fungus infection. As a result I
would place a dim moon light torch above the
spawning site as this encouraged the pair to stay
and fan the eggs which is important to their devel-
opment. The eggs will hatch on day 3 where the
parents move the wrigglers to nursery pits until day
7 when they become free swimming. Both fish
proved to be excellent parents showing confident
bi- parental care. In light of all this, we must also
be aware that Males can become very aggressive
towards Females and you will need to prepare for
this by providing sanctuary-hiding places for the
females or install a divider. This aggressive behav-
iour is more likely to show if kept in smaller
aquaria.
Conclusion
Herichthys bartoni are not widely kept and
spawned in the UK, mainly down to non-
obtainable stocks and hobbyist not giving the
proper care. Hopefully the article can help us un-
derstand how to maintain these fish for future
generations to enjoy.
Herichthys bartoni is evaluated by the internation-
al union for the conservation of nature in the
IUCN red list of threatened species as (VU) vulner-
able (1996). Some springs where it inhabited have
been drought up in recent years and have had risk
of disruption from agriculture and recreational
use. As a result this fish is in endanger of extinc-
tion!
C.A.R.E.S. action: CP - Conservation priority.
13