Climbing Perch Breeding Guide

How to breed Anabas testudineus, an Asian climbing perch; a flood-season spawner with very high fecundity whose male guards the eggs at the water surface.

Overview

Anabas testudineus is an Asian labyrinth fish reaching about 25 cm total length according to FishBase and Wikipedia, distributed widely from the Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to southern China. It is an amphibious species that can survive out of water and move overland. The record's breeding type is listed as egg-scatterer, but FishBase documents that the species guards its eggs at the water surface, so this guide follows the source.

Breeding Setup

This is a large, sturdy and aggressive fish best kept in a species-only set-up of at least 200 litres. FishBase lists a temperature range of about 22-30 C for the species. A tightly covered, spacious tank is required given its ability to climb and leave the water.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

FishBase associates reproduction with seasonal flooding: the species undertakes lateral migration from permanent water bodies to flooded areas during the flood season. It is highly prolific, with FishBase citing an estimated fecundity in the range of tens of thousands of eggs (about 40,000-80,000) based on resilience models.

Egg & Fry Care

According to FishBase the fish guards its eggs at the surface of hypoxic (low-oxygen) waters, indicating parental attendance of the eggs near the surface rather than complete abandonment. Detailed incubation times and fry-rearing data are not given in the consulted sources and are therefore omitted.

Common Challenges

The aggression and large adult size make pairing and a sufficiently large, securely covered tank the main practical hurdles. Replicating the seasonal flood trigger is difficult in home aquaria, which is why commercial production is usually tied to flood-season conditions.