Argentine Pearlfish Care Guide
Austrolebias bellottii is an annual killifish of the lower Parana and Uruguay basins, formerly known as Cynolebias bellottii, living in seasonal pools.
Overview
Austrolebias bellottii is an annual killifish of the family Rivulidae, described by Steindachner in 1881 and historically known as Cynolebias bellottii. According to FishBase it is a seasonal toothcarp of temporary waters that dry up during the dry season. Males are deep-bodied with pale vertical bars across the flanks.
Taxonomy
- Family: Rivulidae
- Genus: Austrolebias
- Scientific name: Austrolebias bellottii
- Author: Steindachner, 1881
- Former combination: Cynolebias bellottii
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the lower Parana and Uruguay River basins in South America. It is an annual fish of temporary pools that fill in the wet season and dry out in the dry season; the adults complete their life cycle within a single year.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L
- Temperature: 18-24 °C (64-75 °F); FishBase reports a subtropical 18-22 °C range
- pH: 6.0-7.5 (FishBase 6.5-7.0)
- GH: 4-12 °dGH (FishBase 5-8 dH)
- Size: 6-8 cm (FishBase max 7.0 cm TL)
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
The species is a carnivore. FishBase reports that adults feed on worms, crustaceans and insects. In aquaria it does best on live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and other small invertebrates.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, diurnal killifish best kept as a single-species harem of one male with several females. Its cool-water preference makes it unsuitable as a tank mate for tropical fish that require higher temperatures.
Breeding
Austrolebias bellottii is an egg-burying annual fish. FishBase reports that it is a bottom spawner with an incubation period of about four months; the eggs survive buried in mud through the dry period and hatch when water returns. This adaptation lets the species persist in habitats that dry out completely.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (assessed February 2021). FishBase notes the species is used in the aquarium trade and is described as easy to maintain.