Heros liberifer Breeding Guide

Breeding notes for Heros liberifer, the Orinoco severum that begins as a substrate spawner then orally broods larvae — unique mouthbrooding in the genus.

Overview

Heros liberifer (Staeck & Schindler, 2015) is a severum from the Rio Orinoco basin in Venezuela. It was formally described in 2015 after long being confused with Heros severus, and remains uncommon in the aquarium trade. FishBase gives a maximum size of about 16.4 cm SL. It occupies lentic habitats, especially flooded forests. The specific epithet liberifer refers to its larva-carrying brood care.

Breeding Setup

FishBase lists very soft, acidic water for this species, with a pH range of 4.1-6.1 and a reported temperature around 27 degrees C. A breeding tank should therefore offer warm, soft, acidic and clean water with calm, lentic-style conditions reflecting its flooded-forest habitat, plus flat or vertical surfaces for egg deposition. The Aquairi record classifies it as a mouthbrooder of intermediate breeding difficulty.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Unlike other Heros, which are substrate spawners, this species is an oral incubator. According to FishBase the eggs are deposited on a vertical or sometimes a horizontal surface, and hatching takes place approximately forty hours after spawning at 27 degrees C water temperature.

Egg & Fry Care

FishBase records that both parents pick up the larvae to brood them orally. The pair therefore guards the initial clutch like a substrate spawner and then transfers to biparental mouthbrooding once the larvae hatch.