Everglades Pygmy Sunfish Care Guide
Elassoma evergladei is a tiny North American freshwater fish from heavily vegetated, temperate waters; breeding males turn iridescent blue-black.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Elassoma evergladei is a tiny freshwater fish of the family Elassomatidae, endemic to North America. It generally grows to about 2.3 cm and reaches a maximum of about 3.4 cm. It lacks a lateral line and has a small oblique mouth. Breeding males turn black with iridescent blue spots, while females are mottled brown and cream.
Taxonomy
- Family: Elassomatidae
- Genus: Elassoma
- Scientific name: Elassoma evergladei
- Common synonyms: Florida Pygmy Sunfish
Habitat
The species occurs in the United States from the Cape Fear River drainage in North Carolina to Mobile Bay in Alabama, and south through Florida to the northern Everglades. It is a demersal freshwater fish of swamps, sphagnum bogs, vegetated sloughs, canals, ponds and sluggish streams, usually over mud, and tolerates a wide temperature range of about 10-30 °C.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 30 L
- Temperature: 10-24 °C (50-75 °F); a heater is not required
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 2-4 years
- Setup: densely planted, slow flow
Diet
The pygmy sunfish is an invertivore that feeds on worms and small crustaceans, including cladocerans, dipteran and chironomid larvae, copepods and ostracods. In aquaria it generally requires small live and frozen foods and is fed twice daily.
Compatibility
The fish is peaceful and best suited to species or nano setups. Suitable companions include white cloud mountain minnows, cherry shrimp and least killifish, while warmth-demanding tropical fish, large fish and aggressive species should be avoided.
Breeding
Elassoma evergladei is oviparous. Females lay about 40 to 60 eggs among aquatic vegetation, with a preference for fine-leaved plants such as Ceratophyllum, and the male guards the eggs.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2011).
Everglades Pygmy Sunfish Breeding Guide
Overview
Elassoma evergladei is a tiny oviparous North American fish, reaching about 2.3 cm typically and up to 3.4 cm total length. It does not require tropical warmth, and it spawns by depositing eggs among plants, with the male guarding the clutch. It is a rewarding intermediate breeding subject for a well-planted, unheated tank.
Sexing
Males develop intense blue-black iridescent colouration during the breeding season and establish small territories, while females remain plainer. Females become rounder as they fill with eggs; the egg count in the ovaries of captive females ranged from 115 to 500, increasing with the fish's size.
Conditioning
This species thrives in cool freshwater, with a recorded temperature range of 10 to 30 degrees Celsius and pH around 7.0 to 7.5. As an invertivore it feeds on small live prey such as cladocerans, dipteran larvae, copepods, ostracods and newly hatched snails, so a diet of small live and frozen foods brings it into condition.
Breeding Setup
Provide a densely planted tank, as males claim and defend small territories among the vegetation while courting females. Plants of the genus Ceratophyllum are especially favoured as spawning sites. No heater is needed given the species' tolerance of cool water.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
A male establishes a territory and performs courtship displays to entice females. A female lays 40 to 60 eggs, which are deposited in aquatic plants, especially Ceratophyllum, and the male then guards them.
Egg & Fry Care
The male guards the eggs through development. The consulted sources do not give a precise incubation time or a detailed fry-feeding schedule for this species, so those figures are omitted; in practice tiny first foods are needed for the very small fry. A densely planted tank provides both cover and the microfauna fry feed on.
Common Challenges
The fish are small and easily outcompeted, so a species tank or very gentle tankmates are best. Maintaining live-food cultures is the practical key to conditioning the adults and feeding the small fry. Because the species is an invertivore that takes prey such as cladocerans, copepods, ostracods, dipteran larvae and newly hatched snails, many keepers reject dried foods, so a steady supply of small live foods is more important here than for many community fish. Its broad recorded tolerance of 10 to 30 degrees Celsius means a seasonal cool period can be used to mimic natural conditions, and an unheated, densely planted tank with a snail and microfauna population gives both adults and fry the live food they prefer.