Neptun
Mollinesia sailing is distributed in fresh and brackish waters of the Yucatan Island (Mexico). In Europe they have been known since 1913. In the Soviet Union they were distributed until 1941. Re-imported into the USSR in 1950.
Latin: Mollienesia velifera
Mollinesia sailfish species description
Mollinesia sailfish is a very beautiful aquarium fish. Like the black mollie is the result of a long artificial selection of its wild ancestors from the island of Yucatan. Its name was given for the possession of a luxurious dorsal fin, which the most valuable specimens in height is not less than the height of the body. Rays in the fin should be at least 20. The fin is often edged with a red tint. On the body are located in rows of bluish spots. Females, as is often the case, look a little more modest than males, but they exceed them in size. To date, breeders have received sail mollinesias of a wide variety of colors.
Mollinesia sailfish is the largest viviparous fish. In nature, it can reach 15 centimeters. In aquarium conditions, its length rarely exceeds 9 centimeters. Under good conditions can live in the aquarium up to eight years.
Aquarium keeping
Like all mollinesia prefers old, but clean, oxygen-rich water, medium hardness, neutral or slightly alkaline. Almost all aquarium manuals indicate the need to salinate the water. But I have a mollinesia velifera lives in ordinary tempered tap water and feel great. What they really do not tolerate is cold. The temperature should be maintained within 22-26 ° C. It is also desirable to keep mollinesia sail in an aquarium of sufficient size. For 1 centimeter of body is recommended at least one liter.
Of the plants in the aquarium with mollinesia can be planted vallisneria, cryptocoryne, Japanese strelolist. On these plants most often settle filamentous algae, which are additional food for these fish.
In general, when containing this wonderful fish should remember that it is a vegetarian. And although in aquarium conditions, it does not mind to devour and moth and trumpet, animal food is still desirable to limit. Diet should be diversified with chopped leaves of fresh or thawed lettuce, scalded cabbage leaves scalded with boiling water.
It is necessary to establish a 24-hour artificial aeration. The fish is very hard to tolerate lack of oxygen.
It is better to keep a flock of 2-3 males and 3-4 females.
Mollinesia sailing breeding
If the conditions are good female mollinesia velifera brings 30 – 50 fry every 30 – 45 days. When the abdomen of the female is rounded and will take angular shape it is desirable to carefully transplant to the spawning aquarium filled with water from the same aquarium in which was this fish. Of the plants in the spawning tank is better to put pistolistnik, richchiya, kabomba. Vallisneria and Japanese strelolist in the spawning ground is not desirable, as the fry mollinesia sailing are born with a large yolk sac, which can easily damage the hard plants and die. After spawning female as carefully removed from the spawning ground. Fry can be fed on the second day of small daphnia, cyclops. In the diet should be added crushed plant food. Fry grow quickly and by 8-12 months reach sexual maturity.
