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Limia melanogaster - Black-bellied LimiaMagyarul / Hungarian
Limia melanogaster - Black-bellied LimiaLimia melanogaster - Black-bellied LimiaLimia melanogaster - Black-bellied LimiaLimia melanogaster - Black-bellied LimiaLimia melanogaster - Black-bellied Limia
  • Scientific name: Limia melanogaster
  • Synonyms: Lebistes melanogaster, Poecilia melanogaster
  • Common name: Black-bellied Limia
  • Group: Livebearers
  • Habitat: Central America; Jamaica, Haiti
  • Size: male: 5 cm, female: 6 cm
  • Biotope: Inhabits in small streams.
  • Social behavior: Peaceful schooling fish, can be combined with other small fish.
  • Diet: Omnivorous; will accept most foods, but they also need some vegetable matter, such as algae.
  • Breeding: Easy
  • Tank: Minimum 50 litres
  • Population: 1 male and 3-4 females for 70 litres
  • Decoration: Needs a tank with dense vegetation and open areas for swimming. Also densely cover the surface with floating plants.
  • Temperature: 22-28 °C
  • pH: 7.5-8.5
  • Hardness: 15-30 NK°
  • Lifespan: 3-5 years

Description: Black-bellied Limia has an overall grey body color with a blue sheen. Both sexes are marked with 5-8 dark vertical bars on the rear half of the body. The male has a pale yellow dorsal fin, marked with two dark bands: one on the margin, the other on the base, while the female has a clear fin with only one dark bar at the base. The male’s caudal fin is orange with a dark band. Males also have a gonopodium, and a smaller more slender body, while females have a large black patch on the belly. Unfortunately Limia melanogaster is difficult to buy or find in the local fish stores. Breeding is easy and similar to breeding guppies or mollies, but the males will pursuit the females very hard, so a larger breeding tank with a dense vegetation is essential. Limia species will readily hybridize not only with each other but with Poecilia species as well, so it’s best to keep just one livebearer species per tank. The parents are usually less cannibalistic, and they can be left in the breeding tank. The female will pruduce 20-50 fry after a gestation of 4-6 weeks. The fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii or powdered flake foods. It take several months to the fry to exhibit their adult coloration.