Dawkinsia filamentosa (Blackspot barb, Filamented barb, Mahecola barb)
Useful Information
Biology
Dawkinsia filamentosa is a small freshwater fish in Cyprinidae family. There are long flat body, yellow-pink color, dorsal fin pectoral fin and caudal fin is faded red, upper and bottom caudal edge fin is black, the bottom of caudal fin have big black spot. Males Dawkinsia filamentosa are slimmer and aflutter fin than female. Estimated length is 3-5 cm. Behavior is lived together, average age is 4 year. Well known as ornamental fish.
Life cycle
The spawn hatch to be fish around 25 hour upon water temperature, Newborn hatch larval fish eat plankton, their shape look like their parent.
Reproduction
Males Dawkinsia filamentosa are colorful red lips, red fin, and red tail, females Dawkinsia filamentosa are faded color but larger size. The fish size that will be ready for math are approximately 3-5 cm. The Dawkinsia filamentosa is cling type spawn can be lay down the eggs all the year. When the female lay down the eggs around 25 days after that they can breeding again.
Food
Small aquatic animals and insect.
Shelter
The species is most commonly found in coastal floodplains near the Southwest Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.