Viviparous

REPRODUCTION IN VIVIPAROUS ANIMALS

Fish That Are Easier to Breed

Guppy, Platy, Molly, Swordtail (Poeciliidae family)

Process:

1. The male transfers sperm using the gonopodium (a modified anal fin)
2. The female stores sperm—she can have several litters without a new male
3. Pregnancy lasts 4–6 weeks (depending on temperature)
4. The female will give birth to 10–100 offspring, depending on the species and size
5. The young swim right from the start

Signs of imminent labor:

• Very swollen, square-shaped abdomen (the "gravity spot" visible when held up to the light)
• The female moves away from the others and seeks out quiet corners
• Loss of color

Cub Survival:

• Adults eat their young if they get the chance
• Dense vegetation, moss, and Limnobium on the surface as natural shelter
• Move the pregnant female to a breeding tank or use a "maternity trap" (floating cage)
• Feed the fry with fry powder (First Bites, Sera Micron), Artemia nauplii, and infusoria

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