Bushfish Rapids
Tropical Aquariums
The Current
Breeding swordtails and discus is a tropical adventure. A never ending trip to the tropics and its amazing colors.
At first these two species may seem not to have much in common, at least ecologically. They inhabit two significantly different and distinct watersheds, have different food requirements, sizes, and life histories. After all discus are an amazonian cichlid species exhibiting unusually complex and extremely unique parental care of the young, and swordtails are livebearers native to the Yucatan peninsula.
However, the first thing that both these species share in common is just that – their uniqueness.
Breeding discuss is fascinating for a number of reasons. One of them is their care of the offspring. Probably the most advanced behaviorally and physiologically among fishes. Immediately after spawining the female guards the eggs and larvae at all times never moving away from them for more than a couple of inches. If spawining occures in a community tansk, she does not leave the brood even to eat. The male protects the female and the hatching young from a distance and can be quite aggressive to intruders. Later, when the fry becomes free swimming, the most extraordinary thing happens – the parents feed the young with a secretion of their skin. This is one of the most beautiful spectacles on earth. The parents are virtually covered with babies grazing on their skin. This resembles mammalian care of the young where females feed their babies with their own milk. One can say that discus are more advanced than mammals– even fathers ‘breastfeed’, and they do it without using the bottle.
Another exciting aspect of breeding discus is that they allow the hobbyist to play with their genes and produce visible and spectacular effects. Discus are believed to be the most beautiful freshwater fish. Indeed, the diversity of colors and patterns is astounding and the species continues to reward breeders with new strains.
And this is yet another similarity shared by discus and swordtails. Literally hundreds of color and fin varieties has been developed in Xiphophorus hellerii. The rainbow of colors and unlimited combination of patterns makes the breeding of swordtails ever exciting.
Swordtails have yet another unusual characteristic: the competitive behavior of males. Unlike more aggressive species such as many cichlids or bettas, male swordtails develop a hierarchy that prevents any fatalities among competing males. This competitive spirit, however, resulted in breeders' attempts to grow the biggest swordtail male: the king of all kings. And these are the kings that do carry swords with them ;)
