Badis fish. Chameleon fish. Why chameleon? Badis - sexual dimorphism

Aquarium enthusiasts know many different fish that are interesting to keep. or chameleon fish,

is not popular. It is all the more interesting to find out what kind of species it is and how to treat it.

Description The chameleon fish belongs to the Nandidae family, in which it is supposedly represented by three subspecies. Not all researchers agree with this. At least 7 more subspecies have been identified.

• Three are described in detail:
• badis;
• Burmese;

Siamese. Color:

bluish-gray, brownish, reddish. All badis are chameleons,

they change color to suit their environment. Males are up to 6 cm long, females are slightly smaller. The fish have gender differences: females are smaller and rounder, not so brightly colored. Males are more beautiful and larger, the body is thinner. Did you know?

“Silent as a Fish” is definitely not about fish, because they are capable of making sounds in the frequency range inaccessible to the human ear. Due to differences in appearance, males sell better, so females are in short supply.

This is important for those who breed these rare individuals. Rare because chameleons are not particularly popular among aquarists.

Area and habitat in nature In nature, this family lives in Asia; it is widely represented in the rivers of India and neighboring countries. They need a slow muddy water , they hide under snags, in rotting remains of grass, fallen leaves, where they are really difficult to find. Actually, no one is looking. Industrial value this fish does not have

is of interest exclusively as an aquarium.

Life in an aquarium

In an aquarium, the badis fish will feel great if an amateur aquarist creates the conditions it needs.

• Badis needs:
• aquarium with a volume of at least 40 liters;
• sandy or gravel bottom;
• a lot of shelters made of driftwood, coconut shells, branches;
• lack of bright light;
• water of medium hardness and pH 6.0-7.5;
• temperature +15...+25 °C;
• biotope is desirable;

plants attached to the decor and floating on the surface for shading.

Feeding

• Natural food of chameleon fish:
• worms;
• insects;
• larvae;

any zooplankton. For this reason, at first they do not eat artificial food, but with the owner’s persistence they get used to it. However, this should not be abused and still give the fish live and frozen food,

• namely:
• Artemia;
• daphnia;

koretru. The better and more varied the food, the brighter it is. The fish have poor health and are prone to stomach diseases, so bloodworms and tubifex are excluded from the diet. Neighbors should not eat these shy and timid inhabitants of the aquarium.

Important! Fish can die from just one overfeeding.

Care

Caring for these fish is not difficult; it all comes down to the overall proper functioning of the aquarium as ecosystems. This is exactly what the owner should take care of. To ensure this, firstly, you need regular and correct water changes, preferably once a week. Tap water cannot be poured without purification and settling.

Secondly, it is necessary to clean the interior of the aquarium from waste products of fish and other inhabitants. Since the aquarium for badis has a volume of 40 liters or more, putting it in order will take time. All these nuances must be taken into account when deciding to start aquarium fish, and badisov in particular.

Compatibility

Badis are not fast fish, so they have developed a different defense: ability to imitate environment. They are chameleons and that's it.

they change color to suit their environment. Males are up to 6 cm long, females are slightly smaller. The fish have gender differences: females are smaller and rounder, not so brightly colored. Males are more beautiful and larger, the body is thinner. gold fish also called office. It is a couple of such individuals that can most often be found in office premises.

They feel best in the biotope, but if this is not possible, then when keeping these fish it is important to remember some of their characteristics as a species.

• Males are prone to aggression towards their own kind, so they keep either a pair or one male at the head of several females.
• They eat individuals smaller than themselves - fry, shrimp.
• Neighbors should be peaceful - neons, pandas.
• Similar behavior of other species will create problems in the aquarium; Apistogrammas are definitely not suitable for living together with Badis.

Breeding

Badis are not a species that cannot be bred in an aquarium, such as the brocade catfish.

They spawn well in shelters, a large number of which guarantees high survival rate of fry. The male will protect the offspring in artificial caves, and it is better to remove other fish during this period. Spawning is stimulated by an increase in water temperature within reasonable limits, as well as abundant live food.

The mating ritual of this species goes like this:

• Before spawning, males darken and their fins turn bright blue.
• They invite females into their cave, displaying special courtship behavior.
• The female lays 30-100 eggs, and her mission is completed.
• The male no longer needs her, and she is removed.
• The male badis will guard the eggs until the fry hatch from them. He fans the masonry with his fins to increase the flow of water.
• The fry appear within a day, sometimes after 36 hours, but live near their father for a week.

Important! As soon as the little thing begins to leave the shelter, the adult male forgets whose dad he is and begins to perceive his own children as food.

Very important at this moment separate a parent and its offspring. They begin to feed the fry with commercial special food, microworms, then artemia and other plankton.

“Mighty nature is full of miracles” - Lomonosov noted this. And the little fish badis-badis brilliantly demonstrates the possibilities and incomprehensible diversity of the surrounding world.

How good is this little badis! The ceremonial coloring of the male is so bright and attractive that you begin to doubt whether such a toy was really created without human intervention, and Nature is its only creator? It is unknown who added the name “scarlet” to his name, which means “scarlet” in English, but this epithet suits him like no other.
The proportions of the scarlet are close to those of its taller brethren, but its body is significantly shorter. The dorsal fin extends along the entire back. All fins, except the ventral ones, are rounded. In males, the dorsal and anal fins, when deployed, are almost the same height as the body. The head is small, the mouth is small, the eyes are large.

The color of the male is bright, dominated by red tones. Eight scarlet vertical stripes run along the silvery-bluish body; the scales are relatively large, and each has a dark edge, which creates the impression of an oblique “mesh” on the body. On the scarlet muzzle there is a vague pattern of two blackish stripes passing through the eye (this pattern is more expressive in the female). All fins, except the colorless pectorals, are bright scarlet. The dorsal and anal edges are edged with a light blue field. The rays of these fins and the tail are blue at the base. Pelvic fins males are greatly enlarged and pointed. Their front rays are blue-white, followed by a dark blue, almost black, stripe, and their back soft part is bright scarlet.

The female is painted, as usual, much simpler. On the grayish-green body there are the same eight stripes, but they are simply dark and do not reach the bottom. There are reddish areas on the stomach. The fins are small, with dark rays. Pelvic fins leading edge bear a whitish stripe. The abdomen of a female ready for spawning is angular in its posterior part, like that of female guppies. It can also be noted that in cross-section the female’s body is round, as if swollen on the sides.

Regarding the “chameleon-like” nature of the scarlet, it can be said that he, apparently, of all his relatives, is the least susceptible to this “vice”. The brightness of the color of males under stress (for example, being caught) and at night goes out relatively weakly. It appears that female scarlets change their color more radically.
It is regrettable that this badis is very small: the male does not even reach three centimeters,
and the female is even smaller (1.6-1.8 cm).

Scarlet came to Germany in 1999 through the famous importer of exotics - the company "GLASER", and to us - only last year 2005, and directly from South-East Asia. It was received by the Novgorod fan of aquarium novelty G. Faminsky.
At first, these kids caused slight confusion for many who met them. At first they thought - badis is like badis, only “sp.”, i.e. something new and not yet known to official ichthyology. They received it and began to educate it: it doesn’t grow! What's the matter?

There have also been incidents when selling fish in pet stores. Let’s say that sellers were at first extremely reluctant to sell them, and at least tried not to give away to regular customers the pale, milky-colored specimens found in a batch of bright scarlets. Without reliable information and not even assuming that with such a tiny size the fish were already completely determined by sex, the merchants had every reason to believe that these “ugly ducklings” were sick, for example, with dropsy and would die today or tomorrow. As a result, only males ended up in the collections of some aquarists.

And only those who had the opportunity to delve into foreign literature relevant topics (in particular, these fish were discussed in the February 2000 issue of the German magazine “Das Aquarium”) or surfing the wilds of the Internet, they found out in a timely manner that the scarlet simply cannot exceed the line of 2.5 cm.

Thanks to the kindness of G. Faminsky, I received eight badis, among which was one plump female. I temporarily placed the pair in a 25 liter soft water aquarium and began to think about how to achieve reproduction. It is known that the larger relatives of the scarlet, Badis badis, Badis badis burmanicus and Badis badis siamensis, familiar to the Russian aquarium hobby, spawn in shelters. I placed coconut shells, clay shards, some tubes on the bottom of the aquarium, and generously added dwarf bushes
Anubias (Anubias barteri var.nana). Coming home from work, I regularly looked into this aquarium, picked up the shells, but did not notice anything.

Here translations of articles by Axel Gutiyar (India) “On the color of Badis sp. “Scarlet” and caring for this fish” and Dieter Bork “First data on the reproduction of Badis sp. “Scarlet”, which also did not bring much clarity. Gutiyar was not involved in breeding, but Bork discovered eggs in one case under a fallen leaf, and in another, under a coconut shell. At the same time, the Moscow amateur A. Brinev, who also had scarlet badis, during the next cleaning of the aquarium where these fish were sitting, suddenly discovered larvae at different stages of development at the bottom. It was a surprise (A. Brinev, like me, saw scarlet badis only in the evenings). He immediately told me this news. I immediately examined the bottom of the container in which my badis were located and found the same picture: there were both larvae of different ages and fresh caviar! While I was planning to breed them, the fish themselves decided their fate.

Without delaying matters, I called G. Faminsky in Nizhny Novgorod and reported what was happening. As it turned out, he also unexpectedly discovered the offspring of the Badis.
And one Sunday morning I finally saw them spawning. Everything turned out to be very simple. The female, feeling that the eggs are already on the way out, stops two or three centimeters from the bottom or swims under the leaf of the dwarf anubias (there was no grate at the bottom).

The male immediately presses to the side, then bends and clasps her body from below (just like in cockerels, gouramis, laliuses and some other labyrinths).
After one or two seconds, a soft push follows, and the fish disperse, and it seems that the female loses spatial orientation for a moment, and then leaves the spawning site and hides.
The male swims out to open space and almost immediately begins to scour the aquarium in search of his friend. Sometimes he finds her and begins to brutally chase her.

When the female is ready to spawn again, she herself comes out to the male, and everything is repeated, and this can be either under the same leaf or in a completely different place.
I personally have not seen it, but, according to the friendly statement of G. Faminsky and A. Brinev, the parents, although not very actively, feast on their eggs and larvae, so it is better to cover the bottom with a separator grid.

The eggs are transparent, colorless, small, very sticky and stick tightly to what they touch. Therefore, part of the eggs is found stuck to the bottom, and part - to the petioles, roots and leaves of the plant, under the cover of which spawning took place. If it was necessary to select several eggs (for example, to make it convenient to observe their development), I had to sweep them from the bottom with a core brush - a stream of water from the pear could not remove them from the place of attachment.

Eggs are laid a little every day in the morning, and the entire spawning lasts an hour and a half. Because of this, an amateur who is busy in the morning is unable to witness the act of spawning. The fish spend the rest of the day quietly, and in the evening they peacefully “lay down” to sleep side by side on the bottom somewhere in the corner, just not huddled together.

It was reported that the water in the scarlet's homeland (the Brahmaputra basin in the Indian state of Assam and Northern part West Bengal) has a neutral reaction and is very mild. The air temperature in summer reaches 30°C, and in winter it drops to 10°C. What temperature fluctuations occur in water during these periods have not been observed.

At first, with this in mind, I planted the scarlets in soft water (dGH 3°, pH 6.5) for spawning. Later it turned out that fertilization and development of eggs normally occurs in harder water (in my experiments up to dGH 8°). Spawnings took place at a temperature of 26-28°C. The first spawning took place in a 25-liter aquarium. Later I planted the same pair in both 15- and 10-liter containers. The result in all cases was positive.

For spawning, fish choose some kind of shelter, a “roof,” although they do not always strictly follow this. Some acts of spawning also occur in the open. There is more caviar at first, but in subsequent days its quantity decreases. My superficial calculations showed that with a ten-day cycle, on average, 6-8 eggs were laid daily (I will explain what this cycle is below). “Accounting” is also complicated by the fact that the caviar is glued anywhere.

The development cycle, as it seems to me, has the following rhythm.
Hatching occurs after about two days. More exact time I could not determine the development, since with constant replenishment it seemed difficult to select freshly laid eggs. The larva, freed from the shell, does not swim away anywhere; it lies on its side where it hatched. It has a barely visible color in the form of thin vertical dark stripes.

The moment of spreading is also difficult to determine. The fry, again, does not swim away anywhere, but, remaining motionless in the same place, simply rolls over on its stomach and begins to slowly feed, grabbing the dusty food that appears under its nose. This phase occurs after about a week. Next to him may be his younger and older relatives at all stages of development.
All these observations become possible if spawning occurs in a so-called hygienic aquarium, where there is no soil, otherwise the extremely sedentary and even camouflaged fry will be invisible to the amateur for a long time.

Babies are very modest in size, so I used homemade ciliates as the first food. Focusing on the elders, after another week he began to add a small portion of Artemia auplii, continuing to abundantly fill the water with ciliates. After about ten days the fry begin to
They can move around little by little. At this time, it is best to transplant the parents into a new spawning tank (if, of course, you are inclined to continue this process).

After 4 weeks, the fry become similar to females, and after another month, the coloring begins to reveal males. At the same time, growth retardation in females can be noticed. And although kids (as well as adult fish) are ready to constantly feed on brine shrimp, it is better to expand their diet as they grow up to include pond crustaceans, cut tubifex, small bloodworms, co-retra, etc. Teenagers also do not refuse frozen food. But like adults, they do not eat flake dry food. True, the Aquarien Atlas published by MERGUS states that scarlets can get used to small granular artificial food. I haven't checked this myself.

After being transplanted into a new aquarium, the fish spend some, albeit short, time settling in and resting, and then continue their almost daily spawnings.
Fry of different ages can be combined in a nursery aquarium without any fear, as long as they are of an age suitable for movement. It is better to do this when they have confidently switched from the starter feed to a larger one, so that both old and young can be successfully fed with one type of feed.

During the rearing process, I discovered that the fry really enjoyed the abundance of Java moss. They literally spread throughout it and in such an environment they probably feel completely safe.
Fry and teenagers are sedentary and not shy. They grow, especially at first, rather slowly, although, if you look at them, given their small growth, there is really no need to rush. IN good conditions By the end of the fourth month of development, females “exceed” 1 cm in length, and males - 2 cm and are already beginning to reproduce.

It is better to keep adult individuals in a species aquarium - they do not tolerate the presence of other fish, even small ones. In a densely planted aquarium with “clearings” they do not hide and are not afraid when a person approaches.

Males distribute small territories (“reveres”) among themselves and guard them. Females move carefully, as if with apprehension, since their appearance on the male’s territory is perceived by the latter as a marriage proposal, and after refusing to develop “ family relations“Beatings often follow. The exception is feeding time, when the border regime is relaxed. The fish feed at the bottom and in the middle layers of water. Rarely rise to the surface and to a short time: Having grabbed the prey, they immediately dive to the bottom. However, in a small container and with a lack of plants, females are forced to hide near the surface from the pursuit of males, who can be very harsh and persistent in their harassment.

It can be noted that fish have a high tolerance to the presence of nitrites in water. Of course, you can’t keep them in this poison for a long time, but for some time (until the aquarist comes to his senses) the scarlets endure.
In conclusion, I would like to inform you that the revision in taxonomy, which is constantly ongoing in ichthyology, has also affected our badis. After research carried out by ichthyologists Kullandcr and Britz in 2002, scarlets (and two other related species) were allocated to a special genus Dario, the main feature of which was their dwarf size (less than 25 millimeters). Thus, in modern literature According to aquarium science, there are, as they say, “on equal terms” at least three names for our baby: Badis sp. "Scarlet", Badis badis bengalensis and Dario dario.

Aquarium Magazine 2006 No. 1

Originates from Southeast Asia from the territory of modern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Lives in shallow, rather muddy sections of rivers with slow flow and abundant vegetation. The bottom is usually viscous, silted and littered with numerous branches, leaves and other woody debris.

Brief information:

• Aquarium volume - from 50 l.
• Temperature - 20–24°C
• pH value - 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness - soft to medium hard (3–15 dGH)
• Substrate type - sand and gravel
• Lighting - dim/moderate
• Brackish water - no
• Water movement - weak or absent
• The size of the fish is up to 5 cm.
• Food - any food
• Temperament - relatively peaceful
• Keeping alone or in a male/female pair

is not popular. It is all the more interesting to find out what kind of species it is and how to treat it.

Adults reach a length of up to 6 cm. Color is variable and depends on the environment, and can vary from orange to blue or purple. A similar feature is reflected in the name of the fish - “Chameleon”. Males are somewhat larger than females and are brighter in color, especially during the mating season.

Nutrition

They are carnivorous species, but the breeders managed to accustom Badis to dry food, so there are no problems with feeding in home aquarium will not arise. It is recommended to include in the diet live or frozen meat products (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp), which contribute to the development of better coloring.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The size of an aquarium for one or a pair of fish starts from 50 liters. The design uses a sand and gravel substrate, shade-loving rooting plants and clusters of floating plants, as well as shelter in the form of tree branches and roots, and various snags. As future spawning grounds, you can use decorative objects that form grottoes, caves, or simple ceramic pots turned on their sides.
Optimal conditions contents are achieved at low or medium light levels and weak internal flow. The water temperature should not be higher than 23–24°C. The equipment is configured based on these conditions; in some cases, you can do without a heater. Hydrochemical indicators pH and dGH have wide permissible values ​​and are not so critical.
Aquarium maintenance comes down to regular cleaning of the soil from organic waste, weekly replacement of part of the water (10–15% of the volume) with fresh water.

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm and slow fish, so you should avoid sharing with active and/or large species, capable of intimidating Badis. But miniature cyprinids such as Rasbora Harlequin, Rasbora Espes and the like, as well as small flocks of characins, can become excellent neighbors.
Intraspecific relationships are built on the dominance of the alpha male in a specific territory. In a small aquarium, it is worth keeping only one male paired with a female. If there are several males, they can arrange fierce fights among themselves.

Breeding/reproduction

The appearance of fry is quite possible in general aquarium The Badis chameleon has well-developed parental instincts, like other labyrinth fish, so it will care for and protect future offspring.
Spawning occurs in shelters similar to caves, under the arch of which the eggs are located. Ceramic pots turned on their sides are perfect for this role. With the beginning mating season the male acquires a more intense dark color, and his behavior becomes quite warlike if someone violates the boundaries of his territory, the center of which is the spawning ground. The male makes attempts to literally drag the female into his shelter; if she is ready, she succumbs to his demands.
When the eggs are laid, the female leaves the cave, and the male remains to guard the clutch and fry until they begin to swim freely. It doesn't take one to one and a half weeks. Then the male loses interest in them and it is advisable to move the juveniles to a separate tank with identical conditions.

Fish diseases

The main cause of most diseases is unsuitable living conditions and poor quality food. If the first symptoms are detected, you should check the water parameters and the presence of high concentrations of hazardous substances (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.), if necessary, bring the indicators back to normal, and only then begin treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatment methods in the section "

Badis badis or chameleon fish is not a very common pet in home aquariums. Despite its miniature size and beautiful color, few people know about it. Can be kept in nano aquariums. Badis is a fish that belongs to the Nandidae family and is its only species. Three subspecies are known: Badis badis, Badis burmanicus, Badis siamensis. They all differ in color, the former have a bluish-brown and bluish-gray body, the latter has red scales. All badis are capable of changing color; they are called “chameleons” for a reason.

Previously, fish of the Nandidae family lived all over the world, but they remained only in the waters of Africa, Asia and South America. They prefer rivers and streams with slow currents, where they are well camouflaged. Most They spend their lives in leaves and driftwood that have fallen to the bottom. They are difficult to find in nature due to their excellent camouflage under the environment. The body of males measures 5-7 cm, females are slightly smaller. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced - females are small, with pale scales, more rounded than males. Aquarists prefer to buy males because of their brighter colors.

Quickly navigate to the article

Conditions of detention

Badis badis are kept in a small aquarium with a volume of 40-50 liters. Lay sand or gravel on the bottom and install a sufficient number of shelters. You can create a semblance of a natural biotope by dressing the tank in Java moss, anubias or Thai fern. Twigs, driftwood, leaves will help create natural decorations.

Look what Badis badis looks like.

Badis do not like bright lighting and open space, so it is recommended to plant floating plants in the aquarium, and add shelter in the form of coconuts and clay pots to the bottom. Valid parameters aquatic environment: water temperature 20-25 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.0-7.5 pH, water hardness is average. Badis badis is a heat-resistant species that gets used to temperature changes. An increase in water temperature by several degrees and a large number of shelters stimulate spawning.

The badis badis fish is a timid creature, slow and timid. It is better to keep them in a separate aquarium, in a calm and stable environment. If shrimp live with them, then the badis can eat their fry. Within the family it also appears aggressive behavior, it is better to house several females for one male. Their disposition is calmed by soft light and “houses” where they can hide from the hustle and bustle.

Feeding

Wild badis feed on worms, insects, larvae and zooplankton. Aquarium badis fish are unpretentious, they eat live and frozen food: daphnia, coretra, artemia. Artificial food is not particularly welcome, although some pets get used to it. The more varied the diet, the stronger their health and brighter color bodies.

Look at the badis in the same aquarium with shrimp.

It is important to ensure that neighbors do not take away the food, because badis are shy. They can get inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract if fed with tubifex or bloodworms. Small catfish, as neighbors, will not take away food, but will rather eat what they have not eaten.

Breeding rules

Breeding is possible in a separate spawning area with a volume of 20 liters, where there are dense plants and dim lighting. The water temperature rises to 28-30 degrees, the acidity of the water is acceptable 6.5 pH, hardness 7 dH. A female or several females are placed with him.

At the beginning of spawning, males become active, display their colors in front of females, and invite them to their territory. The body takes on an almost black color, the fins suddenly turn blue. The male and female touch each other's lips while hiding in a shelter.

Young females lay 30-100 small and sticky eggs, and after laying they are deposited. The male badis takes care of the offspring. Strengthens the flow of water by fanning the eggs with its fins. The larvae of the fry appear within a day, and begin to swim within a week. When they start swimming on their own, it is better to separate them from their parents, otherwise they will be eaten. The body of the fry is almost transparent, with black spots on the head and tail. The initial food for baby badis is microworms, food for fry, later you can add artemia naupilia.

Badis-badis, or Chameleon Fish Badis badis (Hamilton - Buchanan, 1822)

Badis-badis, or Chameleon Fish, was brought to Europe from India for the German fish farming company Matte and Thum. Behind short period this fish was successfully propagated and distributed throughout Germany. and soon it already appeared in a number of other European countries.

The chameleon fish B. badis is a member of a very ancient family of fish: Badidae, which is probably now extinct. This family is often considered by some taxonomists to be a subfamily of the family Nandidae. In 1936, a brown-red form of chameleon fish from Burma was described, which received a subspecific satus and has scientific name B.badis burmanicus.

Badis-badis, or Chameleon Fish, live rather secretively; they do not like the company of other species, so they are usually kept separately. In aquariums where chameleon fish live, diffused lighting is necessary, a sufficient number of shelters must be equipped and many plants must be planted.

The diet of Badis-badis consists mainly of live food, and its favorite food is tubifex and small larvae of aquatic insects.

Chameleon fish live in natural habitats in their homeland in Southeast Asia in a variety of stagnant bodies of water, where their males grow up to 8 cm in length, females are smaller.

The color of the male chameleon fish is characterized by an iron sheen, as well as frequent alternation of a wide range of colors. The fins of males are stronger than those of females. Old males look somewhat bow-shaped, so their abdomen is sunken. Females are smaller than males and have a paler color, and their abdomen is distinctly convex.

To breed chameleon fish, it is enough to use a 20-liter spawning aquarium, equipped with plant matter and half a small flower pot. The aquarium is filled with water from the vessel where adult fish were previously kept, and the indicators should be as follows: water temperature 26°C, pH 6.5, dGH 7°, dKH 1°. The lighting in the spawning tank should not be bright, but dim.

These fish are only placed in pairs for spawning, as the males are territorial and aggressive towards each other. During spawning, females lay eggs in the cavity of a flower pot or on its surface, as well as on stones lightly covered with plants on top. Some males can prepare special spawning grounds by making them in the sand in the form of small holes.

The laid eggs are transparent, with a sticky coating, about 0.8 mm in size. Chameleon fish are sometimes considered an unproductive fish, although during one spawning one female can produce 200 or more fry. Subsequently, the male takes care of the eggs and fry laid by the female, although his presence is not necessary. Females must be removed immediately after spawning. Larvae emerge from the eggs after 48 hours. After about a week, the larvae complete their development and turn into fry, which can be given their first food - brine shrimp. The fry are inactive; they usually stay near the bottom and in other hidden places. Their body is transparent, with the exception of a black spot on the head and tail, so that the fry are very difficult to see against the background of the mottled bottom.