24/08/2020
All About Livebearing Aquarium Fish
Habitat, Diet, and Breeding
Of all known species of fish, only about one percent of all fish are viviparous, or livebearing. Yet despite their relatively low numbers, the livebearing species have been a staple in the aquarium industry since it's beginning.
Livebearers include some of the most common as well as uncommon fish found in the trade today. Anableps, Goodeides, Guppies, Halfbeaks, Mollies, Mosquito Fish, Platies, and Swordtails, are some of the richly varied livebearing species available to fish keepers. On the other end of the spectrum is one of the most unusual and ancient fish species in existence today. The Coelacanth ("see-la-kanth"), once thought extinct for four hundred million years, has been found very much alive off the coast of Africa.
Whether ancient or common, all share a common trait—they bear well developed live young. The fact that they bear live young isn't the only reason aquarium enthusiasts finds them so desirable. They are also prized for their hardiness, their ability to adapt to a variety of habitats, and their attractive coloration.
