238 DESCRIPTIVE KEY TO BREEDING, ETC. 



CENTRARCHID^— SUNFISHES (No. 4) 

 The Sunfishes are peculiar to North America. They are, as a rule, 

 rather pugnacious, and cannot be kept with other fishes. Mesogonistius 

 and Enneacanthus are exceptions to this. The species are, of course, not 

 "tropicals" and this should be kept in mind when they are placed in 

 aquaria. 



Practically all the species excavate a shallow depression in the 

 sand, where the eggs are deposited and guarded by the male. 



Mesogonistius breeds among grasses, such as V allisneria, depending 

 more upon hiding its young than fighting for them. 



CHARACID.&— CHARACINS (No. 5) 



The Characins are somewhat less peaceful than the carps, and nearly 

 all of them have the jaws armed with sharp teeth. The smaller species, 

 such as Hyphessobrycon and Hemigr animus, scarcely ever bother other 

 fishes of their own size, but the larger ones (Astyanax, etc.) had best be 

 kept to themselves. 



Most of the species breed very similarly to the Barb group of the 

 Carps and should be treated likewise. Some of the species of Copeina 

 (arnoldi, callolepis), however, lay their eggs out of water, and the males 

 guard them and splash water over them at intervals. Special arrange- 

 ments should be made for this, such as smooth rockwork near the water, 

 or ground glass sides or top to the aquarium. 



Thoracocharax, Carnegiella, and Gasteropelecus, skim over the sur- 

 face of the water of their haunts, similarly to Pantodon. 



CICHLIDiE— CICHLIDS (No. 6) 



The Mojarras or Cichlids are mostly savage fishes and cannot be 

 kept with others, even their own mates, unless large numbers of the 

 same size are present. Pteropkyllum is an exception. Most Cichlids 

 tear out and destroy rooted plants, although Mquidens portalegrensis will 

 not. 



Some breeders first separate the proposed pair by a glass partition 

 until they seem to display friendly intentions towards each other, then 

 letting them together. If there is not an open combat they may pres- 

 ently interlock mouths in what seems to be either a tug-of-war or a 

 protracted kiss. After the action is repeated several times it will end 

 either in a happy marriage or murder, unless human interference steps 

 in. It is preferable to try to mate fishes of the same size, otherwise the 

 smaller is likely to lose heart and make a retreat. Males and females 

 seem to be equally "temperamental," which is a polite way of describ- 

 ing a nasty disposition. In justice to them it should be said that in a 

 large pool no such fatalities occur. The fishes deposit adhesive eggs 



