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The Aquarium 



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Volume I 



MARCH, 1913 



Number 10 



J 



MoUienisia latipinna. 



(' .7. IIKEDE, BrooMyii. 



WHILE many of the inhabitants of 

 our aquaria have been given more 

 or less appropriate vernacular names, 

 MoUienisia latipinna, a live-bearing spe- 

 cies of the family Cyprinodontidae, 



stripes cross the lower part of the body. 

 The caudal-fin is round with a short 

 peduncle. When breeding, the colors 

 are most intense, at other times, and in 

 young fish, it is less distinct, thovigh the 

 stripes are always present. 



MoUienisia may be readily bred in the 



has apparently escaped the attention of aquarium if a temperature of 75 to 80 

 the manufacturer of common n a m e s. degrees, Fahrenheit, is maintained. At 

 This MoUienisia 

 is a native 

 of southern 

 North America, 

 and is said to oc- 

 cur abundantly 

 in its chosen 

 haunts. 



In habits and 

 actions, though 

 not in color, M. 

 latipinna resem- 

 bles the female 

 Xip lioph orus 

 but is larger 

 and heavier 

 built. While 

 both sexes are 

 attractive in 

 color, the male 

 is more beauti- 

 ful, larger, and has an unusually develop- 

 ed dorsal-fin. In length, the males 

 average two and one-half to three inches. 

 Red spots appearing as stripes running 

 from head. to tail, cover the whole body. 

 The gill covers have blue markings 



MOLLIENISIA LATIPINNA Lesueur. 

 Pmwiiig by E. S Young. 



other times, 70 

 to 75 degrees is 

 sufficient. This 

 species will bear 

 len to fifty 

 \oung, three or 

 four times 

 (luring the sum- 

 in e r. Y o VI n g 

 females produce 

 a smaller num- 

 i>er of fry than 

 those more mat- 

 ure, the number 

 increasing with 

 each successive 

 brood. 



The best foods 

 are Daphnia, 

 Cyclops, raw 

 scraped beef, 

 clams, etc., but they do fairly well on 

 artificial foods. They are largely vege- 

 tarian, however, and do not need so 

 much live food as some other species, 

 such as Gambusia Holbrooki or G. 

 bimaculata. That they are plant-eating 



which are also present on the dorsal-fin must not be construed to mean that they 

 and tail of the male. The tail of the destroy the plants of the aquarium, 

 male is marked with red. Vertical except Alga and similar fine vegetation. 



Copyright. 1913. by W. A. I'oy 



