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Rivulus strigatus 



WALTER LANMOT BRIMD, F. Z. 5. 



1 



Rivulus strigatus was introduced to 

 me by Mr. John Lowel, of The Aqua- 

 rium Society, in 191 3. He had one or 

 two pairs at that time, having received 

 them from Germany through an engi- 

 neer on one of the German steamships 

 then plying between Cuxhaven or 

 Bremen and. New York City. The male 

 fish showed such brilliant colors and 

 well-defined markings that they made a 

 lasting impression on my mind. I was 

 naturally anxious to secure a pair for 

 study, but my persuasive powers were 

 not equal to the task, and so I left my 

 friend's house without them. Since then 

 I have owned a number of pairs, and the 

 intimate association did not serve to dull 

 the glamour of that first meeting. 



The male of the species has a con- 

 spicuous black collar around the outline 

 of the gill-covers and extending forward 

 through the eyes to the snout. The back 

 is warm chestnut-brown, merging into 

 the turquoise blue of the sides, on which 

 scarlet dots are arranged symmetrically 

 in "herring-bone" fashion as shown by 

 the illustrations ; abdomen and throat, 

 creamy yellow. The fins, save the pec- 

 torals which are transparent, are mot- 

 tled with brown and purple. 



The female, as is often the case among 

 fishes, is much more somber. The back 

 is chestnut, passing to cream on the 

 throat and abdomen, with dark purplish- 

 brown dots arranged in the herring-bone 

 design on the sides. 



As far as my knowledge goes, Mr. 

 Lowel did not succeed in breeding the 

 species. Later, however, specimens were 



imported direct from Brazil by gentle- 

 men connected with the New York- 

 Zoological Society, and they were suc- 

 cessful in having them spawn in an aqua- 

 rium holding about five gallons. The 

 eggs were deposited singly on the fila- 

 ments of Myriophyllum after the manner 

 of other species of the genus. Develop- 

 ment is comparatively slow, ten or more 

 days passing before the fry emerge. 



Rivulus strigatus 



With Infusoria abundant in the tank, 

 the young will thrive and grow apace. 

 In an emergency one may use finely pow- 

 dered nutritious dry food. When the fry 

 are large enough they may be given 

 small Daphne and Cyclops, after which 

 the growth will be more rapid and they 

 will soon be able to master young and 

 tender enchrytraeid worms. 



While Rivulus strigatus is a native of 

 Brazil, it does not seem to demand a par- 

 ticularly high temperature, ~$ degrees, 

 Fahrenheit, being sufficient except while 

 breeding, when it should be a few de- 

 grees higher. The largest specimens I 

 have seen measured two inches. 



When half a dozen women get together 

 they all talk at once. If they didn't they 

 would never get through. 



