ON 

 JORDAKfELLA FLORIDAE 



ERNEST LEITHOLF 



Last summer, after reading of Jordan- 

 ella, a Florida tooth-carp, and becoming 

 interested in its reported breeding habits, 

 we concluded to add a pair to our collec- 

 tion. 



We found it to be an attractive fish, 

 rather shy, but less so during the breed- 

 ing periods. When half grown it re- 

 sembles Platypoecilia in shape, though 

 the head is more blunt. The full-grown 

 male is decidedly broader. Running 

 along the back of a young male is a faint 

 row of greenish-gray spots on a lighter 

 ground of the same color; a second row 

 extends from the lateral centre to the 

 tail ; large bluish-black blotch on side ; 

 along back parallel lines of iridescent 

 green alternate with dull greenish-gray 

 changing to coral-red on the sides. The 

 dorsal fin is faintly spotted with reddish- 

 brown ; anal with narrow band of coral 

 at base followed by bands of pale green 

 edged with faint brownish spots ; pec- 

 torals with suggestion of red ; caudal and 

 ventrals colorless. 



The female is much duller, having a 

 background of greenish-gray mottled 

 with a darker shad". This mottling is 

 changeable and at times seems to suggest 

 upright bars. In addition to the perma- 

 nent marking at the lateral centre two 

 or three others show at times. On the 

 sides are broken lines of glistening pale 

 green spots. The fins are colorless, ex- 

 cept the dorsal, which has a black spot 

 with a green band at its base. 



The pair were placed in an aquarium 

 containing a large bunch of Nitella. 

 After several weeks the female became 

 noticeably distended with roe and the 



male began to chase her about. Each 

 dash usually ended in the clump of 

 Nitella. We awaited developments with 

 interest, expecting the male to live up 

 to his reputation as a guardian of the 

 spawn and fry. We were doomed to 

 disappointment. After several weeks of 

 maneuvering the female became thinner 

 and the pair settled down to ordinary 



Lower, Male Jordanella Floridae Upper, Female 



routine. Later attempts were likewise 

 negative. The fish seemed to be gastro- 

 nomically inclined toward the eggs and 

 not a single youngster appeared. We 

 then decided to change our tactics. After 

 the next spawning operation the Nitella 

 was removed and the eggs discovered 

 upon it. They were yellow, adhesive and 

 about the size of those of Danio rerio. 

 The plants were then placed in another 

 receptacle to permit the incubation of the 

 eggs without disturbance. Between four 

 and six days later the fry began to ap- 

 pear. Three or four weeks later we had 

 forty youngsters, ten of which reached 

 maturity. 



This spring the old pair are confirm- 

 ing our observations of last year, and 



