There is a big difference in the species of killifish. One is called annual and the other non-annual. The difference is due to conditions of living around them. The species which are used to live in the permanent and stable bodies of water are non-annual, and they will have a different lifestyle than the ones living in the temporary bodies.
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| Fundulus auroguttatus, a non-annual North American killifish (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
If the supply of water is for a short period of time in the year, killifish living in such water are labeled as annual killifish. They will prefer to place their eggs deep in the mud. The eggs will stay there for some time when the pond gets try. Eggs will continue to develop during this time but will not hatch.
As the rain comes back again after some time, these eggs will hatch. Some tough eggs will even wait for the second fall of rains before hatching. Once hatched, the fry will start growing quickly and they will be very aggressive because they will have a very short period of time at their disposal to complete their life cycle.
The beginners should avoid these annual killifish. As the conditions under which had they grow are variable in different parts of the world, you may not be able to replicate them in your small aquarium.
In contrast, the non annual killifish are colorful and will swim with grace. If you provide them normal conditions for living, they will lay eggs frequently. These eggs will be hatched in a period of three weeks.
The new ones will start looking out for food immediately after coming. The eggs are hard and the new ones will consume all the nutrients from it before they come out. As the eggs will be laid many times, the fry will be of different ages. This is the reason for low availability of non-annual killifish. You may not find them in many pet fish shops.
However, if you are lucky to get a pair, you can breed it successfully and get new arrivals continuously over a period of time. Remember, if you miss out, you may not find the same variety easily in the market. Many breeders will not sell a single male or female. The costs of shipping of killifish may even exceed the initial price you paid!
So now you are familiar with the annual and non-annual varieties of killifish. The annuals will be difficult to keep as their life is short and you may not be able to breed them successfully. On the other hand, the non-annuals will live for a long time and if you correctly breed them, you will be able to get a continuous supply of new ones.
The only thing you should remember about them is about their availability. They may not be available easily and they are expensive also. You should keep in mind all these considerations before deciding to keep killifish in your aquarium.
Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles |
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