Breeding conditions for Reedfishes (Erpetoichthys calabaricus)?

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gahardy

gahardy

Feeder Fish
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Jan 19, 2009
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Victoria, BC, Canada
gahardy.shawwebspace.ca
It is looking as if breeding Bichirs in captivity is not hard to do. All species seem to breed quite readily, at least in outdoor pools in warm climates, but also many will breed in aquaria. So why is it that their cousin the Reedfish is not breeding in captive conditions?

I have spent some time thinking about this while watching the beautiful "dance" put on by my own Reedfishes (sitting with my cat who considers the Reedfishes far more interesting then the Bichirs by the way :)

Now one big lifestyle difference between the two genera is that while all species of Bichir are found always in freshwater well upstream in the rivers and lakes where they live throughout Africa, the Reedfishes are found in the brackish mouths of the rivers in their range as well as up river in the purely fresh water. Could it be that mild brackish conditions is the trigger to spawning? Has anyone working in the field with the Reedfish notice a greater number of young down river? I have searched for this information online but have found no reference to the differences, if any, in the behavior of Reedfishes up river (fresh) and down river (brackish). If anyone has noticed any works that I have missed please let me know.
 
I've never read of them being in brackish other than as occasional misplaced fish. Even ornate bichirs have neen found 2km out in the ocean, but I wouldn't call it their natural habitat.
When I bred my ropes, they were in 80F water, getting weekely 50% water changes with water about 4-6F cooler. pH in the tank was about 6.6 due to CO2 injection. Change water was 7.2. GH of 0.
 
They are purely freshwater fish. I think you have to simulate rain for them to breed.

Which is what JamesF mention, lower temperature, soft water and lower pH
 
One of several reference I have come across in scientific papers.

". . . The phylogenetic position of Erpetoichthys is not particularly surprising considering numerous biological aspects of this species. The skull of E. calabaricus possesses a variety of unique characteristics that are not found in Polypterus. Furthermore, the ecology of E. calabaricus quite different than Polypterus as it inhabits coastal and estuarine areas unlike Polypterus species that primarily inhabit freshwater."

The mitochondrial phylogeny of an ancient lineage of ray-finned fishes (Polypteridae) with implications for the evolution of body elongation, pelvic fin loss, and craniofacial morphology in Osteichthyes
Dai Suzuki, Matthew C Brandley and Masayoshi Tokita​
 
I'd be interested in seeing where they got the information on it. If it's from collected specimens, the number collected would be usefull, as well as weather patterns before the collection.
If they were truly a brackish fish, they wouldn't survive long in freshwater, which they do. They also breed in freshwater.
 
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