I'm still coming down from the high of finally obtaining 3 specimens of a species of fish I've been hunting down for almost 15 years - Lebiasina astrigata (or any Lebiasina/Piabucina really).
Over the years these mini monsters have been consistently at the top of my must have list. They're exceedingly hard to get a hold of despite the genus being very widely distributed across South/Central America and being locally abundant throughout their range. I've inquired countless suppliers and trans shippers and have always received the same answers - either not available or order a box of 200-400 specimens.
Very little information is available on these fish regarding captive care. Most available info points towards them being predatory, primarily consuming insects and smaller fish but otherwise innocuous characins in the same vein as Charax sp. or other small predator tetras. Both my experience and that of the seller is quite different. He calls them "jerk tetras" and now I can see why - they're jerks. Apparently they don't get brought in mixed shipments often because they damage the other fish in transit and since obtaining them, I've found them to be quite aggressive as well. My specimens are small (under 2 inches) and they're in a 15g with a few Lonchogenys ilisha and 2 juvenile Synaptolaemus latofasciatus and they're constantly squabbling with each other and bullying the Lonchogenys. I'm going to introduce some more plants into the tank to try and create more visual barriers while I set up a larger tank for them
Here are a few (poor) photos - I'll try to get better ones later!
Over the years these mini monsters have been consistently at the top of my must have list. They're exceedingly hard to get a hold of despite the genus being very widely distributed across South/Central America and being locally abundant throughout their range. I've inquired countless suppliers and trans shippers and have always received the same answers - either not available or order a box of 200-400 specimens.
Very little information is available on these fish regarding captive care. Most available info points towards them being predatory, primarily consuming insects and smaller fish but otherwise innocuous characins in the same vein as Charax sp. or other small predator tetras. Both my experience and that of the seller is quite different. He calls them "jerk tetras" and now I can see why - they're jerks. Apparently they don't get brought in mixed shipments often because they damage the other fish in transit and since obtaining them, I've found them to be quite aggressive as well. My specimens are small (under 2 inches) and they're in a 15g with a few Lonchogenys ilisha and 2 juvenile Synaptolaemus latofasciatus and they're constantly squabbling with each other and bullying the Lonchogenys. I'm going to introduce some more plants into the tank to try and create more visual barriers while I set up a larger tank for them
Here are a few (poor) photos - I'll try to get better ones later!
