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Tyrone Genade |
Simpsonichthys whitei was first collected in 1941 by Lt.-Col. Thomas D. White of the US Army and then described by Myers in 1942 as Cynolebias whitei.
This fish is found near Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. It ranges from Bom Sucesso and Rio das Ostras along the coast of Southeastern Brasil. It is replaced on the western extreme of its distribution by Nematolebias papilliferus. It occurs sympatricly with Leptolebias cruzi, Simpsonichthys constanciae and Poecilia vivipara. It is endangered in the wild by habitat destruction through urban and industrial encroachment. It is endangered in captivity by abivalence. As a beginners species it is prone to explosive population growth generally followed by a rapid decline in the captive population as beginners move onto more colourful or new species.
Its habitat in the wild is coastal fringes with very low salt content. It occurs in secondary forest, in the open areas or along the borders. The temporary bodies they inhabit are refilled twice a year: in winter and summer. It prefers deeper water (about 30 cm) with a dark dirty substratum on clay. There is no current and the water is alkaline to neutral. It feeds on crustasceans and insect larvae.
The fish behave as passive tribes with some intraspecies male aggression. It is antagonistic towards other species. It reaches 10 cm (male) in length.
It has been collected at:
A small group of 3 males and 9 females can be maintained in a tank as small as 30 cm. A larger tank is always better though. The tank need not have a hood as the fish don't jump.
Lighting isn't needed although it can only enhance their beauty. They are not picky about water conditions and can tolerate a wide range in temperature (14 to 30°C).
Weekly 30% water changes are encouraged to keep the fish fit. Gentle filtration with a box or sponge filter is adequate. A box filter is better as it can be filled with shell grit to buffer the pH. The tank should be furnished with some plants to offer shelter to the females as well as metabolize the nitrogen waste of the fish.
Simpsonichthys whitei will eat anything offered. They will take flake, frozen and live foods. They will even take beef heart but such a high fat diet is not recommended for any purpose other than conditioning for spawning. Foods with high fiber content is recommended to simulate their natural diet and accommodate their digestive system. I feed spirulina flake and bloodworm primarily.
Breeding is straight forward for this diver. Boil some peat and put it in a tall jar to a depth of about 6 cm if not deeper. A jar with a curved neck is best to keep the peat in as the fish spawn.
Due to the depth of the peat it can quickly turn anaerobic. It is best harvested once a week and dried in newspaper till slightly soggy. The peat is then stored away in a labeled plastic bag for 8 to 12 weeks at room temperature (20 to 24°C).
After incubation the peat can be wet in a shallow tub and the fry removed as they hatch. Feeding can be fed with baby brine shrimp or microworms from hatching. The fry have been reported to even take crushed flake! (I have never tried this.) The fry grow fast and can sex out in 6 weeks and be spawning in less than 8. They have a reproductive life span of about 6 or 7 months. The males can live to be two years!
Due to the large broods that often accompany hatching it is suggested that you split the fry by size and keep them at a low stocking density as they are prone to infection.