Aphanius fasciatus

A pair of wild caught Aphanius fasciatus from Touggourt oasis

The broodstock of this species originates from the famous Algerian Touggourt oasis, where the species was collected in a small brackish lake together with Coptodon zillii and Hemichromis saharae. With about 2-3 ‰, I keep them at higher salinities then the other Aphanius. Initially, it seems to be difficult to keep this population under the conditions at FSJF and I was able to establish a good stock at the Zoo in Vienna. A part of the wild caught fishes and some juveniles have been given also to several other enthusiasts. While I had lost the species in 2013, I got some back in the same year and was able to breed many in 2015. This was the breakthrough and in 2016 and 2017, I have a very good and productive broodstock. This species preys strongly on its eggs, even when enough mosquito larva are in the tank. I use netted algae mops as spawning substrate successfully.