Leiopotherapon Unicolor
Common Name:
Spangled Perch, Jewel Perch, Bobby Perch or Cod, Trout Cod (Queensland)
Quick Statistics
Size: 150mm – 200m (known to reach 300mm on rare cases)
Up to 600 grams more commonly at 200
Tank: Around 29 gallons at the least more comfortable
in 40 gallon +
Strata (swim zone): bottom and middle
pH: 4.0 – 8.6 very tough fish can take a large range of pH levels
Temperature: Temperate; 15 – 30°C (however can stand temperatures of 5 - 40°C)
Classification
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Family: Terapontidae (Grunters or tiger perches)
Diet:
Mainly diet consists of a carnivorous diet eating insects and smaller fish however if kept in an aquarium will accept fish food. Also known to feed on plants.
Habitat:
This fish is one of the most tolerant fish in the water. Able to withstand very cold (5°C) and very warm (40°C) water not to mention its amazing salinity tolerance being able to withstand pure freshwater to seawater. This fish can also withstand a great range of pH levels. Has been known to live in small dams, streams, ponds, still or slowly flowing water and has even been known to live in small puddles of water during droughts. Like to hide under rocks and other large things on the bottom to offer protection however this is usually unnecessary as they do not have many predators. However some predators include birds and eels.
Distribution:
The Spangled Perch is very common in Australia. Throughout Queensland, along the coast of New South Wales and the Northern Territory also found in parts towards the north and eastern tips of Western Australia. Also found in the northeast of South Australia
Temperament:
Very aggressive towards other species of fish however is known to swim in schools of its own kind. When keeping in an aquarium environment does best in a species only setup and will probably kill anything else kept with it.
General Body Form: perch body shape
Colouration:
It is silvery grey with brownish spots over the body.
Breeding:
Spawning begins in November and continues through summer. Before spawning fish migrate up streams at night.
Many thousands of tiny eggs around 0.75mm are scattered over the bottom, usually at night and often in shallow areas with a soft bottom. Incubation takes about 2 days and the larvae are actively feeding within another 2 days. Larval development is complete within 24 days of spawning.
One of the very few teraponids that will breed in dams where it will move to shallow areas to spawn. Has some potential as an aquaculture subject. Matures at a small size, around 78mm for females and 58mm for males.
Not sexually dimorphic except during the breeding season when the sexes can be distinguished by the shape and size of the urinogenital pappilla. In females the papilla are large and very obvious whereas in males they are smaller and less bulbous.
Notes: This species has exceptionally good dispersal abilities; Shipway (1947) records hundreds of young spangled perch swimming 16.6km (10mi) in six hours along a wheel rut until the water seeped away. As a result, spangled perch are commonly (though mistakenly) thought to have appeared as a result of a so called "rain of fish", where fish (usually spangled perch but sometimes other species may be reported) can be found scattered on the ground after heavy downpours. These fish have not fallen from the sky; they have migrated there via overland flow.
If kept in an aquarium is easily startled and is likely to jump therefore tight fitting lids are recommended.
References:
http://ichtyonb1.mnhn.fr/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4800http://www.hypervision.com.au/aquarium/top...ative/perch.htmhttp://www.utexas.edu/tmm/sponsored_sites/.../leiounic.shtmlhttp://www.sunfish.com.au/html/spangled_perch.htmlhttp://www.nativefish.asn.au/spangledperch.html