Banded Killifish - Reproduction and Life Cycle

Reproduction and Life Cycle

In most fish species, the females tend to be larger than males. Similarly, female Banded Killifish tend to be larger when compare to the male. The average adult size ranges from 10–13 cm long and weight a few grams. Banded Killifish are commonly observed to spawn in dense aquatic vegetation because they practice external fertilization where the female lays her eggs equipped with adhesive threads that adhere to plants. They are also observed to spawn from June to mid-August in shallow waters. During the spawning season, the males go through a color change phase. They develop a bright blue patch near the anal fin. In addition, the lower portion of the body changes to a bright blue color. Spawning occurs at water temperatures of 21˚ C to 23˚ C. The male chooses a site in the shallow part of the water and protects it from other males. When a female appears, the male will court the female and fight with the other prospecting males. The female will emit one egg while the male pursues her. Once together, the female emits 10 eggs that falls onto the bottom or gets attached to aquatic plants in the chosen spawn area. The male will continue to pursue the female until the female have laid 50 to 100 eggs. A single female may lay several clutches of eggs during one summer. After the eggs have been fertilized, both the parents will leave and go their separate ways; the eggs do not receive parental care. 6-7 millimeter fries emerge within 10 to 12 days depending on the temperature of the water. They reach maturity at approximately 1 year with an average length of 6 cm. Banded Killifish can live for a little over 2 years. However, there have been some that have been observed to live up to 3 years.