07/22/2023
Melanistic Eastern Mosquitofish
Gambusia holbrooki
$6.00 each OR $10.00/pair !!!!!!
Origin: Found on the coastal plain from the Carolinas, throughout Florida and along the Gulf Coast west to southern Alabama and Mississippi. I originally caught my stock in Florida and have been line breeding these for over 5 years now. I have added a few additional wild caught melanistic males to my breeding group since the original capture. At this point the majority of the males produced in this line are melanistic, probably better than 90% of the males produced. I continue to remove any normal gray males produced from my population. I recently found the first melanistic female! This is incredibly rare I have never seen one in the wild! Hopefully, with continued effort I will see even more of these rare females. Sorry, this fish is not for sale, I hope to get some young from her and use them to continue my line.
Coloration: These are normally a small gray fish with a few tiny black spots on the fins. The melanistic trait appears in the wild population on a small percentage of males giving them the dalmatian look of random black blotches and spots over a white or even translucent background. Females are a plain gray with the black spots in rows on the fins.
Tank Size: They don't need a lot of space even a 10 gallon tank is suitable for a small group. They do eat their fry so they are not a great livebearer for colony breeding. I like to use a layer of the floating plant hornwort, also known as coontail (this can be rooted but does fine just floating on the surface), and check the tank for fry hiding among this daily. This helps a lot with getting some young to survive. Bigger the tank and more hiding places the less of a need to remove the fry there is, you will get some survival with a dense layer of plants in a bigger (40 breeder or so) tank. I like to use smaller tank (20 long in winter) and then just remove the young when I find them.
Feeding: Not picky will feed well on flake food. I also feed mine some frozen baby brine shrimp and blood worms but this may not be necessary.
Water Conditions: Not Cold hardy in northern states like their close relative the Western Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis but can be kept outdoors in the southern US. Probably handles temps down in the 40’s just can’t handle ice. Do well outdoors in water garden ponds or even a tub on a porch in summer further north. Do not need to be heated indoors but I have found they produce more young in a heated aquarium kept at 75-80 F. PH of 6.5-8.5.
