Moema pepotei, Costa, 1993

History

This species is described by Costa from the basin of the Guaporé in western Brazil near to the border with Bolivia.

There are no synonymes known for this species.

It is never seen in captivity and to make the species available to the hobbyists somebody need to rediscover it and bring it alive.

The breeding information is based on other species in this genus in general.

 

 
MMoema pepotei - male. Forte Príncipe da Beira, Rondônia, Brazil. © Drawing is made and donated by Ruud H. Wildekamp, The Netherlands from his AKA publication "A World of Killies, Vol. 4." The material is being reprinted with permission of both, Ruud Wildekamp and the American Killifish Association. This diagram may not be copied or used on any other web site.

Color in life for the male is brownish to golden- green at the sides. The five lines on the sides are made out of reddish spots.

Females have similar pattern as the males but subdued. The fins of the females are pale brown and much smaller and rounded as well.


Reproduction

Keeping and breeding Moema is easy but it takes some patience from the breeder, a bigger breeding tank and special breeding container. The eggs need long incubation periods up to 10 months. Normally eggs are ready to hatch after 5 to 6 months.

To produce many eggs the parents need to get life food only in a rich varity and quantity. As all fast growing SAA's they do not like dry food and rather die than get used to is. Sometimes they eat frozen foods also but you should never skip the life food for them. They can be very productive and the best set-up is one male and 2 or more females in a tank from 30 to 50 litrs or more. Males are not to agressive against female as you will see.

They are peacefull fishes and only males can get agressive to each other especilally if they are separated from each other for a while before.

 

Storing the eggs is easy to but, as said before, a matter of patience. You must boil the peat, before you use it in the breeding tank. I use deep containers with peat to avoid food enters the peat and later affects the eggs. This also to keep the amount of peat as small as possible but the layer high enough to dive in completely. After spawning during 2 weeks the peat is squeezed out and dried to an level of fresh tabacco. Store it at 25 C. in a dark place. After a few months it is wise to look into the peat if eggs are stil there and if any development in it is visable already. Because it need of a long incubation time it is recommended to check the peat bi- monthly to assure it is still wet enough. If peat is put away very moist and warm (up to 28 C.) is is possible the eggs will hatch in an earlier stage. It is however also possible the eggs disappeare fully by fungus if you do so.

There lifespan can be up to 1.5 years in captivity but they will not get that chance in their natural invironment.


Variations
 

Map
   

Meristics

Max. size 0.0 cm.
Dorsal 00.0,
Anal 00.0,
D/A 0.0,
LL scale count (average)00.0
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 00.0 %
Depth to % SL – 00.0 %

   

Literature
Costa, W.J.E.M. 1993. Sistematica e Distribucao do Genero Moema (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae),com a Descricao de uma nova Especie. Revta. Brasil biol., 52 (4) (Nov. 1992): 621, fig. 6.