Xenophallus umbratilis Spawning Report

by Mark Weierman
First published in Fincinnati, the official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society
Aquarticles

Xenophallus umbratilis, commonly known as the Golden Teddy in England, where it is popular, is a Poeciliid livebearer native to Costa Rica. It attains about an inch in length for the male, and an inch and a half for the female. It is guppy-like in general appearance, with the male having a noticeably larger gonopodium than other Poeciliids its size. Its color is plain but pleasing, with the body being a light amber-brown color, and its fins being a light yellow with black highlights. The fish displays an overall golden sheen.

I obtained four 30+ day old juveniles from Fishman Dan of the GCAS, a male and three females, in April 2003, and placed them in a well planted 10 gallon tank with several Corydoras trilineatus. The temperature was kept at approximately 78 degrees F, which is probably in the very highest part of their range. The fry were somewhat slow growing, taking until late June to reach adult size. By July 20th, I had approximately 20 newborn fry in the tank. I have read that they will usually throw from between 10 to 25 fry in a single brood.

It is interesting to note that, unlike many other Poeciliids, they did not begin to spawn until they were very near to being full grown adults. Spawning was otherwise in the general manner of Poeciliid species. X. umbratilis will eat its own fry about in the same general manner as the guppy – opportunistically, without much aggression or industry. A day or two after birth the parents are no longer a threat to the young. As I mentioned before, it seemed rather slow growing for a Poeciliid, taking a long several months to reach adult size and deliver its first batch of fry. They are also slow to have repeat broods, though they will if everything remains to their liking. Good first foods for the fry are crushed flake and frozen or live baby brine shrimp.

My adult X. umbratilis eat flake food and frozen brine shrimp, and seem to do well on it. Altogether, it is a peaceful, interesting little fish that is pleasing to the eye, and relatively easy spawn, though a bit of patience is required.