Jordan mouthbrooder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jordan mouthbrooder |
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The Jordan Mouthbrooder, also known by its scientific name Astatotilapia flaviijosephi, is a special kind of freshwater fish. It belongs to the Cichlidae family, which are often called cichlids. This fish is considered a vulnerable species, meaning it needs help to survive in the wild.
This unique fish lives in the central Jordan River system. You can find it in places like Lake Tiberias (also called Kinneret) in Israel, Jordan, and Syria. What makes it really special is that it's the only type of haplochromine cichlid that naturally lives outside of Africa! The Jordan Mouthbrooder is quite small, so it's not usually caught for food. Other cichlids in the area, like the different types of tilapias, are much more important for fishing.
The name flaviijosephi comes from an ancient historian named Titus Flavius Josephus, who lived a long time ago (around 37 to 100 CE).
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Where the Jordan Mouthbrooder Lives
The Jordan Mouthbrooder likes to live in different watery places. Its natural habitats include streams, springs, canals, and shallow parts of lakes. They especially like areas with stones or lots of water plants.
The groups of these fish are often separated from each other. Some live mainly in lakes, while others live mostly in rivers. The water temperature where they live can change a lot with the seasons. It can range from about 14 to 28.5 degrees Celsius (57 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit). However, studies show that these fish are almost completely still when the water is at its coldest.
Why They Are Vulnerable
The Jordan Mouthbrooder is facing threats that make it vulnerable. Its home is being lost due to things like drought (when there's not enough rain), people taking too much water, and pollution. Sometimes, new types of fish are brought into their waters, which could also be a problem for them. Luckily, these new fish don't seem to have harmed the population in Lake Tiberias so far.
What the Jordan Mouthbrooder Looks Like
The Jordan Mouthbrooder is the smallest cichlid fish found in its region. It can grow up to about 12.8 centimeters (5 inches) long. However, most adult fish are usually smaller, around 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) long. Male fish tend to grow larger than females.
Like many other cichlids, its colors and patterns can change. This depends on whether it's a male or female, how old it is, and even its mood! These color changes can happen very quickly. Usually, the fish is a shiny silvery-grey or silvery-tan color. It has a dark or light line going down from its eye.
Male fish have a few large, yellow spots on their anal fin. They also have some small, orangish lines along their sides. When they are scared, they get about ten dark grey stripes on their body. When they are ready to breed, they get two horizontal stripes. During breeding, the male's colors become much brighter and stronger. Their underside turns blue-black, and their chin becomes a bright blue. Females that are taking care of their young also have clearer patterns, but their colors are not as bright as the males.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Reproduction
Jordan Mouthbrooders breed during the spring and summer months. A female fish can lay eggs more than once in a single season. Females can start breeding when they are about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long, and males when they are about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long.
Breeding males are very territorial. This means they will protect their space and can even harm other adult males if they can't escape, like in a small aquarium.
This fish is a mouthbrooder. This means the mother carries her eggs and young in her mouth to keep them safe. The female lays her eggs, and the male fertilizes them in a small pit he digs in the bottom of the water. Soon after, the female picks up the eggs and holds them in her mouth. The young fish stay in her mouth for about two-and-a-half to five weeks. When they are released, they are about 0.8 to 1.4 centimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. How long they stay in her mouth depends on the water temperature. It takes about twice as long at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to 27.5 degrees Celsius (81.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Sometimes, the young fish are allowed to return to their mother's mouth for safety for a few days after they are released.
What They Eat
The Jordan Mouthbrooder is a predator. This means it hunts and eats other small creatures. It mostly eats small invertebrates, which are tiny animals without backbones. It also eats very young fish (called fish fry) and small fish up to about half its own size. Sometimes, it will also eat aquatic plants.
Adult male fish mostly eat freshwater snails. Females, on the other hand, mostly eat insects and their larvae (like chironomids), worms, and small crustaceans called amphipods. Because they eat different things, the teeth of male and female Jordan Mouthbrooders are also a bit different!
