RNDr. Roman Slaboch

Translate: Eli Slabochova

If you will commence with information about this livebearer (Priapella intermedia /Alvarez & Carranza, 1952/), you will directly find some obscurities. The first of them is the Czech name; varied authors mention different species (czech) names blue-eyed or green-eyed. Personally, I tend towards the first option, because blue color corresponds to the real color of its eye.

Other obscurity is its unavailability, or if you like – rarity. “Priapella intermedia is very rare species of livebearers”, stands in Dokoupil’s Livebearers (Živorodky). Opponents of this statement are actually any other resources available for me, which mention high number of habitats.

Even with frequently mentioned delicacy we can’t agree without any doubts – it was found in rivers, lakes and stream pools in temperatures about 24-32 °C, pH 7,4-9,6, dGH 11-44 and conduction 50-680 µS (Novák&Hoffman, Wischnat). The only one, on which agree every resource, are almost zero values of content of nitrogen fusions. Now, this is the only one, which we can never provide them. But after my experiences with multiple breeding in several generations, I can maintain that Oaxancan blue-eye is pretty tolerant to this problem.

A tank advisable for breeding is the tank with volume about 60-80 liters, mediumly ingrown, not much illuminated, with free bigger part of the upper third of water column. They are good and fast swimmers. They are also very good jumpers! Males mature after 5-6 months and reach 5 cm; females have their first young at the age of 7-8 months and reach about 8 cm. After 28 days of very discreet gravidity incubates, regarding to the size, unusually small amount of the young (about 7 mm). The adults aren’t noticing them. The litter of fifteen young is very strong; the usual average is about ten pieces. They grow very quickly while they have enough food. The litters are perfectly periodic, in one-species tank, and the amount of the young fluctuates only slightly. I observed with my friend dr. Chaloupecký that the females don’t get in calf in fish-saturated tank. It is enough for them to take away a few pieces and the litters continue after one month.

They rather prefer dry flaky food, scratched meat, living or frozen bloody worms than other kinds of the living food. It is necessary to feed them at really small pieces, because the food, which felt to the bottom, stays without notice. So, it can feed even the large amount of water snail.

Oaxancan blue-eye is the most beautiful species of untold family (bonita, compressa, intermedia, olmecae). In small shoal, it is really lovely inmate in aquarium and even in spite of the noteless ochre color it will hold everybody’s interest immediately on the first occasion with its expressively blue-shining eye.

Resources:

Dokoupil, N., (1981): Živorodky, SZN, Praha, 254 ss.
Kempkes, M., Schäfer, F., (1998): Alle Lebendgebärenden der Welt. Mörfelden-Walldorf, A.C.S. (Aqualog), 352 ss.

Hofmann, J., Novák, J., (1996): Akvaristika, X-Egem, Praha, 197 ss.
Wischnath, L.,(1993): Atlas of Livebearers of The World, T.F.H. Publications, Inc.; USA, 336 ss.