Pilot study: Is it possible to get Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus, ready to spawn in aquariums?

• Main Author: Sandberg, Marcus
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för ekonomi, teknik och naturvetenskap 2016
• Subjects: Biology; ecology; environment; indonesia; clown loach; chromobotia macracanthus; fish; spawning; migration; aquarium; ornamental fish; over-exploitation; flagship species; retaining; reabsorbing; resting
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-30604

The clown loach Chromobotia macracanthus, is a well known species in ornamental fish circuits although the knowledge about it in its wild environment today is limited. The outtake of 50 million juveniles every year may drive the population into a collapse and it might be necessary to breed clown loaches in captivity to lower the pressure in wild stocks. This has not yet been accomplished without hormone treatment. The aim of the present study is to find out if it is possible for C. macracanthus to prepare for spawning in captivity without the use of hormones. The study was set up according to documentation about the wild conditions simulating the migration prior to spawning from greater rivers and swamps to smaller streams upriver. Although the experiment did not result in spawning it is believed that egg production took place according to criteria for identifying sexually mature fish ready to spawn. If so it would have resulted in the fish retaining or reabsorbing the eggs since they were not laid. A surprising result which tells us it would not be unusual with egg production in C. macracanthus in aquariums around the world.