青背鲻银汉鱼 · Neon Blue-eye

Overview

Male Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis show a metallic-blue upper body. This timid, peaceful fish competes poorly in a busy community. A group of at least eight to ten in mature, oxygen-rich brackish accommodation is a more suitable arrangement.

Distribution & habitat

Records center on northern coastal Australia, including the Broome, Wyndham, Darwin, Melville Island, and Norman River areas. Presence in southern New Guinea remains uncertain. Locality labels are useful for keeping breeding lines separate.

Mangrove creeks and swamps can expose it to fresh, marine, or more saline water as tides and seasons change. Muddy bottoms commonly lack aquatic plants, with marginal vegetation and submerged roots supplying shelter.

Aquarium setup

Provide a base around 45 × 30 cm. Brackish conditions are generally considered beneficial for condition and reproduction, with a specific gravity around 1.001–1.010 commonly used. This does not require repeated abrupt salinity changes. Acidic water is unsuitable.

Branches can suggest root tangles, alongside rocks or wood. Select salt-tolerant planting or artificial cover. Maintain oxygenation and some circulation in a biologically mature system, and fit a cover against jumping.

Diet & feeding

Its diet centers on floating or suspended plankton and small invertebrates. Food must suit its small mouth. Water fleas, brine-shrimp nauplii, microworms, and similar live foods are useful, while finely crushed floating dry food is also accepted.

Behaviour & compatibility

Keep at least eight to ten, preferably more where space permits. Company reduces nervousness and encourages male displays. A species aquarium is preferable; any companions must match its size, placid behavior, and environmental needs. Brackish conditions further narrow the choice.

Sexual dimorphism

Males are larger and more colorful, with extended unpaired fins at maturity. The metallic-blue back is particularly distinctive.

Breeding

It scatters eggs without parental care and can eat both eggs and offspring. Warm conditions encourage daytime spawning, with small daily batches deposited for several days. Eggs attach to vegetation or fall onto the substrate. Wild reproduction follows the onset of the wet season.

One method uses six to eight adults, or one male with two or three females, in a sponge-filtered breeding container. Check mops or suitable plants daily and incubate collected eggs separately. Inspect the substrate too, since it is often used for egg deposition. Alternatively, a mature, heavily sheltered colony aquarium may yield fewer surviving fry with less intervention and more stable water. Upper-level cover benefits the surface-oriented young, but plants must tolerate the chosen salinity.

Incubation takes about fourteen to twenty-one days. Hatchlings can take brine-shrimp nauplii, microworms, or appropriately sized powdered diets. Feed small amounts at least twice daily, remove leftovers, and make regular small water changes.

Notes

Keep geographic lines separate. Declining fertility with age in the genus should not be mistaken for a precise lifespan estimate for this species.