Chameleon Fish

COMMON NAMES: Badis Or Chameleon Fish.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Badis badis

DESIGNATION: Tropical.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Southeast Asia. SIZE: Up to 8 cm (3.2 in) for males, some what less for females.

WATER PREFERENCES: Not critical. Temperature: 25-28°C (77-82°F).

DIET: All foods, particularly live foods

BREEDING: Eggs are laid in caves and are guarded by the male.

DESCRIPTION: The second common name cited above refers to the ability which this species has for changing its color in tune with its surroundings. B. badis is a generally peaceful fish which does best in a heavily planted tank.

Chameleon Fish Information

• The Chameleon fish actually originates in India. The natural habitat of the fish is in tropical waters and the temperature ranges from 75 degree to 80 degree Celsius. The size of the fish varies in between 2 inches and 3 inches.
• As a pet owner one should take care of the fish so that it can survive healthily. You are advised to maintain the temperature of the water of the water tank which is similar to the water parameters of the natural habitat of the fish. The fish will not be able to survive in case it is subjected to wrong food and kept in poor quality of water.
• The fish is perhaps the only specie belong to the fish family that has the ability to change its color. The male fish mainly changes its color when it gets angry, hungry and during the time of breeding. It also changes its color when it senses threat while guarding its brood of eggs. To save itself from the clutches of the predators the fish changes its color to blend well with its natural surrounding.
• At their juvenile stage both of the sexes look alike. But with age the female becomes drab and plain in appearance. The male on the other hand is colorful and grow larger in size than their female counterpart. The male has also a longer dorsal fin compared to that of the female.
• The fish actually is a variety of nandid, which in someway resembles the fish breed of dwarf cichlid. The fish is also known as the blue perch or Indian nandids.
• The fish is not expensive and even not rare to find. It can be easily found in numbers in its native place but quite difficult to identify as it has the ability to change color according to its surrounding. The fish is also quite hard to catch as they are very small in size and have a plain body.
• The color of the fish might range from black, blue, orange, yellow to drab iridocytes. The have also the special ability to change their size according their own will.
• In order to see the fish in its best possible coloration you are recommended to see fish by fixing a source of light in front.
• It has been noticed that the pigmentation of the fish becomes darkened at the time of dark.