Jenynsia Lineata

The common name of the Jenynsia Lineata is One-sided Livebearer. This fish belongs to a genus of freshwater fishes. It belongs to the family Anablepiade. These fishes are one-sided livebearers as their common name also suggests. These fishes have a unique characteristics feature. This feature is that they mate only on one side. The right-handed males mate with the left-handed females and vice versa also take place. The One-sided Livebearer fishes are viviparous, i.e. this fish does not produce eggs but give birth to live young.

Geographical Distribution of Jenynsia Lineata

Geographically, the One-sided Livebearer is distributed in the La Plata River Basin and Atlantic coastal drainages from Rio Negro Province, Argentina to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and in the Andean drainage regions of northwest Argentina and southern Bolivia.

Physical Description of Jenynsia Lineata

These fishes have normal eyes as compared to their close relatives Anableps. The Jenynsia lineate is easily diagnosable as it has possession of an unscaled tubular gonopodium which is formed mainly by third, sixth and seventh anal-fin rays. The adult fish also possesses tricuspid teeth in the outer mandibular series. Fins of this fish are colorless. The base color of the body is olive gray. The flanks show six to eight dark and fine lines or spotted longitudinal stripes. The underside of this fish is light. Males are considerably more slender and smaller than females. Both sexes display almost the same coloration. Females that are unfertilized have an orange-colored dot on the anal fin, situated either on the right or the left. Generally, males are around 4 cm or 1.5 inches, females are around 6 cm or 2.5 inches in body size. Even though, it is found that there can be larger specimens sporadically. The maximum length in these species is up to 12 cm or 5 inches in females and about 4 cm or 2 inches in males.

Diet of Jenynsia Lineata

Jenynsia lineata readily accepts a wide range of foods which should include a regular live food component.

Breeding Jenynsia Lineata

Jenynsia lineata is characterized by the males being able to direct their gonopodium in one direction only. The dextral or sinistral relationship is described for Anableps. It applies equally to Jenynsia lineate. The tubular nature of the gonopodium with its rays is twisted around each other in case of Anableps but this is much less in Jenynsia lineate. There is one marked difference between the two species which is that Jenynsia lineate females ovulate after the eggs have been fertilized. The embryos then complete their development in the ovarian cavity where they are nourished by outgrowths from the female’s ovarian wall, extensions of which (trophonemata) pass through the embryos’ gill aperture and are directed anteriorly, past the tongue, until they protrude from the mouth.

Tank Set Up for Jenynsia Lineata

Chemical properties of water in terms of pH and hardness do not appear to be too critical in case of this fish as long as extremes are avoided. Cold temperatures around 22-24 degree C or 73-75 degree F are quite adequate for this fish. It does best in a thickly planted aquarium with good aeration.

Social Behavior of Jenynsia Lineata

Jenynsia lineata can be quarrelsome and is, therefore, not ideal for a community aquarium.

Jenynsia lineate occurs in shallow water. This fish is found with livebearing Cnesterodon decemmaculatus in waters that have a very heavy growth of algae. The special characteristic of one-sided live bearing of this fish makes it stand among the fishes of its own kind. This viviparous fish has a gestation period of about six weeks. It produces 10 to 20 and rarely up to 40 young at a time. If you take good care of this fish, you can brighten up your aquarium for a long time.