FreshwaterBrackishSaltwater
Sheepshead minnow
Cyprinodon variegatus
Cyprinodontidae, Cyprinodontinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 9 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 28 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cuba, and 21 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Occurs usually near vegetation in salt, brackish and fresh water. Inhabits hypersaline lagoons and connecting channels. Found on muddy bottoms in turbid waters. Omnivorous; consuming organic detritus and algae, as well as microcrustaceans, and dipteran larvae. Caught with fine-meshed nets. Very abundant and easily reproduced in captivity. Used as a forage fish in mariculture. Not a seasonal killifish. Is easy to maintain in the aquarium.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Cyprinodon baconi
- Cyprinodon ellipsoidea
- Cyprinodon gibbosus
- Cyprinodon rhomboidalis
- Cyprinodon variegatus baconi
- Cyprinodon variegatus ovinus
In other languages
- Fårehoved-tandkarpe
- Loistokilli
- Bahama sheepshead minnow, Pursy minnow, Sheephead minnow, Sheepshead Pupfish
Articles
All articles
How to set up a South American aquarium4 min read
Soft, acidic water, subdued light, sand, roots and fallen leaves: how to set up a biotope aquarium from the Amazon and the rivers around it.
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read
Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.
How to set up a North American aquarium5 min read
Streams and ponds in North America are often cool. How to set up an aquarium without a heater, with pygmy sunfish, shiners and darters.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.