Spotted Etroplus

The fish has a disk-shaped, high and highly flattened laterally body, 8 to 9 cm long. The relatively small mouth is finite. The main color of the fish is yellow. Each flake has a small, reddish speck that forms a series of dashed lines on the body. A little above the middle of the body is a large black spot. The dorsal fin is orange, with a border of red color and golden red or bright red spots. Anal and caudal fins are yellowish, the spiny part of the anal fin is black. The first ray of the ventral fins has a pearly blue tint, as does a series of scales below the eyes. There are no gender differences. Females are often a little smaller. During the spawning period , the fins become yellow-orange, the anal fin becomes saturated black.

Spotted etroplus lives in small rivers, in estuaries and lagoons. Often he finds shelter under the roots or between fallen leaves. It feeds on zooplankton , fish fry and algae . The female lays eggs, consisting of 200-300 eggs, on stones or driftwood. Both parents intensively care for eggs and fry. After birth, the fry are placed in a recess at the bottom of the reservoir. The first days they feed on the epithelial secretion secreted on the skin of the parents.

• Günther Sterba : Süsswasserfische der Welt. Urania-Verlag, 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4
• Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer: Das große Lexikon der Aquaristik, Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9