1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful and active with similar-sized fish; males chase females, so keep more females than males.
287 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful and active with similar-sized fish; males chase females, so keep more females than males.
Flakes, spirulina and algae; supplement with blanched vegetables and frozen foods.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males have a gonopodium, are slightly smaller and more colourful, and develop a hump along the back (fatty tissue); females are larger with a straight back.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Livebearer · Moderate
Livebearer that breeds very easily in hard, alkaline water; keep several females per male. Gestation about 6-8 weeks; broods of up to 50. Adults eat fry, so move gravid females to their own tank. Warmer water may produce more females.
One male with 3 females.
Planted 60 L tank with hard water, floating plants and a breeding trap if needed.
Warm 26-28 C water and good feeding.
20-30 young (FishBase) to up to 50 (Seriously Fish) per brood, after about 6-8 weeks gestation.
Feed crushed flake and baby brine shrimp; fry grow well in hard, warm water.
A small livebearer from Haiti (Lake Miragoâne), now Critically Endangered in the wild. Adult males grow a fatty hump along the back and show dark bars; it shoals in shallow, weedy water and tolerates brackish conditions.
Charles Tate Regan described this limia in 1913. Its males develop a high back with age, giving it its common name.
First described by C. Tate Regan in 1913. Named for 'Nigrofasciata' means black-banded.
16 facts checked with sources
Taxonomy split: Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (preferred for taxonomy) follows Huber 2019 and lists it as Poecilia nigrofasciata (Limia sunk into Poecilia), while FishBase, Seriously Fish and recent Limia studies (Rodriguez-Silva & Weaver 2020; Spikes et al. 2021) still use Limia nigrofasciata. Keep Limia nigrofasciata as the main other name; the hobby uses it almost universally. Reviewer should decide which to display.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summaryLegacy has no family; sourced value recorded.
FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Limia nigrofasciataBoth SL. Seriously Fish 6.3 cm SL (larger; used); FishBase 5.2 cm SL. Legacy 7 may be total length.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summarySeriously Fish (preferred) 22-26; FishBase 25-28. Legacy 22-28 spans both.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summarySources agree; legacy upper 8.5 too high.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summaryLegacy has no hardness. Seriously Fish (preferred) 10-25.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summary45 x 30 cm base x 30 cm height = 40.5 L. Legacy 80 L is more generous; a shoal benefits from more room.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataNo minimum number given; legacy 5 is reasonable but unsourced.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataMales chase females persistently.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataNo aquarium source names a swimming level; FishBase calls it demersal.
FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summaryBreeding is "very easy" if water is not soft and acidic.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataLegacy has no range field. Sources disagree on the Dominican Republic; Catalog of Fishes and FishBase give Haiti only. Aquarium stock is captive-bred, so keepers help conserve it.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summary · Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataLegacy "hump clear after about 3 months" is not sourced.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataLegacy 20-40 per brood; Seriously Fish says up to 50 is not uncommon, FishBase 20-30.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summaryLegacy says every 5-6 weeks; Seriously Fish gives 6-8 weeks.
FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summary · Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciataThe common name refers to the hump; the scientific name nigrofasciata means black-banded. Added conservation status.
Seriously Fish: Limia nigrofasciata · FishBase: Limia nigrofasciata summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Limia nigrofasciata