Hoplosternum punctatum breeding results: large pix!

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 16 Mar 2003, 23:19

Ok, first off; thanx to Pectorale for his raising and keeping the adults for years from 2 cm to the adults you see here (their parents were my first two H punctatum, and I've managed to raise one nest, of wich these 5 adults are the last ones here); the Cory breeders here for hints, tips & support, and HH for the paperwork:

the pics of the adults are taken from Pectorale's catfishtank; after the spawning, I returned the adults to him:
Hoplosternum punctatum (and yes, it looks a LOT like a miniaturized littorale)
a female:

another pic to show tailfin:

the males (one front, other one in the back); watch the very straight pectoral spines!

A tiny youngster, about 12 mm big:

Actually it looks like a wee micro Megalechis thoracata, except for the tailfin!

A group of baby Hops:

I've got footage of fry one day old, as soon as I can take a decent pic of the video, I'll post 'em!
Sid

Cory_lover · Post by **Cory_lover** » 18 Mar 2003, 07:33

woah...nice pics u got there....hahah..those are cute fry...

Pectorale · Post by **Pectorale** » 20 Mar 2003, 11:47

I told ya they were cute

Does anyone knows anything about the length of H.punctatum's breeding season? It' s almost april and they're still making nests even though those get raided at night by my Platydoras costatus.
My tank currently holds these "inmates ":

Botia sidthimuntki 9
Microglanis iheringi 5
Ituglanis metae 1
Hoplosternum punctatum 5
Platydoras costatus 2
Cochliodon sp. 1

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 13 Oct 2003, 20:24

update;
check out these two happy juveniles!

Hoplosternum punctatum juveniles

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 13 Oct 2003, 20:52

Hey, they look quite like <I>Diasternum</I>...

Jools

Post by **Silurus** » 13 Oct 2003, 20:55

If you consider Diasternum a valid genus, they ARE Diasternum (H. punctatum is the type species of Diasternum).

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 13 Oct 2003, 20:57

Oh bugger. I feel a Panaqolus coming on. <I>Diasternum</I> is another "grey literature" genus isn't it?

Jools

Post by **Silurus** » 13 Oct 2003, 21:05

'Fraid so. I have checked Reis (1998), and there isn't really any solid basis for recognizing Diasternum as a separate genus. The relationships of the three species (littorale, magdalenae and punctatum) are unresolved, so it's too early to be recognizing a separate genus for H. punctatum.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 13 Oct 2003, 21:55

Hey !
that's new intel on this one....

I always thought they were somewhat of a very "Dianema-look-a-like" ally to H littorale, until I got this excellent paperwork from HH, that describes all the Hoplo's (and former Hoplo's like Megalechis etc) in great detail.

Diasternum

It has a nice ring, doesn't it?