Strawberry Leporinus (Leporinus sp)
The Leporinus sp "Strawberry" is an excellent community fish, but it can get moderately large. This fish is very hardy and quite active, so make sure you keep them in a good-sized aquarium. It is advisable to keep the aquarium covered with a tight lid as they are exceptional jumpers, and can jump long distances.
The Leporinus sp "Strawberry" is generally peaceful with fish of a similar size although the adults may be somewhat territorial with each other. They can nip on fins, so choose their tank mates carefully.
This fish has an elongated body with a narrower tail and an arched back. Its body is a pinkish-orange colour that displays scattered different sized black spots. The dorsal, pectoral, pelvic and caudal fins have an orangy hue, and the anal fin matches the body colours.
The best setup in an aquarium for these fish is a sandy bottom with pieces of wood and lumps of rock. The Leporinus sp "Strawberry" will swim in a head-down position continually grazing on the algae. If there are no algae present, they will nibble on the leaves of plants.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Leporinus sp |
| Other Names | None |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Characiformes |
| Family | Anostomidae |
| Genus | Leporinus |
| Origins | Guyana |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle - Top |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Pairs |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Scatterer |
| Lifespan | up to 10 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 5.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 1 - 15 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 68 - 82℉ 20 - 27.8℃ | |
Photos of the Strawberry Leporinus
Natural Habitat
The Leporinus sp "Strawberry" is so far only known from the Guianas in Brazil in South America, and there is not much information on their natural habitat. However, it is believed that adults transpire in large numbers in creeks where the bottom is muddy or sandy, and the current can be either fast or slow. The juveniles occur in shallow calm waters, in current counter zones or within the shelter of plants.
What to feed the Strawberry Leporinus
The Leporinus sp "Strawberry is not a picky eater and will accept pretty much anything you give them. However, these fish do prefer a diet consisting of mostly plant matter such as leaves and algae, but they will also readily accept live and frozen foods and will enjoy small snails as a treat for nutriment. This Leporinus will even eat flakes, pellets, and wafers but avoid giving them foods with high protein content in them.
How to sex the Strawberry Leporinus
It is relatively challenging to differentiate a male from a female Leporinus sp "Strawberry the only noticeable difference is the fact that females are typically larger and slightly more rounder in the stomach.
How to breed the Strawberry Leporinus
Unfortunately, there is not much reliable information available on breeding the Leporinus sp "Strawberry" and records are few and far between. In nature, they are reported to be egg-scatterers that do not care for their young in any way.