Pike Livebearer - Belonesox belizanus

Male pike Livebearer - Copyright www.jjphoto.dk

Species Name: Belonesox belizanus

Common Name: Pike Livebearer

Family: Poeciliidae

Order: Cyprinodontiformes

Class: Actinopterygii

Maximum Size: 9 inches females, 4 inches male

Environment: freshwater, brackish

Origin: Southern Mexico, Honduras to Costa Rica, and Guatemala

Temperament: very aggressive

Company: species tank or with larger species

Water Parameters: 7-8 pH, 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit, and about a table spoon of salt per gallon

Aquarium Setup: 45-55 gallons heavily planted with a semi-covering of floating plants.

Feeding: live food; fish, earthworms, insects, and tadpoles, also small amounts of raw meat, and sometimes pellets

Breeding: Pike Livebearers give birth to up to around 100 fry, with 322 being the highest ever recorded, that are up to an inch long every 4-6 weeks. The fry can be fed brine shrimp, daphnia, and baby fish. The larger fry should be separated from the smaller ones to prevent cannibalism.

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