For some fish species, the interval between their knowledge by science (i.e. first description) and their aquarium debut is really long. Festa’s festoonfish is one of them. The well-known English ichthyologist G. A. Boulenger, originally Belgian, working in the British Museum, described the species as early as 1898 [2]. However, the first import to Europe took place only 78 years later, in 1976. (The year 1977 mentioned by Baensch and Riehl [1] is a mistake, it is the year of publication). Despite the fact that the Festus viviparous has been repeatedly imported since then, it is still a very rare species of viviparous, on which several specialists have “broken their teeth”.
Distribution
Ecuador – in the zone between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Cordilleras, from the border with Colombia to the border with Peru.
Terra typica are the 35 °C hot thermal springs of San Vincente near Santa Elena, Ecuador. According to the American ichthyologists G. Meffe and F. F. Snelson [4], it is thought to occur in the outflow channel of the San Vincente Hot Springs. Their claim that the spa is the only known locality of the species is erroneous. The Fest’s frogfish is an exclusive species in the entire network of lowland Atlantic coastal streams draining the Rio Daule system. It has shown itself to be ecologically very adaptable within its range. In larger streams, it lives in hard to extremely hard water, with a range of total hardness from 5 to 50 °dGH.
A. C. Radda [7] searched for it near Santa Elena in a small pond created by damming a stream, but found no fish at all. However, he mentions several other localities:
- Rio Pajan (Rio Colimes system), temperature 29.8 °C, el. conductivity 1300 μS20, pH 8,0 (values obtained on 9 October 1976);
- Rio Calderon (Rio Colimes system), temperature 31,5 °C, el. conductivity 1500 μS20, pH 8,0.
In contrast, in small rainforest streams and in mountain streams or small backwaters flowing from the Cordilleras, it lives in soft water with a range of total hardness from 2.5 to 5.0 °dGH. For example:
- Rio Chico Chaune (Rio Palenque system), temperature 21 °C, el. conductivity 123 μS20, pH 7,5.
- Rio Fermin, temperature 26 °C, el. conductivity 127 μS20, pH 7,5.
- Small mud pit 7 km from Vinces, temperature 24 °C, conductivity 224 μS20, pH 7,5. Eichhornia vegetation on the surface.
The fish community at the above sites consisted of cichlids, tetras and catfishes.
Shape and colouration
The body is slender, spindle-shaped with a curved head. Colouration is variable depending on the locality. According to Radda [7], southern populations are the most beautiful. Both sexes of fish, originating from a small stream 8 km northwest of Arenillas near the village of San Vincente, with extremely hard water (total hardness 50.4 °dGH (!), pH 8.0), are brownish grey on the back. The backs of the males have a metallic golden sheen. The flanks are shimmering blue and have up to 20 densely juxtaposed perpendicular black bands, which become more pronounced as the fish fades. Males may have a dark spot (rarely two) above the pectoral fins, but sometimes only on one side of the body. The underside of the body is ivory white. The dorsal and caudal fin of sexually active males is yellow to orange, smokey-edged. Juveniles have unpaired fins slightly orange-toned. The caudal fin is deep orange near the body until sexual maturity. The fins of females are colourless.
At Rosa Zarate – in the Rio Blanco, a river with quiet zones and bays – a form has been discovered in which in both sexes a longitudinal dark band has replaced the transverse bands. In the river between Rosa Zarate and Esmeraldas, in turn, a population with extremely large and distinctly banded females was found [9]. Thus, phenotypic variation may tempt to believe that these are different species.
The Fest’s hedgehog is a small species. Males grow to a maximum of 37 mm, females up to 42 mm (TL).
Data on this species in the aquarium literature to date are minimal. It is noteworthy that even for ichthyological collections, very few specimens have been caught since the first description.
Recent history
As I mentioned in the introduction, the first import to Europe was made by the Viennese aquarist A. C. Radda in 1976. He brought fish caught on 6 October 1976 near the village of San Vincente. As he has always generously supported me, I brought several juveniles from his breeding to Bratislava in 1978. At that time I was one of the first few lucky breeders of this species in Europe. My breeding experience is therefore linked to fish that had not yet been domesticated.
Keeping
Keeping is problematic and deviates from the usual scheme. To date, ideal conditions can only be determined for a specific population. The situation will only change when sufficiently domesticated aquarium strains are available.
Why the fish do not thrive in larger spaces is unknown. Experience has shown that small aquariums of 25 to 40 litres are suitable for breeding. Use plants that do not lower the pH (Vallisneria, small Echinodorus species). The Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) and the river moss (Najas) favoured by livebearers are completely unsuitable. We cover part of the surface with rush (Riccia) and hornwort (Ceratopteris). As the fish like to jump out, cover the aquarium well. Green algae growth on the glass is ideal. The colouring of the fish is influenced by the colour of the bottom, so choose a dark (but not black) bottom for rich colours.
As in nature, water hardness is irrelevant in the aquarium. However, for pragmatic reasons, we prefer to use hard water because it is easier to maintain the necessary alkaline pH with a lower value of 7.5. We keep the obligatory water changes to a minimum, as the species is comfortable in old water. A temperature between 23 and 26 °C is suitable.
Nutrition seems to be one of the determining factors for success. The main proportion consists of small live – artemia, fine plankton, micras, grindal and dry vegetable. The fish are temperate and tolerant in nature. Theoretically, it would be possible to group them with others. However, with such a rare species, it is more sensible to use the small space for intensive rearing in a monoculture.
Ethology
From my own experience, I oppose the claim that the dark spot of the males is a sign of dominance [6] or a sign that the fish are comfortable.
In my broodstock, a clear hierarchy developed in which the alpha male (dominant) was the largest, always without a dot and with an orange gonopodium and unpaired fins. The beta-females were smaller, always with a dot (sometimes doubled) and with only yellowish fins. The rest were “stand-ins” for a possibly vacant place in the hierarchy.
Breeding
In stable breeding, rearing is relatively simple. The fish reproduce by superfetation. The young are born successively at short intervals. The parents are not cannibals and therefore only the largest individuals are caught from the school for space reasons.
Superfetal females give birth at irregular intervals of 5-18 days, mostly to 2-5 young. I don’t know why the highest number of 18 individuals recorded in one litter was surprisingly born at a remarkably short interval of 6 days from the last birth.
The juveniles, similar to small guppies, measure about 8-9 mm and have an orange anal and yellow caudal fin immediately after birth.
The most suitable food for juveniles is artemia and dust plankton, combined with plant preparations. The fish reach maturity in 3-4. month of life.
When studying the original material (463 specimens), deposited in Turin since 1898, E. Tortonese [11] found that there are 3.6 females per male. All females were gravid and contained up to 7 juveniles up to 7 mm in size. The ovaries contained eggs and juveniles at different stages of development (superfetation!). The size of the adult fish was surprisingly small, males 18 mm, females 25 mm.
My experience (in line with scientific) differs from the German literature [6], according to which births are regular after 14 days, but the juveniles measure only 5 to 5.5 mm. The fact is that the rhythm of births is strongly influenced by external influences (stress). It can be assumed that in an aquarium located in a busy room, where, for example, the lights are frequently switched on and off (my case), conditions are created that disturb the regularity of the birth rhythm.
The timing of the Aquarien Atlas [1], that 28 days after the last fertilization 3-7 only 5 mm large juveniles are born, is difficult to accept in view of the superfetation.
In conclusion, what aquarists “adore”
In the literature of recent years we find the species under various scientific designations: Pseudopoecilia festae Regan, 1913, Priapichthys festae (Boulenger, 1898) and also Priapichthys fria (Eigenmann, Henn et Wilson, 1914). This is due to the fact that various authors have not respected the most recent revision of Radd until recently [8]. According to this, P. fria is conspecific with Pseudopoecilia festae, and therefore only synonymous with it.
However, the gonopodial perocarpy of P. fria (according to Henn, [12]) morphologically stands out from the gonopodial series of other Priapichthys. It is, however, virtually identical to the gonopodium of Neoheterandria elegans (cf. photo). It is possible that Henn’s drawings were confused with N. elegans, which he described in 1916. In that case, it is not synonymous with P. festae (sensu Radda), but with N. elegans.
When comparing the gonopodial and suspensorium gonopodial structures, appearance, as well as morphological and meristic data, furthermore biology and area of distribution of the representatives of the genus Priapichthys, a significant difference was found only for Priapichthys annectens. Therefore, Radda proposes to keep the genus Priapichthys monotypic (with only one species P. annectens) and to reassign all other members to the historically oldest name Pseudopoecilia Regan, 1913 with the type species Pseudopoecilia festae.
Raddu’s position seems to be partly accepted. In the last revision, Meyer and Etzel [5] divided the original 9 species of Rosen and Bailey [10] into 4 genera, with two species in each:
Genus: Priapichthys Regan, 1907
Species: P.annectens (Regan,1907)
P. puetzi Meyer et Etzel, 1996
Genus: Alloheterandria Hubbs, 1924
Species: A.nigroventralis (Eigenmann et Henn, 1912)
A. caliensis (Henn, 1916)
Genus: Diphyacantha Henn, 1916
Species: D. chocoensis (Henn, 1916)
D. dariensis (Meek et Hildebrand, 1913)
Genus: Pseudopoecilia Regan, 1913
Species: P. austrocolumbiana Radda, 1985
P. festae (Boulenger, 1898)
How opinions on systematics can diverge is documented by the recent division according to Lucinda and Reis [3], who do not accept the previous revision in their work following the monophyly of the viviparous species. In the genus Pseudopoecilia, placed in the tribe (species group) Gambusiini Gill, 1893 distinguished three species: P. festae, P. austrocolumbiana and P. fria.
[1] Baensch, H. A., Riehl R. (1985): Aquarien Atlas, Zv. 2., 1. vyd., Mergus-Verlag, Melle, p.752.
[2] Boulenger, G. A. (1898): Boll. Mus. Zool. Anat. Comp. Torino, 13 (329): 1-13.
[3] Lucinda, P. H. F., Reis R. E., (2005): Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (1): 1-60.
[4] Meffe, G. et Snelson F. F. Jr. (Eds.), (1989): Ecology and Evolution of Livebearing Fishes,Prentice-Hall, N.J., p.19.
[5] Meyer,M. K., Etzel V.(1996): Zool. Abh. Tierk. Dresden Bd.49 (1): 1-11.
[6] Meyer, M. K., Wischnath L., Foerster W. (1985): Lebengebärende Zierfische, Arten der Welt. Mergus-Verlag, Melle.
[7] Radda, A. C. (1977): Aquaria 24:175-183.
[8] Radda, A. C. (1985): Aquaria 32 (8):119-125.
[9] Radda, A.C. (1987): Aquaria 34:169-177.
[10] Rosen, D. E., Bailey R. M. (1963): Bull. Amer. Mu. Natur. Hist. 126: 1-176.
[11] Tortonese, E. (1949): Boll. Zool. XVI.
[12] Henn W. A. (1916): Ann. Carnegie. Mus. v. 10 (nos. 1-2) (9), p. 93-142.