Edit Belontia signata
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Name
Scientific name
Belontia signata
Described by
Authority Günther, Year 1861, Bracketed
Family
Osphronemidae
Common names
Ceylonese Combtail
Photograph credits
All 3 credited
Summary
The Ceylonese combtail, Belontia signata, is a labyrinth fish endemic to the central and southern river systems of Sri Lanka. Also referred…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
120mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 20–27°C, pH 6–7.5
Hardness
1–12dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A pair
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Sri Lanka, Bentota, Deduru Oya, Kalu, Kelani, Mahaweli, Nilwala
Writing
Etymology
Belontia: from a vernacular Bornean word for an unspecified, similar-looking species. signata: from the Latin signatus, meaning 'marked'.
Distribution
Endemic to Sri Lanka where it occurs throughout central and southern river systems including the Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu and Nilwala drainages. Type locality is…
Habitat
This species mostly inhabits shallow forested streams containing clear water and substrates of sand and small rocks. It appears to show a preference for slower…
Aquarium size
An aquarium for even a single pair should have base dimensions of 120 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent.
Maintenance
Ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be used though it is not essential. Additional furnishings are as much a case of personal taste as anything else althoug…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
Primarily carnivorous, and apparently feeds mostly on invertebrates and molluscs in nature. In the aquarium larger live and frozen foods such as earthworms or …
Behaviour and compatibility
Not recommended for the average community aquarium but can be maintained alongside other fishes in larger set-ups. Very small fishes are best avoided as they m…
Sexual dimorphism
Fully-grown males are noticeably larger and possess more elongate unpaired fins than females, plus they develop longer filamentous extensions to the caudal fin…
Reproduction
Biparental bubble nester and apparently very fecund, but we have been unable to obtain precise details to date. The nest constructed is supposedly quite primit…
Notes
This species is also referred to by the vernacular name 'Ceylon fighting fish'. It differs from its only congener, B. hasselti, by its overall reddish (vs. bro…
References
References
6 on this profile