All fish / Poeciliidae

Blackbelly Limia

Limia melanogaster

Also known as black-bellied limia, blackbellied limia, black belly limia, blue limia, jamaican limia, limia, リミア・メラノガスター, 黑肚花鳉, 黑腹花鳉

This small livebearer from Jamaica has a blue-green sheen with faint dark bars on the flanks, and males show yellow and black in the fins. Females carry a large dark patch on the belly, which gives the fish its name. It is kept as a hardy, peaceful algae grazer that suits planted community tanks with hard water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8.2

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Group of 6 or more, with more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: algae, vegetable-based flakes, small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Jamaica

Breeding

It is a livebearer, and females give birth to batches of roughly 10 to 30 fry about every four weeks. Breeding is easy, and dense plants or floating cover help the fry survive. Adults usually eat few of their young.

Good to know

Do not keep it with other Limia species, because it can hybridise with them. It prefers hard, alkaline water and does poorly in soft, acidic conditions.