two-stripped aphyosemion

The male two-striped Aphyosemion bitaeniatum has an elongated shape with large unpaired fins and long acumens. The dorsal fin has 9-14 rays; the anal fin has 11-15 rays. The dorsal fin / anal fin position ratio is 1/2. There are 24-28 scales along the lateral line.

Coloration

Male: although there are variations within populations, males are generally gray-brown in color. The scales on the back have a yellow-orange to light green iridescence, while those on the sides have a light blue shimmer. There is always a dark brown to black scar-like mark behind the operculum, above the pectoral fins. The scales on the sides often have small dark red spots. A large part of the dorsal fin is brown to orange. It turns green towards the front and purple-brown towards the back. In some populations, this fin also has a green border. There are numerous dark red spots between the rays, which can develop into a striped pattern towards the fin's border. The long acumens of the dorsal fin are always orange. The anal fin, green at the base, gradually becomes orange on the outside. In some populations, this fin is completely green or yellow. A dark red border is always present, sometimes with a narrow light blue edging. The central part of the caudal fin is blue-green with large dark red spots and stripes. There is a wide orange band on the upper and lower lobes of this fin. On the upper lobe, this band is covered by dark red spots and stripes. The orange bands continue into the long acumens. The upper border of the fin is blue or green, while the lower border consists of two narrow blue bands separated by a dark red band.

Female: all populations are very similar and have a yellow-gray coloration with rows of dark gray spots, mainly on the upper body. The dorsal fin is pale orange or pale yellow with dark spots. The anal fin is colorless or pale orange. The caudal fin is colorless.

In both sexes, there are two distinct wide dark brown to black longitudinal bands on the head and body. The upper band extends from the lips, above the eye, over the operculum, to the upper part of the caudal fin. The lower band extends from the chin, below the eye, on the lower part of the operculum and on the ventral parts to the lower part of the caudal fin.

This fish lives in pairs or scattered groups. It is a micro-predator that naturally resides hidden in vegetation, near the surface. It is a species with a rather calm temperament.

The two-striped aphyosemion is an oviparous fish that lays adhesive eggs of about 1.3 mm in diameter on aquatic plants and roots. In an aquarium, the egg incubation period is about 3 weeks.