Wild A. barlowi freeswimming

[rr16]

It's taken a year or so and various mouthbroodings, but this is the first time I've seen her with freeswimming fry! Not great videos, but a proud moment!

 

[Junkenz]

Hello, I also had a pair of barlowi which breed recently, wanna ask usually you will keep the fry with mummy for how long?

 

[rr16]

I only ever got freeswimmers once that I'm aware of. My male died not long after this so not had anymore spawnings.

 

[gerald]

After they become free-swimming do the fry go back into the mother's mouth at night, like some Geophagus do?

 

[Mike Wise]

No, this is a larvophilic mouthbrooder. Once the fry become freeswimming they behave like other apisto species.

 

[Junkenz]

My fry already free swimming and eating bbs but I notice once awhile they still go into the mummy mouth. Please correct me if I am wrong. Still new with this species.

 

[Mike Wise]

Mouthbrooding is rather primitive in apistos. Behavior can vary greatly. Some A. barlowi don't ever mouthbrood. What you see is atypical. It could be that the female still wants to clean them, like apistos do with eggs/larvae. Also domestic conditions can lead to atypical behavior from what normally occurs in the wild.

 

[Junkenz]

Now I wonder the mummy will continue to do this for how long. The fry is about 2 weeks old now.