Butterfly dwarf cichlid (Microgeophagus ramirezi/Papiliochromis ramirezi)

These beautiful fish, also known as Rams, are about 6cm long. After careful cleaning of a broad Anubius leaf, the female laid a batch of about 30 small - 2mm length - white eggs (the male fertilises the eggs shortly after they have been laid). This process takes a couple of hours. They then take turns to guard the eggs. Guard duty includes chasing off other fish as well as gulping air from the surface and fanning oxygenated water over the eggs. The fry take about 72 hours to hatch. Unfortunately, the young don't have much chance of survival in a community tank - in fact, as expected, the eggs in this photo were eaten after day 2 (by the parents or a greedy platty). We will remove the next batch (imminent) to another tank after they are laid and "hand rear" them - but it's worth leaving the eggs with the parents at least once to observe their interesting parenting behaviour. These fish will also look after any hatchlings until they are fairly old.