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What do molly fish do when they mate?
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Mollies do not lay eggs like other fish breeds. Instead, they give birth to live fish. Male mollies fertilize the eggs when they are in the female’s belly.The female molly can store sperm and continue giving birth without having to mate.
The female molly can produce up to a hundred eggs and give birth as frequently as every month. Unfortunately, mollies will also eat their own babies and there isn’t anything you can do about that, other than removing the adults to keep them from eating their fry.
How do common molly fish breed?
How does a male molly fish mate?
When black mollies mate, the male will transfer milt, the fluid that contains his sperm, into the female’s body using is gonopodium. The gonopodium is a special anal fin that is shaped like a rod rather than a normal fin.
What do molly fish do when they mate? – Related Questions
Can mollies reproduce without males?
How can they do without males? They can’t entirely. Amazon mollies reproduce through a process called sperm- dependent parthenogenesis (gynogenesis). They produce diploid eggs without meiosis and these eggs are pseudo-fertilized by the sperm of males of different, related species.
How many babies do mollies have?
Gestation and Birth
Female mollies will gestate their young for about 60 days. They can give birth to between 40 and 100 fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry.
How long is a molly in labor?
The fish birthing process can take 1 – 24 hours. It sounds like your molly gave birth while you were away, but the rest of her offspring became food for the other fish. It is unlikely that the baby fish will be able to survive around the other fish.
What is the lifespan of a molly fish?
The average molly fish lifespan is around three to five years. While they aren’t the longest-living freshwater species out there, there is some wiggle room depending on what species you get.
How do I know when my molly will give birth?
Why is my male molly chasing my pregnant female molly?
Aquarists can tell their fish are ready to breed once the males start chasing the females to breed. This chasing maneuver may seem like aggression to newbies, but it’s a signal that the fish are ready to mate.
Shimmying is a symptom rather than a single disease, and an indication that a fish no longer has proper control of its nerves and muscles. It occurs when fish are under severe stress, most often because of environmental problems. The classic scenario is when mollies are kept in soft or acidic water conditions.
How does a pregnant molly look like?
One of the most obvious signs that your Molly is pregnant is if she is looking a bit more chubby around her abdomen area than usual. You’ll notice rounding when she is close to giving birth. It’s necessary to move the Molly to a separate tank to allow her to give birth in peace and to protect her babies.
What does it look like when a molly is pregnant?
A healthy pregnant female will have smooth scales, as opposed to the typical “pinecone” appearance of dropsy. For lighter-colored mollies, look for black spots on her abdomen near the anal vent. This is the “gravid spot,” which indicates pregnancy. On some species, such as black mollies, this will be difficult to see.
Why is my molly jumping?
If the water quality in the tank is poor, the fish might jump out to seek a more appropriate environment. Other factors such as lack of hiding places, low oxygen levels and improper pH balance can also lead to fish jumping out of the tank.
How do you tell if a Molly is a boy or girl?
Mollies have different anal fins. The female mollies have wider and slightly longer anal fins that move freely in the water while they swim.Males display a thorn-shaped fin that never opens wide, like in the case of females. That’s because the male’s anal fin is actually a gonopodium.
Buy only one gender of fish, preferably males. If you don’t have male and female fish together, there is less chance for baby fish to appear.
Choose egg-laying species rather than live bearers.
Adjust tanks conditions to make breeding less comfortable.
Why are my Molly breathing so rapidly and deeply?
Rapid breathing could indicate a number of things. It could be stress from traffic in your home, or from a harassing fish. New fish will breathe rapidly from the shock of being transported. You should also test your water for high ammonia, nitrate, pH, and nitrite levels.
Why do mollies rest at the bottom of the tank?
Molly fish can stay at the bottom of the tank due to swim bladder infections, ich, or pregnancy. This behaviour can also signify that your tank isn’t the best environment for your fish. Staying near the bottom of the tank may be a sign that you need to perform a water change or adjust the temperature.
What does a stressed molly fish look like?
Strange Swimming: When fish are stressed, they often develop odd swimming patterns. If your fish is swimming frantically without going anywhere, crashing at the bottom of his tank, rubbing himself on gravel or rocks, or locking his fins at his side, he may be experiencing significant stress.