At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Scaled livebearer
A small, agile livebearer. Females are larger at up to about 5 cm and carry a large blue-black patch on the belly, while males stay near 4 cm and have a gonopodium.12
Personality what they are like
A peaceful fish that mixes well with other small hard-water species. Males are busy and spend much of their time courting.31
Daily activity how busy a day looks
An agile swimmer that needs open swimming space despite its small size.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Easy to keep; offer a varied diet and stable, hard and alkaline water.31
Home where they are happiest
Aquarium from about 60 x 30 cm base (around 54 litres). Water 22-28 °C, pH 7.5-8.5, hard (20-30 dGH).32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Unfussy omnivore. Accepts most foods; include plant matter and algae alongside small invertebrate foods.321
Company who they like around
Keep a small group with peaceful, hard-water tankmates.3
The story where it all began
Albert Günther described the species in 1866. It was moved into Poecilia in 1963 and returned to Limia by Luis Rivas in 1978. It is easy to keep but only occasionally seen in the hobby.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
DNA studies suggest it was the first species to branch off from the other limias, about 22.8 million years ago.1
- 2
Females have a dark gravid patch that is unique within the genus.1
- 3
Adults seldom eat their own fry, which makes breeding straightforward.1
- 4
Males spend more than 26 minutes of every hour courting.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Near Threatened (assessed 2020)2
- Taxonomy
- Family Poeciliidae; described by Günther in 18661
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Black-bellied Limia. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Limia melanogaster en.wikipedia.orgused for names, colour, history, facts
- FishBase: Limia melanogaster fishbase.seused for origin, size, environment, diet, IUCN
- Seriously Fish: Limia melanogaster seriouslyfish.comused for tank size, water, behaviour
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.