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Blue Badis Badis, a first encounter.
October 29th 2003


I was given a 1M/2F trio from a forumer-friend who had hand-carried them from India.

These are wild caught specimens and had been quarantined for a week prior to arrival.
My killie-buddy Kwek Leong, a fish lover who runs Killies.Com, has the other trio.

Special thanks to Madan Subramaniam and his tired hands.
Blue Badis Badis (Badis buchanani, Labrus badis)
 male

I researched briefly on this 'new fish' and the following was culled from a few sites.  All photos are of my own fishes.

The Blue Badis Badis (Badis buchanani, Labrus badis) is a member of the Badidae family, which consists of only a single specie, Badis badis.   It is also commonly known as the Badis, Blue Perch or Dwarf Chameleon Fish.

Madan will provide further information on habitat details from which these were collected.  Online research points to it inhabiting in still and slow moving water with heavy vegetation, and can reach an adult size of about 3 inches or 7 cm.

The environment it is maintained in will, partially determine behavior towards it's tank mates.  Said to be a peaceful community fish, it can also become aggressive when kept in crowded and cramp conditions.  It is a slow feeder and ideally, it's tankmates should not be swift, aggressive eaters.

A summary of Information gathered regarding breeding;
 The male will guard a spawn of up to 100 eggs which will hatch after about 3 days.  Egg-sac takes up to 4 days to be fully absorbed and become free-swimming fry to feed on BBS (Baby Brine Shrimp or Artemia nauplii).

Badis parents should be removed to avoid cannibalism

It's close relatives are the Burmese Badis (B. badis burmanicus) and a new dwarf species of Scarlet Badis (Badis bengalensis).  A brief thread regarding the breeding can be found at this Killies.Com forum thread.


male badis
Wild male
 female
Wild female
 male
Wild male

trio

A plumb trio


Please excuse the distracting smudges and marks on the pics.  These fishes are temporary housed in a 10 gallon plastic tank and I will try to upload better pictures when my 'photo-tank' is ready.

Photos by Ronnie Lee - Nov 1st 2003