Black-barred livebearer

Quintana atrizona

Also known as Barred topminnow, Cuban barred livebearer

FreshwaterFish

Black-barred livebearer (Quintana atrizona) — Jiří Ščobák · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.0
Adult size: 1.3 in (3.4 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Endemic to western Cuba, in heavily vegetated still and slow moving fresh waters.
Family: Poeciliidae

Overview

Keep a group in a planted tank of 40 liters or larger at 22 to 28 C, pH 7.0 to 8.0, in medium hard to hard water. Feed tiny foods such as crushed flake, microworms, baby brine shrimp, and cyclops. It is far too small for a general community, so keep it alone or with other peaceful nano fish. Adults tolerate fry, so a planted species tank fills in on its own.

In the wild

A tiny Cuban livebearer marked with clean black vertical bars over a pale body. It is peaceful and shy, moving in small groups low in the water among plants. Keep it in a densely planted tank with hard water and gentle flow. Small foods and quiet tankmates suit it best.

Good to know

Quintana atrizona is the only species in its genus and is critically endangered as its Cuban wetland habitats are drained and degraded. It is very small, with males around 2 cm and females about 3.4 cm, and adults leave their own fry alone. It has largely disappeared from the aquarium trade.

Did you know

Once a regular in the hobby, the black-barred livebearer is now rarely seen, so keeping tank populations may matter for the survival of this critically endangered Cuban fish.