Tiburon limia

Limia tridens

Also known as Tridens limia

FreshwaterFish

Tiburon limia (Limia tridens) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–81°F (22–27°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Common
Origin: Tiburon Peninsula waters, Hispaniola
Family: Poeciliidae

Overview

An easy island livebearer and a good alternative to the usual poeciliids. Keep a colony with more females than males in a 54 liter tank with plants and hard water. Vegetable content matters: limias graze algae in the wild and stay brighter and healthier on a diet with spirulina flake or blanched vegetables alongside the usual foods. It is peaceful and breeds without any intervention.

In the wild

Limia tridens lives on the Tiburon Peninsula of Hispaniola, in hard, mineral-rich fresh water. Keep it at 22 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.0 to 8.2. Like most limias it does poorly in soft, acidic water, which is the opposite of what suits most small South American fish.

Good to know

Limia tridens reaches about 5 centimeters. Limias are livebearers restricted almost entirely to the Greater Antilles, with the majority found on Hispaniola alone, and several are threatened in the wild by habitat loss. Females give birth to fully formed young roughly monthly once mature.