I bought my first pair of Cuvier Bichir March of year 2003, I was thinking of buying a fish pet that is unlike the ordinary. Goldfish ? too ordinary as almost everyone in the neighborhood owns one already besides I also own a few, same thing goes with swordfish, angelfish, arowana and even flower horn.
While searching for my choice, I chance upon this aquarium with a lizard looking creature of about 4 inches, it swam around swiftly and going about every corners of the aquarium, it fascinated me so much that I lost no time in purchasing a pair.
It didn’t concern me at all if it was a male and a female, after all I just wanted mine to be different.
The LFS owner never told me another info about the fish except that it is called dragonfin.
At home I mingled it with the rest of my other fish which included 6 goldfish and 6 balloon molly. Next morning, I woke up to find 1 goldfish missing, I search everywhere, over, under, the sides of the aquarium and found nothing.
My brother teased me, it must have been eaten by my new acquired pet, I said “that’s impossible” he looked so lanky and innocent and besides even if he did how come there was no traces at all, such as brocken fins, scales etc. I was thinking the goldfish could have jumped out of the aquarium and eaten by mice. When I came home later from work I found 2 mollies missing, raising my suspicion that indeed I must be keeping a silent terror.
As days pass by, my other fishes became feeders for the dragonfin. I would noticed how the fish would grow at amazing speed, aside from feeding them pellets I also feed them superworms, chicken bits, tubiflex worms, bread and ofcourse more feeders.
Fast forward to March this year 2004, I notice my other dragonfin’s abnormal behavior, as if she is searching for something plus I notice she has quiet big stomach and wherever she goes the other fish kept on pursuing her, by this time I have already made some advance research about the fish’s being a hermaphrodite.
I immediately went to a LFS to purchase a medium sized breeding grass and within the day I had my first borns.
Wow I just can’t explain how I felt, they used to be just a pair, now there are hundreds of them !. As I held an egg using my index finger to examine it closely. It looks so fragile, it looks like yin and yang.
And now same year month of June. They are spawning again and this time I caught it on a handy video 8 camcorder NTSC system.
Oh how they love the camera, its as if they knew all along I was taking pictures of them, they would gamely pose for it.
Since I am neither a professional nor an amateur photographer, I have spent sleepless nights to get the best shots possible not to mention the numerous blank tapes I’ve wasted in due course of the filming.
