Order Atheriniformes ( Atheriniformes )
Family Bedotiidae ( Bedotiidae )
Genus Bedotia — Bedotia.
Also kept in aquariums: — Bedotia sp. masoala [Sparks, 2001]. Madagascar, in the tributaries of the Onive River. They have a metallic, greenish body color with numerous black specks, yellowish unpaired fins, and a caudal fin with red edges;
— Madagascar Rainbowfish, Red Tailed Silverside — Bedotia geayi [Pellegrin, 1907]. (Eng. Madagascar Rainbowfish, Red Tailed Silverside). Mountain waters in the east of Madagascar. 7-9 cm. The body is elongated and laterally compressed, with a pointed head and rounded caudal fin. The coloration is greenish-yellow. The back ranges from grayish-brown to olive. A dark violet-blue stripe runs along the entire body from the mouth to the end of the caudal fin, with large golden or greenish scales along the upper edge.
Its color can change depending on lighting: in bright light, the stripe is blue; in moderate light, it is violet. A second similar stripe runs along the lower part of the body from the gill cover to the end of the anal fin, but is less intensely colored. The flanks between the stripes are golden and shiny. There is a glowing golden spot on the gill cover, and the eyes are also shiny and golden.
The fins are orange or yellow-cherry, the caudal fin ranges from red to yellow with a white margin along the edges. There are two dorsal fins; the first is very small and usually folded. The second dorsal and anal fins are long, set back toward the tail, elongated along the body, and strongly pointed, with a dark border, and males have an additional orange one.
Males are larger than females, and their fins are colored differently: at five months of age, a bright crimson border appears. Later, the same border adorns the blackish-brown anal and long dorsal fins. Pelvic fins are paler and have a red margin.
In females, the fins are bordered by a milky-white or completely uncolored stripe. Females completely lack red pigment (which serves as their distinguishing feature). The caudal fin of males is almost round, whereas in females it is bilobed. But the most important difference is the bright red color of the caudal fin lobes in males, while in females the lobes are transparent or whitish. Their sex can be determined at a very early age. There is a white-tailed form — Bedotia geayi var. white, 10 cm, females are smaller, paler, with shortened fins and a rounded belly.
Peaceful, active, schooling fish, keeping mainly in the middle, sometimes upper water layers. They should always be kept in a school of at least six individuals, establishing a hierarchy within the group. Males often fight each other while the hierarchical order is established. The dominant male will have a more intense color. Adult Bedotia are usually kept with fish of equal size. They feel well only at elevated temperatures in a sparsely planted aquarium.
Vegetation along the side walls, floating plants with long roots where the fish spawn. Dark substrate emphasizes the fish’s color even more. Water should be clean, nitrate-free, slightly alkaline, and sufficiently hard. Water hardness should not be below 10°. Aeration, filtration, and regular frequent water changes are necessary. In long-standing unchanged water, they feel bad and get sick.
A delicacy for them includes insects fallen onto the water surface, crustaceans, daphnia, bloodworms, and algae. They do not take food from the bottom. It is best to acquire Bedotia at a young age. Adult fish tolerate transport and transfer poorly. What complicates keeping Bedotia is their fear of being moved from one aquarium to another. The fish literally go into shock and sometimes die.
Therefore, they must be transplanted very carefully, and water parameters should be approximately the same as in the old aquarium. Bedotia have low resistance to diseases. Costiosis and Ichthyophthirius can destroy the entire school in a matter of hours. They reach maturity at 7-9 months. The female hangs eggs on plants. They live up to 5 years. pH 6.5-7.5; dH 8-18°; T 20-24°C.
Identification: Madagascar Rainbowfish — Bedotia geayi.
— Bedotia albomarginata [Sparks & Rush, 2005]. Synonym: Bedotia vondrozo. Madagascar. 9 cm. Similar in coloration to B. geayi, featuring a bright yellow or orange anal fin. Males are distinguished by lanceolate tails and a bright white border on the anal and second dorsal fins.
— Longfin Bedotia — Bedotia longianalis [Pellegrin,1914]. Madagascar. 8 cm. There are two color forms of this species, mainly a yellow form which sometimes has a blue tint in the fins, and a bright orange form with a shiny longitudinal stripe. Males are more brightly colored and longer than females. Peaceful, active, always on the move, keep in a school of 6+ individuals with a predominance of females. Stay near the surface. Usually peaceful with other species, but establish a hierarchy among themselves. Cyprinids or non-aggressive Central African cichlids are the most suitable tank mates; they need open swimming space.
Vegetation along the side walls. Water should be slightly alkaline and moderately hard, strictly clean, tolerant of slightly brackish water. Very sensitive to nitrates and organic overload; regular water changes are required. They tolerate sudden temperature increases above 25°C poorly, resulting in a shortened lifespan and risk of disease. Food should be varied; they do not take food from the bottom. dH 2-10°, max 15°; pH 6.0-7.5; T 19-24°C.
— Bedotia leucopteron [Loiselle & Rodriguez, 2007]. Madagascar. 7 cm. Numerous small, irregularly distributed black spots on the flanks. Mature males can be somewhat aggressive toward females and subdominants when kept in confined spaces.
Bedotia madagascariensis, marojejy, tricolor, ankavia, lazana, namorona.
Craterocephalus amniculus, fluviatilis, stercusmuscarum, stramineus . 
