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Badis badis bengalensis, Tomey, 2000

Origin:India;Bengal province, and Bangladesh. Here the fish occur in slow flowing vegetated creeks.

Etymology: Named after the area where the fish originates from.

Synonyms: None

First exported by: India: Deepak Nopany, 1999.

Description: See pictures.

Care: Species tank with soft neutral water, and a little current. Frequent waterchanges are required, the fish are very susceptible to pollution.Temperature around 22-24 degrees, although the fish can also be kept at much lower temperatures. As long as the fish are small they usually swim together, and males show only faint colors. When the males get larger they will start to develop full coloration, and become territorial. Small caves and corners are selected as their territorium, and are defended against other males. The fish require lots of small live food.

Temperature:15-27

Feeding: Lots of small live food, Cyclops, Daphnia, Artemia, and full grown fish also white and bloodworms.

Size: Males 3cm, females 2.5 cm.

pH: 6.5-7.5

Breeding:Currently only one account of breeding: 60 cm tank, heavily planted, with a sponge filter. Temperature 25-26 degrees. The males will establish a territory, and protect it fiercely. If a female approaches, the male will start to display and dance around the female. If she's willing to spawn she will follow him to his territory. If she(or a juvenile male) is not interested the male will chase her away and return. No account of the actual spawning exists, but the small brown fry aren't eaten by the other Badis in the tank, and will hide between plants.

Sexual dimorphism:Males very colorfull, females greyish without color in the fins..

Prices:Netherlands: 4€

Additional: Debatable subspecies, it is so utterly different from all other Badis badis, that it will probably be defined as a species instead of a subspecies. Then finally the genus Badis will no longer be monotypical.

From communication with other keepers and personal observation, it may be that the fish will show full coloration at the end of their lives. The males will then try to reproduce and shortly afterwards die. One day everything is fine, the males are healthy and well, the next day they are dead without any apparent cause.

Picture references:All pictures: E. Naus

References: W. A. Tomey(2000): Een nieuwe dwergvorm van Badis badis, hier benoemd als ondersoort B. b bengalensis. n. ssp., Het Aquarium Jrg.70:p.p.24-27. Arne Boeke, personal communication. Henk Grundmeijer, personal communication.