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Bitterling

Rhodeus amarus


Where is it found?

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Freshwater

Diet and foraging method

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Grazes on plants and algae, and picks up prey from the water bed.
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Key adaptations

The female has a long 'ovipositor' which is specially adapted to reach into mussels in order to lay her eggs.

Social organisation and mating system

N/A

Did you know that...?

Female Bitterlings lay their eggs inside freshwater mussel shells, which hatch and stay in the shell for protection for about a month, leaving as swimming larvae.

Taxonomy

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Picture credits:

"BittervoornRhodeusAmarusVrouwtje" by Viridiflavus - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BittervoornRhodeusAmarusVrouwtje.JPG#/media/File:BittervoornRhodeusAmarusVrouwtje.JPG
"RhodeusAmarusBitterlingMale1" by Viridiflavus - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RhodeusAmarusBitterlingMale1.JPG#/media/File:RhodeusAmarusBitterlingMale1.JPG
"RhodeusSericeusScales" by Piet Spaans - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RhodeusSericeusScales.JPG#/media/File:RhodeusSericeusScales.JPG

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