How the method works

Fish in which a parent carries eggs, larvae or fry in the mouth for protection during early development.

Practical breeding setup

Reduce harassment, provide visual cover and keep the brooding parent in good condition. Forced stripping is not a beginner shortcut and can injure fish or lose the brood.

Egg and fry management

Released fry are usually more developed than newly hatched scatterer fry, but still need suitable food and protection from larger fish.

Main failure point

Brooding parents may stop eating, become exhausted or swallow a brood when repeatedly chased or disturbed.

Fish in this category

The database currently contains 5 commonly kept fish assigned to this main method. Some fish also show secondary behaviours, and individual parental care can vary.

Chocolate gouramiSphaerichthys osphromenoides5–6 cmOpen entry →Demasoni cichlidChindongo demasoni7–9 cmOpen entry →Electric yellow cichlidLabidochromis caeruleus10–12 cmOpen entry →Frontosa cichlidCyphotilapia frontosa30–35 cmOpen entry →Peacock cichlidAulonocara spp.10–16 cmOpen entry →

Originality and limits

This guide explains the shared breeding pattern in original AquaNexus wording. It is not a substitute for the individual species entry, because temperature, social structure, egg size and parental behaviour differ.