# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Anabantoids >  Oriental Beauty - Macropodus ocellatus

## MrTree

Unlike _M.opercularis_, I've not seen this northern fish in Singapore before. According to the reference, Chang Jiang is the approximate line of distribution of _M.opercularis_ and _M.ocellatus_ . In Zhe Jiang province, this two species shares the same habitat. my friend can actually collect more _M.ocellatus_ if goes up north, and get more _M.opercularis_ than _M.ocellatus_ if he goes down south. And of course once in a while, he can get natural hybrid! 

Havn't got good pictures of these two species yet...so it's one of the fishy things I have to do this summer....  :Razz:

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## hwchoy

bring some soon!

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## MrTree

Mine isn't in it's best shape yet..it was raised in pond.

see this, 

http://www.sonic2000.com/bbs/index.php?showtopic=44758

The fish is from Shanhai area. How I wish I was there!!!

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## hwchoy

no picture leh.

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## benny

Need to log in to sonic 2000 to see the pictures.

Cheers,

p.s. I'll call you tomorrow.

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## MrTree

Sorry, didn't know about it. 

Got his signature anyway, I attach them here. 





I brought back some _M.ocellatus_ from Shanghai a few weeks ago but didn't have paitience to keep them, gave to my friend. But then one day saw one fella selling the big ones in the market, so here it is.

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## Ibn

OMG, simply a gorgeous fish.  :Shocked:

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## Justikanz

Is this the so-called black paradise fish?...

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## MrTree

Nope, black paradise fish is refering to _M.spechti_, _M.erythropterus_ from Central Vietnam and _M.hongkongensis_ from southern China.

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## Justikanz

Wow... never realised that there are so paradise fish species...  :Razz:  Nontheless, they are all very pretty... But pretty nasty too, eh, I presume?  :Smile:

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## citizen

If its from north China, it should need cold water?  :Smile:

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## MrTree

They are refered as "Fighting fish" in China, and yes village kids would catch them for fighting.

Not really, their summer can be quite hot too, so ok with water temp around 30 c.

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## ahaetulla

that's beautiful, your photography's really good  :Very Happy:

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## SCOPE

Nice fish indeed....how big does this guy grow?

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## MrTree

around 7 cm SL I think

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## Sweet Angel

Sooooooooooooo beautiful !!!!! :Well done:   :Well done:   :Well done:  
I guess Chinese fighting fishes are much more beautiful than Siamese fighting fishes... :Wink:

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## budak

Beauty, to a degree, is subjective. One should bear in mind that the long-finned strains of Betta splendens are selectively bred by men, while finnage of the Macropodus species is naturally endowed.

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## hwchoy

all natural creatures are beautiful because they are a product of natural history and circumstances.  :Wink: 

read my nick  :Grin:

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## darrenimo

Nice fish, anyway, do any of you know where can I get one in Singapore?I mean I have a spare tank and I have read up on these marvels.

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## hwchoy

Hi Darren, I'm not sure if this fish is commonly available in LFS. But since you are keen on anabantoids, and you mentioned elsewhere you "dislike a little" those fancy fighting fish, perhaps you might consider some of the cheaper wild fighting fishes, such as _Betta simorum_. Its good that you spare the time to read up.

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## budak

for starters you can search through the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology archives for papers on wild bettas: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/

One particular issue is very good: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/index.ph...pplement13.txt

No pdfs for this but you can still find copies at Nature's Niche bookstore in the Botanic Gardens visitor centre.

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## coldwater

Hi!

Here in Bucharest, Romania the temperature dropped after 15 degC to 0,5C. Checked the Carassius and the M. ocellatus "Yangtse"- both species in slow motion, but quite active when sun, even in 10 deg water (didn't decreased below that, till now). I will take the Nelumbo indoors, since their leaves begin to turn yellow. 
This night will be colder, since the sky is clear. Fish are outdoors since 2 months, so I don't worry about them.

Greetings,
Fabian

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## benny

Wow. I didn't realise that _Macropodus ocellatus_ can take such low temperatures.

So you move your fishes indoors during winter? I'm sure they won't survive in the open right?

Cheers,

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## coldwater

Hi, Benny!

Being in a burried pot, they will not stay for the winter outdoors. First I will cover with some plastic, then, when ice will be permanent and no thawing occur, I will move them indoors in a cold place. I will try to keep them at max. 10C.
Their habitat reach Harbin in Heilongjiang (some say about entering adjacent Russia), with an absolute minima around -45 and ice cover for months. Fish from Shanghai will do well in Romania (Bucharest is quite like Beijing), and even more southern form as well. 
Opercularis (northern forms, near Changjiang) can be left outdoors only in mild winters, it will not take all the cold- maybe in a protected pond, reducing the number of freezing days (a glasshouse-like enclosure).

All the best!

Fabian

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## Quixotic

Minimum -45? That's really cold.

So you will move them back outdoor again in the summer? Looks like a lot of work there.  :Grin:  What is the summer in Romania like? Does it ever get extremely hot?

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## coldwater

We have as an average -3 January and 23 July, 560mm/year. Absolute min: -32, abs. max.: 43. 200 frostfree days. Last years brought anomalies. Usually we have a few weeks with extreme hot weather, 35-39, with a peak or two to 40 sometimes. Winters to -15...-25 minima.
This year we had 10 consecutive days with 40-43, and it was one heat wave of 3...and a fierce drought. :Sad: 

Manchuria is quite harsh, maybe Chinese fellows here can say more. I just read once some climatic data and it was -45 or -47  :Shocked:  :Surprised:  :Shocked: the abs. min. for Harbin.
Yes, I hope it will be a lot of work, that meaning a lot of fish. :Grin: Now it is some work indeed, but only few fish so it is easier.

Fabian

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## MrTree

It's found in Russia further north of Harbin too. 

As for the common _M.opercularis_, I've yet to find it in Shenzhen, but plenty _M.hongkongensis_....

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## Quixotic

> Absolute min: -32, abs. max.: 43.


Wow, so they are able to tolerate both extreme ends, hot and cold. Brilliant.

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## coldwater

Hi!

I was to hurried and didn't find quickly this thread, and posted my "M. ocellatus " as a new one. If they can be moved here, please do it.

(_Edit: Merged as requested_)

Is that fish to find somewhere? A member from China, maybe? It's a pitty the fact that such a fish is so little known. 
Some details about growing them- I think that Europeans have a good experience, even the material consists only in 3 strains. They observed- at least for those 3 strains- that linear, high temperatures for more than 6 months lead to various diseases. That is maybe the reason for the disappearing of some other imported strains, exceptions being the inspiration of some people knowing their original habitat climate and tried them in ponds. Those survived till today.
Keeping them indoors also made this fish to be considered as... sensitive and tricky! Today, others say it's invincible, but only when kept outdoors!
Maybe southern forms will tolerate such full-tropical conditions, as M. opercularis can do? It is possible to have the same problems, at least the first generations. For more northern forms is a permanent fact, they are not tolerant to classic aquarium conditions- observed for decades.
Mines are well, they even eat mosquito larvae this morning, in 10 degC water. It was a fine ice-dust on the grass every morning from Monday on, but sunny days keep them active.

Fabian
If you know a source or at least an information about, please let me know! It is the main interest fish for me!

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## coldwater

Hi!

Remembered something: a German owner of Macropodus ocellatus and opercularis said that they can grow much larger than believed in a pond with plenty of good food: ocellatus to 13 cm, opercularis to 15 cm- of course, old males. A friend of mine remembers some giant opercularis that he saw once.

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## MrTree

15 cm is monster. it's TL or SL? The largest wild caught specimens I've seen is maybe around 6 cm plus (SL) only. Can't deny the fact that many small fish can grow bigger than wild specimens....

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## coldwater

Well... I don't know what TL and SL means :Sad: - please tell me. It is exceptionally find such thing. But any opercularis can reach 11 cm, and 8-9 for ocellatus- fins included, of course.

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## benny

TL stands for total length, which measures the fish from the tip of the head to the tip of the tail.

SL stands for standard length, which measures the fish from the tip of the head the the caudal peduncle, excluding the caudal fin altogether.

Cheers,

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## Mr.Yeo

thanks the nice pics those back my memory in Nan Jing,----NXQ keeps many type of this fish, i should say, they really nice

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