Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon

About

The southern purple spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa) is a compact, colorful predator from the rivers, creeks, and billabongs of the Murray-Darling basin and eastern coastal drainages of New South Wales. In the wild it hunts worms, crustaceans, insect larvae, and small fish from among aquatic vegetation and rocky substrate in slow or still water. In the aquarium it behaves similarly. Territorial, deliberate, and opportunistic. Anything small enough to swallow is considered food, so tankmate selection matters. That said, it is not a relentless aggressor; robust, similarly-sized species like rainbowfish or large Corydoras tend to coexist without much drama. The species is sexually dimorphic, and spawning males develop intensified coloration and display with fanned fins to attract a female. She deposits a small clutch of adhesive eggs on a hard surface, then gets promptly driven off by the male, who takes over sole care of the eggs and defends them until hatching. Raising fry requires close monitoring since growth rates vary considerably and cannibalism is a real risk. Hobbyists should be aware that M. adspersa is endangered across its native range and is still relatively uncommon in the trade, though captive-farmed specimens do appear occasionally. It can be told apart from the similar northern purple spotted gudgeon by its lower scale count and heavier red spotting in the second dorsal fin.