Reproduction of spined loach, Cobitis taenia, (Cypriniformes; Cobitidae) under laboratory conditions

A simple and reliable method is described for breeding spined leach, Cobiti s taenia Linnaeus, 1758, under laboratory conditions. Three 40 L aquaria we re each provided with a thick tuft of moss placed on top of a gauze-covered plastic box to serve as a spawning site. Ovoposition always occurred in th e most densely available vegetation. The nonadhesive eggs fell through the gauze into the box. The spined leach is a fractional spawner releasing eggs in 14-18 batches at intervals of 2-23 (median 6) days. The total number of eggs per female was 2905-4282 during the reproductive season of 101-120 da ys. Yolks measured 1.14 +/- 0.07 mm and eggs were 2.54 +/- 0.22 mm in diame ter. Total larval length was 5.03 +/- 0.34 mm at hatching and 6.77 +/- 0.34 mm at the beginning of exogenous feeding. The method allowed the rearing o f numerous young for conservation measures and experimental investigations.