Habitat. Various standing and slow-flowing waters include coastal lakes, lowland rivers, streams, drains, reservoirs, and marshes, usually over muddy bottoms, often in well-vegetated areas. Fresh to marine waters, can survive in hypersaline waters. Spawns only in fresh and brackish waters of low salinity, along shorelines in stagnant or slow-flowing waters, and on sandy or muddy bottoms. Biology. Lives up to 11 years. Females usually begin spawning at about 120 mm SL, but in dense populations, at 60 – 70 mm SL and about 2 months. Territorial males excavate and defend a basin-shaped burrow in center of their territory, where they spawn with females. Often forms leks in dense colonies. Females only visit pits to spawn. Male actively courting female to nest in pit. Territorial males produce sounds during all stages of courtship, but especially during late stages, including spawning. Subordinate males without territory may adopt pseudo-female behaviour and sneak into nests during spawning. Female lays 100 – 1700 eggs in multiple portions. Female take eggs in their mouths as they are laid, before, during, or after fertilisation. No permanent pair bond formed; females incubate eggs alone while males court other females. Females may spawn a full clutch with one male or several males in a series so that siblings have different fathers. Females do not feed during brood care or take small food items, some of which are eaten in mouth by juveniles. Water is circulated over eggs by chewing movements of female’s jaws. Fry hatch in female’s mouth after 3 – 5 days, depending on temperature. Juveniles are released 10 – 14 days after spawning. Female guards fry, encouraging them to enter her mouth if threatened, for about 3 weeks. Juveniles swarm in shallow water and feed during day, retreating to deeper water at night. Females produce several broods in a season. Non-spawning individuals, as well as mouth-brooding females, gregarious along shores. Can tolerate temperatures ranging from 8 to 42 ° C; natural temperature range is 17 – 35 ° C. Tolerates low dissolved oxygen levels and utilises atmospheric oxygen when aquatic oxygen levels drop. Omnivorous, feeds mainly on algae and phytoplankton.
Sumber: Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia