What Do Fish Eggs Look Like? 23 Species Of Egg Examined

What do fish eggs look like is a difficult question as there are a plethora of different types of egg-laying fish. So I thought let’s have a look at some of our most popular types of fish that lay eggs and detail what those eggs look like.

Fun Fact 

Did you know there are different types of egg-laying fish and many types of ways those fish lay and fertilize their eggs? More later.

Before going any further. Here is a synopsis of the basic characteristics of what a fish egg looks like after giving this overview we can look at some of the different eggs involved. I’ve 23 for us to go over so enjoy.  

What Do Fish Eggs Look Like

Fish eggs are usually small round clear/yellow thin almost see-through balls if fertilized if rotten they are normally black or darkened. Some eggs are sticky and hang on leaves and plants others are scattered over the substrate.

That being said there are some variables to take into account. As there are many species of egg layers. Let’s dive in and take a look.

What Do We Call Egg-Laying Fish

As we know there are egg layers or some would be more described as egg scatterers and there are livebearers. Livebearers obviously give birth to live-free swimming fish or fry. What about those that lay eggs? 

Well, those that lay eggs are called oviparous a fancy word for one that lays eggs that then hatch.

Severn Ways Of Laying Eggs

Ok, so I’ve broken this down into the seven ways of laying eggs so we can go through what these eggs look like. Wait what how can there be 7 ways to lay eggs I hear you cry. It’s more the name given to the whole process you will see as we go.

First, we have egg scatterers then we have open spawners. We also have egg hiders and mop spawners. Lastly, we have peat spawners nest builders, and mouthbrooders.

Here is some more on each type of spawning 

https://www.aquaticcommunity.com/breeding/spawningmethods.php

Check the above link for a bit more on each style of egg laying.

What Egg Scatterers Eggs Look Like

Now we’ve got that out the way and we’ve broken it down into these 7 categories let’s dive straight in with our egg scatterers. Those fish pretty much lay their eggs anywhere even in the open.

In this section, we have Koi, Goldfish, Angelfish, Discus, Gourami, Oscars, Fire mouth cichlids, Dwarf Cichlids, and Killifish.  

What Fish Eggs Look Like Egg Scatterers And Open Egg Layers

Koi Fish Eggs

So koi will typically lay their eggs where ever and allow them to move about which makes it harder for the males to find and fertilize but that’s life.

The eggs are akin to tiny little beads perfectly rounded with a clear transparent color. Although sometimes more yellowish orange. If they are darker or black they are rotten or possibly frogs spawn.

Koi can lay between 50000 and 100000 eggs pretty impressive. Around half the eggs will survive.

Females carry their eggs for 2 days and the eggs hatch around 4 days.

Goldfish Eggs 

Goldfish are pretty much the same as koi in that the eggs are clear sometimes a yellowish orange. Although these eggs look more like bubbles and are pretty sticky. They get stuck on glass and in the substrate as well as rocks stones etc.

Females lay around 1000 eggs at a time but can lay a few times over the course of a week. These eggs take up to a week to hatch. So less eggs and longer to hatch than koi.

Angelfish Eggs

The Angelfish is a little different. The female will take more care and attention as to where she lays her eggs. She will lay them in straight lines fairly close together. Which makes fertilization easier because the eggs themselves are extremely small. Around the size of a pinhead, they also differ in color these eggs are more brownish still slightly see-through. 

If Angelfish eggs turn white they are infected with fungus or rotten. These fish only lay between 100 and 1000 eggs. They lay them in one go at the same time. Angelfish eggs hatch fast in under 3 days.

Discus Eggs

The Discus female has what’s known as a breeding tube and will lay her eggs against the glass or vertically on a leaf. From there the male will fertilize the eggs. They will lay up to 400 eggs Discus eggs are a golden orange color. Fairly small and orb-shaped if the eggs remain white after being fertilized the parents will disregard them and eat them.

These eggs hatch in only 48 hours. What’re more the parents hang around as the fry feeds off the slime on the parent’s bodies.

Fun Fact

Discus fish mate for life and they do indeed look after their eggs they fan them with their fins and wash them with their mouths.

The fact they wash the eggs and even after hatching they move them around confuses people into believing them to be mouthbrooders. 

Oscar Fish Eggs

Oscars lay eggs usually on a flat surface rock or maybe gravel on the substrate. The eggs look like white specks. Some say the eggs look like grains of salt so really small rounded balls. The eggs will turn from white to a tan-brown or light chocolate color after 2 days.

If they don’t change color they will be defective or rotten. Oscar females can lay up to 3000 eggs at one time and they definitely don’t look after the eggs. They will in fact like most scatterers eat the eggs.

Typically oscar eggs hatch in around 3 days they take a further 5 days to be free swimming.

Fire mouth cichlids

These fish are similar to discus as in they pair up and mate for life. They also take turns looking after the eggs and will defend them. The females lay their eggs in long lines around 500 eggs can be laid. Then the male fertilizes the eggs he takes his time and usually, they get all the eggs.

When the eggs are laid they appear like salt and will darken once fertilized the eggs take 3 days to hatch. The parents will stay until the littluns are able to look after themselves around 5 weeks.

Dwarf Cichlids

Now, these eggs are white also but sem fairly big compared to the others. like a small fingernail-sized piece of plasticine. Once fertilized they will look light brown and more caramel.

Females will lay around 100 eggs so pretty low but they have a high fertility rate as the males will make sure to get every last one.

Hatching is around 3 days and the parents mainly the female will look after the eggs and the hatched young.

Killifish

These fish are renowned for being different the eggs are scattered at the bottom of the tank preferably in peat moss. The eggs are transparent and thin looking you can see the baby fry inside growing. The egg has a clear color with some orange/brown to it so it blends in with peat moss and earth. 

What makes these fish truly different is the number of eggs at only 20 laid and that it takes 16 days for them to hatch.

That’s all from the egg scatterers and open egg layers what about some mop layers and nest builders next let’s have a look.

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What Eggs Mop Layers And Nest Builders Look Like

 

Cory Catfish

They lay slightly bigger eggs around a small marble 2mm in diameter. Cory eggs are a clear white with a transparent-looking shell. After the male has fertilized the eggs will turn brownish orange and a little black spot will appear.

The eggs take 5 days to hatch.

The female lays around 50 eggs she lays them in groups of between 10 and 20 eggs. The parents don’t look after the eggs and will eat them given the chance.

Cherry Barbs

Cherry barbs eggs are also clear white and see-through they will darken after fertilization. The eggs themselves are a similar size to a small marble again like the cory.

These eggs are adhesive meaning sticky and they get stuck to leaves and plants. Females can lay up to 300 eggs and they hatch within 3 days. They produce a lot of eggs and spawn every month. 

The eggs have a low survival rate in the wild as the parents will gladly eat all the eggs.

Zebra Danios 

These eggs are really small around half a millimeter in circumference. They are white and turn yellow when ready. Females can lay 200 and can do so every 10 days. These fish normally spawn together meaning all the females are around the same time.

The eggs are nonadhesive so not sticky at all. And will be left to fall where they please over plants shrubs etc. The eggs hatch in 3 days.

The parents take no interest in raising the eggs or fry.

Jack Demsey 

Jack Dempsey eggs are a pinkish white when laid and will turn light chocolate orange once fertilized. Females can lay up to 500 eggs and they don’t lose to many with a 90 percent hatch rate which is amazingly good.

The eggs are usually scattered over a rock or flat surface and after hatching the parents move them to little holes in the substrate or under rocks. They are really good parents and protective.

The eggs take 3 days to hatch.

Rainbow Fish

So these eggs have some differences as do the fish. The eggs are around 2mm in diameter so fairly small sphere-shaped. They are yellowish when scattered and turn more orange after being fertilized they are adhesive and sticky.

The female lays her eggs over java moss or shrubs and the eggs stick to them. She only lays about 30 eggs but she does this daily during her cycle. The eggs themselves take up to 11 days to hatch and the parents are not well paternal at all and will eat them if they can.

Tetras

Tetra are simple fish the eggs are tiny perfectly round pin head sized. They start out white slightly translucent and turn yellow when fertilized. Females lay around 100 eggs over plants and shrubs they are fairly sticky and hang to the shrubbery.

These eggs take only 24 hours to hatch and the parents love eating the eggs so best to move them.

Betta Fish

Betta will make a nest for the female to lay her eggs in. This nest is made out of bubbles. Females can lay up to 500 eggs once laid the eggs are small around 1mm oval and white with a thick shell. After fertilization, the eggs will get a grey spot on them and will start to turn a yellowish brown when ready to hatch.

Betta eggs take 2 days to hatch parents will look after the eggs mainly the male who stands guard if an egg falls out he replaces it back in the nest.

Damselfish

These eggs appear white with a hint of pink when laid. After fertilization, they will darken and turn yellowish brown with a dark spot on them. They lay around 250 eggs only once a year does spawning happen?

The eggs are laid or scattered over plants and left to find a place as they are not sticky. It takes up to 7 days for these eggs to hatch. Males look after the eggs fun fact They may have as many as 3 sets of eggs to look after at once.

There are some amazing ways of laying hatching and looking after eggs now we come on to the last three types let’s have a look.

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Peat layers Egg Hiders And Mouthbrooders 

Plecos

A common pleco egg is orange in color very round and fairly big with a circumference of 3mm. They only change color if unfertilized or rotten. If this happens they become white. 

Males will find a hiding place for the female to spawn and for the eggs to hatch. This is usually a cave shell or between rocks hidden away.

Females can lay up to 300 eggs although rare. The eggs can take up to 7 days to hatch. The male will stay and look after the eggs.

Kribensis

These eggs are white and turn orange after being fertilized if they remain white then they are infertile. Males find a hiding place/nest usually a cave or shell the same as plecos.

The females lay up to 300 eggs Kribensis are very territorial and will look after both eggs and fry. Although they breed every month and seem to care more about looking after eggs.

If they are spawning and there is fry around the fry are likely to be eaten. Also, They will eat any eggs that remain white.

Eggs take 4 days to hatch.

Rossy Minnows

These fish are very paternal mainly the male. The eggs are white and turn pinkish when fertilized they are orb-shaped around 2mm in size.

The male will find a suitable spot for spawning and then clean that space with his head. After this, he entices the female over to lay her eggs. She can lay up to 500 eggs the eggs are laid upside down under a rock or roof of a cave. 

The male then kicks her out and looks after the eggs even cleaning them and giving them the anti-fungal treatment that he has in a gland via his head.

The eggs take 5 days to hatch after they hatch the male leaves them. These fish won’t eat their young but the fry will have to fend for themselves.

Arowana

Arowana eggs are bright orange in color if white then they are infertile. These eggs are fairly big at 4 mm in circumference. The eggs are round and nonstick.

Females lay around 30 eggs and then the male picks them up and keeps them in his mouth. He does this until they hatch. 

Hatching can take 7 days but the male will continue to keep them in his mouth for up to 50 days until they can look after themselves.

The male can not eat while keeping them in his mouth so he goes 50 days without eating not bad.

Pugmax

This little fish has an intricate way of reproducing. The eggs are white and around 3mm in an oval shape. They can turn more yellow in some cases. The fish wrap around each other and embrace the female releasing some eggs onto the male’s tail she then picks them up in her mouth.

 She then spits the eggs into the water the male then catches them in his mouth and holds them. This goes on until the female has released all her eggs this takes around 5 hours.

She will release 100 eggs at this time and the same process happens. the male then keeps them in his mouth for up to 16 days until they hatch.

Hornyhead Chub

Again these fish have their unique way of reproducing. The eggs are pretty big white and round smooth marbles. none sticky. The males make a mound out of gravel and pebbles about 8 inches high. He then makes holes in for the eggs to go.

Then the female comes and lays her eggs around 50 eggs are laid. She then departs and plays no further role in fact she may spawn again with another partner.

The male then fertilizes the eggs and then buries them with more gravel. He will then stay on guard to protect the eggs until they hatch.

The eggs take 10 days to hatch then their on their own there’s no more parental care.

Chocolate Gouramis

These fish do things their own way too. The eggs are white and very small as these fish have small mouths and will be carrying in their mouths as they are indeed mouthbrooders.

The eggs are 1mm in circumference and nonsticky. The eggs may turn yellowish after some time when ready to hatch.

Females will spawn at the bottom of the tank over the substrate she will release around 40 eggs the male then fertilizes them. Then the female starts picking them up in her mouth.

The male also helps and picks some eggs in his mouth and spits them toward her. She takes them and gathers all the eggs in her mouth. She will then hide in the shelter brooding the eggs in her mouth until they hatch.

The male will stay and protect her and the eggs. The eggs take around 10 days to hatch the baby fry are well-developed by then.

That’s 23 different fish and what their eggs look like as well as how they reproduce.

Fun Fact 

The Grey Grouper has the smallest eggs in the world at only 0.5 mm each. This fish also has the most eggs. When they spawn they lay 340 million eggs (wow)(.)

Fun Fact 2

The Devil ray lays the least eggs at 1 egg.

Fun Fact 3

The largest fish egg belongs to the whale shark at a whopping 8 inches in diameter.

What Fish Eggs Look Like Conclusion

In conclusion, id add that most fish lay eggs around 1-2 millimeters in diameter most eggs are white clear semi-transparent, and round. When fertilized they darken to yellow-brown or orange. If they go black or stay white their either rotten or unfertilized.

Most parents take no parental responsibility but there are some as we’ve seen here today that are great parents. I hope you enjoyed the read and please feel free to look around the site.

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