These tiny fish have a huge challenge ahead of them.

這些小魚面臨著巨大的挑戰。

The male has the long tail.

雄性的尾巴很長。

The female is ready to spawn, the eggs visible through her skin.

雌鳥已經準備好產卵，卵子透過皮膚清晰可見。

The pair move together near the surface.

它們在海面附近一起移動。

Sometimes pausing, sometimes darting back and forth with urgency.

時而停頓，時而急促地來回穿梭。

What is about to happen is a most remarkable spawning achievement.

即將發生的事情是一項最了不起的產卵成就。

Prompted by the male, the two fish leap together high out of the water where they cling to a hanging leaf.

在雄魚的催促下，兩條魚一起躍出水面，緊緊抓住一片懸掛的樹葉。

They hold on for about three seconds before first the female, then the male drop back.

它們堅持了大約三秒鐘後，先是雌鳥，然後是雄鳥掉了下來。

Leaving behind a small cluster of eggs.

留下一小簇蛋。

They're called jumping characin.

它們被稱作 "跳躍字元"。

And each leap adds more eggs to the cluster.

而每一次飛躍，都會給集群增加更多的蛋。

Their way of life hasn't changed since the Stone Age.

自石器時代以來，他們的生活方式從未改變。

The male's fully expanded pectoral and abdominal fins act as suckers, allowing the pair to hold on to the leaf.

雄魚完全展開的胸鰭和腹鰭起到吸盤的作用，使這對魚能夠緊緊抓住葉子。

They continue until there are about 50 eggs, all covered with gel to keep in the moisture.

一直到有大約 50 個雞蛋為止，所有雞蛋上都覆蓋著凝膠以保持水分。

But the performance isn't yet over.

但演出還沒有結束。

The male chases the female away.

雄性把雌性趕走。

Then begins the job of preventing the eggs from drying out in the hot sun.

然後就開始防止雞蛋在烈日下晒乾。

He does this.

他是這樣做的。

By splashing them.

潑水

As he smacks the water surface with his back fin, water splashes onto the leaf above.

當它用背鰭拍打水面時，水花濺到上面的葉子上。

He's amazingly accurate and continues until the eggs hatch.

他的準確度令人驚歎，一直持續到雞蛋孵化。

By the next day, they have already developed eyes.

第二天，它們已經長出了眼睛。

And the following day, prompted by the water splashes, the eggs begin to hatch.

第二天，在水花的刺激下，鳥蛋開始孵化。

The fries enter the river with the falling water drops of their father's splashes.

魚兒們隨著父親濺起的水珠進入河中。

As they hit the water, the young fish seek out a hiding place among the leaves.

小魚落水後，會在樹葉間尋找藏身之處。

Young Copella arnoldi have inherited a bizarre but successful strategy for spawning above the waters of the flooded woodland that now becomes their protector.

年輕的 Copella arnoldi 繼承了一種奇特但成功的策略，即在洪水淹沒的林地水域上方產卵，而這片林地現在成了它們的保護地。