Fishes / Habitat
The lyretail killifish carries a warm orange to red body with a distinctively forked, lyre-shaped tail, especially pronounced in mature males, and comes from coastal Gabon in West Africa. It stays sma
The lyretail killifish carries a warm orange to red body with a distinctively forked, lyre-shaped tail, especially pronounced in mature males, and comes from coastal Gabon in West Africa. It stays small, reaching around five to six centimetres, and like the Gardneri killifish is a non-annual species, living a genuinely normal multi-year lifespan rather than the single fast season some killifish are known for.
This combination of striking colour, manageable size and non-annual hardiness has made it one of the most commonly recommended entry points into the wider killifish hobby, a niche corner of the aquarium world with a passionate, specialist following.
A pair or small group does well in a tank of forty litres or more, with dense planting, floating cover and subdued lighting. It tolerates a reasonable range of water conditions, including typical Indian tap water, and does not need the very specific soft, acidic water some other killifish demand.
A tight-fitting lid is essential given this species' strong jumping ability, particularly through any small gap around filter fittings or cables.
A diet of small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia suits it best, supplemented with good-quality micro pellets once settled. It is generally peaceful, though males can show mild territoriality towards each other.
It breeds readily in a well-planted tank, with eggs typically laid among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, making it a reasonable first species for a keeper curious about killifish breeding without tackling the more demanding annual species.
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