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Killifish
/ Aplocheilinae / Steel-blue Aphyosemion
Steel-blue Aphyosemion
Aphyosemion filamentosum* | Pictures
Synonyms: Fundulopanchax
gardneri, Fundulus gardneri
Physical description: An elongated fish with an up-turned mouth.
The color an pattern ranges greatly
depending on the geographical population.
Two morphs are commonly available in the hobby.
The first has a bright green body with
a bright bluish iridescence.
The body is marked with irregular, red spots.
The fins are similar in color to the
body and the anal, caudal, and dorsal fins have single red, lateral stripes followed by a broad yellow edging.
The
second variant has a virtually identical color pattern, except the back coloration is pale blue-violet.
Females
of most variants are gray-brown with scattered red spots.
Size/Length: To 3" (8 cm)
Similar species: Other Aphyosemion
species
Habitat: Western Africa; small ponds and pools in the savannas of Nigeria and Cameroon.
S: all
Aquarium: A tank measuring 20" (51 cm) with a capacity of 10 gallons (38 L) is sufficient.
The tank should be well-planted with a partial cover of floating plants.
The substrate should be dark, preferably
peat moss.
Leave an open swimming area, but also provide some shelter in the form of bog wood and rocks.
The
tank should have a tight-fitting cover.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.5), 2-10 dH (4), 73-79°F (23-26°C)
Social behavior: Males are aggressive toward one another.
Keep one male with two or three females.
Suggested companions: Other robust Aphyosemion
species, Corydoras,
Trichopsis, possibly tetras.
FOOD: Live; flying insects, insect larvae, Brine Shrimp, other crustaceans,
Tubifex
worms; flakes.
Sexual differences: Males are far more colorful.
Breeding techniques: Raise the water temperature to 75-81°F (24-27°C).
The eggs are scattered among fine leafed
plants, or on the substrate.
These hatch after a period of 14-21 days.
The eggs can be removed and placed in
peat for a period of three to four weeks.
Start feeding the fry with
Artemia nauplii.
Breeding potential: 5.
A fairly easily bred fish.
Remarks: Many regional races and color variants are available, and as a result, several sub-species
have been described.
There is some conflicting reports as to whether this species is an annual or non-annual.
This
confusion may be warranted as possibly some races may be annuals. STYLE="mso-bidi-font-style : normal ; mso-spacerun : yes">
*Some ichthyologists suggest that
Fundulopanchax gardneri
is the proper scientific name of this species.
Difficulty of care: 4.
A robust Killifish.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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