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Killifish
/ Aplocheilinae / Gunther's Nothobranch
Gunther's Nothobranch
Nothobranchus guentheri | Pictures
Synonyms: Adiniops
guentheri, Fundulus guentheri
Physical description: The body is elongated and the dorsal fin is located far back on the body.
The
fins are rounded and the mouth is upturned.
There are several different color variants.
In one color variant, the male has a
bluish head with a yellow throat and snout.
The iris of the eye is blue.
The body scales are light blue, surrounded
by red.
These markings produce a netted appearance.
The caudal fin is deep red with a black outer
edge.
The other fins are yellow.
Another variant has more red on the body and the fins.
Females
are duller in color with darker blue hues.
Size/Length: To 2" (5 cm)
Similar species: Other Nothobranchus
species.
Habitat: Inhabits muddy ponds and pools that dry up during the dry months of the year.
East
Africa; Zanzibar, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 24" (61 cm) with a capacity of 10-20 gallons (38-75 L) is sufficient.
Follow
suggestions for N. rachovii
.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7 (6.5), dH 1-10 (3), 66-75°F (19-24°C)
Social behavior: A somewhat aggressive fish that can be kept in small groups in a well-planted tank.
Males
may be territorial especially around spawning times.
Suggested companions: Other Nothobranchus
species, tetras, hatchetfish, danios,
Aphyosemion, Corydoras, Brachydanio, Loricarids,
pencilfish.
FOOD: Live; insects, insect larvae, small crustaceans,
Tubifex; flakes
Sexual differences: Males are more colorful and larger.
Breeding techniques: Follow suggestions for
N. rachovii.
Breeding potential: 6.
Breeding is moderately difficult.
Remarks: Different color variants are known.
An annual species.
There is an excess of 40
Nothobranchus
species.
Difficulty of care: 5.
A sensitive species that requires regular water changes.
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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