Lyretail Killifish Breeding Guide

How to breed Aphyosemion australe, a non-annual West African killifish that deposits about 10-20 eggs daily in mops or peat; eggs hatch in roughly 10-20 days.

Overview

Aphyosemion australe is a non-annual killifish from permanent waters of West Africa (Gabon and Congo). Unlike annual killifish, its eggs need not be dried out, making it one of the more approachable killifish to breed; the record rates it at beginner difficulty.

Sexing

Males are larger and carry brightly coloured extensions on the caudal, dorsal and anal fins, while females are smaller, plainer, and rounder in the belly when in condition.

Conditioning

Keep the sexes apart in separate conditioning tanks and feed varied live and frozen foods, then select the best-looking male and the plumpest female for spawning. Conditioning the chosen fish separately for a period before pairing improves both the rate of egg deposition and fertility.

Breeding Setup

A pair can spawn in a tank as small as roughly 12 by 8 by 8 inches; trios are possible but yield smaller broods. Use a dark substrate or bare bottom and a spawning medium of a peat-moss layer, java moss, or spawning mops. An optional small air-driven sponge filter prevents stagnation. Maintain about 21-24 °C with soft, acidic water around pH 6.0-6.5, peat filtration, and keep the tank unlit.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

This is a continuous egg-depositor: roughly 10-20 eggs are deposited daily over about two weeks. To avoid exhausting the female, spawn the pair for only about one week before returning them to the conditioning tanks.

Egg & Fry Care

For water incubation, transfer the eggs to a small container with one to two inches of spawning-tank water, add a few drops of methylene blue, keep dark, and check daily for fungus; eggs hatch in about 10-20 days depending on temperature. For peat incubation, place eggs on damp peat moss in a dark, warm place for about 18 days, then hatch by rewetting; this method tends to develop less fungus. Fry accept Artemia nauplii immediately on becoming free-swimming; feed twice daily with small water changes every two to three days, and watch closely for velvet disease, to which this species is susceptible.

Common Challenges

Egg fungus during water incubation and the species' susceptibility to velvet are the principal risks; methylene blue, scrupulous hygiene and stable conditions are the main safeguards.