Nothobranchius guentheri Care Guide
Nothobranchius guentheri, the redtail notho, is an annual killifish endemic to Zanzibar and one of the longest-known species in the hobby.
Overview
Nothobranchius guentheri, the redtail notho, is an annual killifish of the family Nothobranchiidae. It was originally described by Pfeffer in 1893 as Fundulus guentheri and is named after the ichthyologist Albert Günther. Males show iridescent blue scaling with reddish unpaired fins. It is endemic to Zanzibar.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nothobranchiidae
- Genus: Nothobranchius
- Scientific name: Nothobranchius guentheri
- Author: Pfeffer, 1893
Habitat
FishBase records the species as endemic to Unguja Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, eastern Tanzania, where it inhabits temporary pools, swamps, ditches and small streams. These waters fill during the rains and dry seasonally, so the fish completes its life cycle within a single wet season.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Adult size: 5-7 cm
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
The species is a carnivore. In the hobby it takes live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
Males are territorial toward one another, so the species is best kept as a single male with several females in a quiet species tank. It should not be combined with boisterous community fish.
Breeding
Nothobranchius guentheri is an egg-burying bottom spawner. FishBase reports rapid development, with fish becoming sexually mature in only 6 to 8 weeks, and an egg incubation period of about 3 to 4 months in moist substrate before hatching when re-wetted.