Nothobranchius kafuensis Care Guide
Nothobranchius kafuensis is an annual killifish from the Kafue and upper Zambezi rivers in Zambia, with an electric-blue body and orange-red fin margins.
Overview
Nothobranchius kafuensis is an annual killifish of the family Nothobranchiidae, native to Zambia. Males show an electric-blue body with orange-red fin margins. According to FishBase, it is an annual species adapted to seasonally drying pools.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nothobranchiidae
- Genus: Nothobranchius
- Scientific name: Nothobranchius kafuensis
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Kafue River and the upper Zambezi River in Zambia. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic, non-migratory fish of tropical climates. The seasonal pools it inhabits fill during the rains and dry out completely afterwards.
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: 4-6 cm
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
The species is a carnivore, with a trophic level of about 3.2 reported by FishBase. In the hobby it takes live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
It is best kept as a single male with several females in a quiet species tank, and should not be combined with aggressive tankmates.
Breeding
Nothobranchius kafuensis is an egg-burying bottom spawner. FishBase reports an incubation period of about 5 months in moist substrate before hatching when re-wetted, and notes that the species is difficult to maintain in captivity.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed in December 2018.