Nothobranchius kilomberoensis Care Guide
Nothobranchius kilomberoensis is an annual killifish from the seasonal pools of the Kilombero floodplain in Tanzania, with bright blue scaling and red unpaired fins.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Nothobranchius kilomberoensis is an annual killifish of the family Nothobranchiidae from Tanzania, named after the Kilombero River, its type locality. Males show dark red spots on the lower head and throat, with dorsal and anal fins edged in white-blue to light blue; females are marked with spots on the head, body and unpaired fins.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nothobranchiidae
- Genus: Nothobranchius
- Scientific name: Nothobranchius kilomberoensis
Habitat
FishBase records the species from Tanzania, where it is a freshwater, benthopelagic fish of seasonal, ephemeral pools. It keeps to water close to the substrate and favours areas of pools with the highest grass density. These pools 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: 5-6 cm
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
The species is a carnivore, with a trophic level of about 3.2 reported by FishBase, indicating a small predator. 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 kilomberoensis is an egg-burying bottom spawner. The eggs survive in moist substrate during the dry period and hatch when re-wetted, completing the annual cycle.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable, assessed in December 2018.
Kilombero Nothobranchius (Nothobranchius kilomberoensis) Breeding Guide
Overview
Nothobranchius kilomberoensis is an annual killifish endemic to the Kilombero River basin in Tanzania. FishBase records males to about 3.4 cm and females to 4.1 cm standard length, living close to the substrate of ephemeral pools that usually dry up seasonally, favouring areas with dense grass cover. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its restricted range and dependence on seasonal wetlands.
Sexing
Males carry bright blue scales and a deep red caudal fan, while females are smaller and plain; the female grows slightly larger in body than the male. Keep one male with several females in a quiet species tank.
Conditioning
As a carnivore it should be conditioned on small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp. Consistent feeding keeps females producing eggs daily over the spawning substrate.
Breeding Setup
Provide a small species tank with a container of soft peat for spawning. The fish bury their eggs in the substrate, so a layer of fine peat or coir is offered for them to dive into. Soft water and subdued light keep the group calm.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The fish spawn by diving into the peat and depositing eggs in the medium throughout the day. The egg-bearing peat is collected and gently squeezed to a damp consistency before sealing for incubation, recreating the seasonal drying of the floodplain pools.
Egg Diapause & Hatching
Following the standard Nothobranchius method, the damp peat is stored at room temperature while embryos develop and may pause in diapause. After the storage period the peat is flooded with soft, cool water and the embryos hatch on detecting submersion. Adjusting storage temperature and moisture controls how long development takes.
Common Challenges
As with other annual killifish, storing the peat too wet or too dry disrupts diapause and lowers hatch rates. Eggs that fail to respond to the first wetting can often be re-dried and wetted again after a further rest.