Nothobranchius korthausae Care Guide
Nothobranchius korthausae is an annual killifish endemic to seasonal pools on Mafia Island, Tanzania, whose eggs survive desiccation in dried mud.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Nothobranchius korthausae is an annual killifish of the family Nothobranchiidae, endemic to Mafia Island, Tanzania. Males are brightly coloured with red and yellow patterning. As an annual species, its eggs survive desiccation buried in dried mud.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nothobranchiidae
- Genus: Nothobranchius
- Scientific name: Nothobranchius korthausae
Habitat
FishBase records the species as endemic to Mafia Island, Tanzania, where it is a freshwater, benthopelagic fish of temporary pools, swamps, ditches and small streams in open savanna-like areas and gallery forests. FishBase reports water of pH 5.8-6.4 and a hardness of 4-6 dH. These habitats 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. It should not be combined with boisterous community fish or large barbs.
Breeding
Nothobranchius korthausae is an egg-burying bottom spawner. FishBase reports an incubation period of about 1 to 3 months in moist substrate before the eggs hatch when re-wetted.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Endangered, assessed in December 2018.
Korthaus' Nothobranchius (Nothobranchius korthausae) Breeding Guide
Overview
Nothobranchius korthausae is an annual killifish endemic to Mafia Island, Tanzania, where it lives in temporary pools, swamps, ditches and small streams that dry up each year. FishBase records it at up to about 5 cm, in soft acidic water (pH 5.8-6.4) at 23-26 °C. Adults die when their pools evaporate, but their eggs survive buried in the substrate, a classic annual lifecycle.
Sexing
Sexing is straightforward in Nothobranchius. Males are larger and brightly coloured with red and yellow patterns, while females are smaller and a plain silvery-brown. A typical breeding group is a single male with several females.
Conditioning
These fish are carnivores that should be conditioned heavily on small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp. Well-fed females ripen continuously and spawn daily over peat, so steady feeding directly drives egg output.
Breeding Setup
Add a male and females to a small tank with a container holding 2 to 3 inches of peat or coir as a spawning substrate. The fish dive into the soft peat to bury their eggs. A gentle sponge or box filter and dim conditions keep the spawners calm.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Pairs push down into the peat and release eggs into the medium, repeating throughout the day. The egg-laden peat is collected, gently squeezed to remove excess water until it has a damp, crumbly consistency, and then sealed in a plastic bag or jar for incubation.
Egg Diapause & Hatching
The damp peat is stored at room temperature, where embryonic development takes about two to three months; FishBase gives an incubation of one to three months. Annual killifish eggs can pause development in diapause until conditions are right. At the end of the storage period the peat is tipped into a container and flooded with soft, cool water, which triggers hatching as the embryos detect submersion. Fry are large enough to take baby brine shrimp and microworms immediately.
Common Challenges
Storing the peat too wet or too dry, or at the wrong temperature, disrupts diapause and can kill eggs or produce weak fry. Keeping the peat damp rather than soaking, and re-drying and re-wetting a second time, often recovers eggs that did not hatch on the first wetting.