Lyretail Killifish

1 Breed Introduction

Also called the Australian Lyretail, this small fish native to West Africa is loved by aquarists for its tail shaped like an ancient harp. Its body color is gorgeous, with rainbow hues all over.

Also known as: Harp Lyretail, Australian Lyretail

Diet: mainly live foods such as water fleas

Chinese name: Lyretail Killifish

Origin: Africa

Binomial: Aphyosemion australe

2 Physical Characteristics

The Lyretail Killifish has a very beautiful and special coloration. Also called the Australian Lyretail, this small West African fish reaches 5 to 6 cm. It likes to weave among plants, so provide plenty of vegetation.

It has a pointed spindle shape; the snout tip is bright red, the body pink or orange-yellow with red spots on the sides and red markings on the gill cover; the dorsal fin is brown at the base and red above, the anal fin red at the base with a black edge. The caudal is blue or brown with red or white edges on the upper and lower lobes. The body is orange-yellow, studded with cinnabar-like spots, the belly pale blue, the anal and dorsal fins red-brown with purple-red edging at the tips, the caudal center blue and the sides red or white. The body is wrapped in rainbow colors, very pretty.

3 Housing and Environment

This small fish is not very hard to keep, but note it likes to weave through plants, so provide plenty of vegetation.

It prefers acidic water at 22 to 26 C. Plant the tank heavily since it weaves among the plants. It likes live food, so feed plenty of water fleas, which help keep its colors vivid. It is best kept alone (single-species tank).

It is a plant-spawning egg-layer and fairly hard to breed. Males have brighter, more beautiful fins with pointed tips; females are drab with short, round fins. Breed in weakly acidic water at 24 to 28 C; eggs hatch in 12 to 14 days, with dim light and good aeration during incubation.

4 Feeding

Beyond tank, temperature, and water, feeding must not be overlooked. This small fish is easy to overfeed, which can cause illness or even death.

Do not give several kinds of excess food at once, as that can kill it; it rarely starves but easily bloats to death. Leftover food also fouls the water and kills the fish, so follow the four fixed rules: fixed time, place, quality, and quantity. Usually feed prepared food twice daily, 9:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 17:00; live foods like water fleas can be given once in the morning. For fry, ensure rotifers, paramecia, or egg yolk as first foods. When feeding blackworms, place them in a perforated small plastic box hung in the water so the fish feed freely.

Other chopped animal foods are best placed in a feeding basket. Feed at a fixed spot so fish gather and waste is reduced; food must be fresh, never spoiled. The amount should meet growth needs without excess. Adjust by season, weather, temperature, water, and appetite; never randomly over- or under-feed, skip days, or dump several days’ worth at once. If away, just feed and change water normally before leaving and keep water clear and oxygenated; a few days’ hunger does no harm, but never dump days of food at once, which can kill the fish.