Cardinal nothobranch

Nothobranchius cardinalis

Also known as TAN 97-27 killi, Cardinalis killi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mbwemkuru basin, Tanzania
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

The cardinal nothobranch is a small, fiery annual killifish. Keep it as a pair or as one male with two or three females, which eases the pressure of his constant courting. Males display hard at each other, so keep a single male per small tank or add sightline breaks and extra females. Be cautious with tankmates: it is best in a species tank, and only calm, similar sized fish should be considered, never boisterous or fin-nipping company. It swims in the middle water. Feed small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp. A group is comfortable in a tank of about 40 liters.

In the wild

This killifish lives in seasonal floodplain pools of the Mbwemkuru river basin in southern Tanzania, shallow waters that fill with the rains and dry out completely for part of the year. Give it a warm, gently filtered tank over a soft peat or sand base with plenty of planting and cover. The water should sit in the neutral to slightly hard, slightly alkaline range it knows in the wild, about pH 6.5–7.8 at 22–26 C.

Good to know

Nothobranchius cardinalis was described in 2008 and belongs to the family Nothobranchiidae. It is a true annual killifish reaching only about 4 cm, the male marked with a red snout and red fins. Pairs spawn into the substrate, and the eggs pass the dry months in a resting state in damp peat before being rehydrated to hatch, a multi step routine that makes breeding a moderate challenge.

Did you know

Its home pools exist for only a single rainy season, so the whole life of the fish, from hatching to breeding, is packed into a few fast months; the genus includes some of the shortest lived vertebrates known.