Darge's killifish

Aphyosemion dargei

Also known as Dargei killi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mbam drainage, Cameroon
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

Darge's killifish is a small, quietly coloured forest killi suited to a mature nano setup. Keep it as a single pair or a trio of one male and two females, and give it a dim, densely planted tank with leaf litter and a tight lid. It is mostly peaceful and undemanding of company, doing best on its own or with tiny, gentle tankmates that will not bully it or race it to the food. It occupies the middle water among plants. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp, and micro bloodworm. A pair or trio is comfortable in a tank of about 40 liters.

In the wild

Darge's killifish comes from shaded forest brooks in the Mbam drainage of central Cameroon, small, cool, soft waters running under a closed canopy. Recreate the shade with floating plants, dark substrate, roots, and leaf litter, and keep flow gentle. The water should be soft and acidic to neutral, around pH 5.5–7.0, and on the cool side at 20–25 C, which suits a fish that never sees strong sun.

Good to know

Aphyosemion dargei is a non-annual member of the family Nothobranchiidae reaching about 5 cm. Unlike the seasonal nothobranchs, it is a plant spawner whose eggs develop in water rather than dry mud, though they ripen slowly, which keeps breeding at a moderate level. Jean-Louis Amiet described the species in 1987 as part of his major study of Cameroon's Aphyosemion.

Did you know

The name honours Philippe Darge, a French entomologist known for his work on moths and butterflies, so a shaded Cameroon brook fish ended up carrying the name of an insect specialist.

Tank mates

Darge's killifish is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.