Dubois' panchax

Epiplatys duboisi

Also known as Duboisi killi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Top
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Central Congo basin
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

Dubois' panchax is a tiny surface killifish that hangs just under the film, watching for small prey. Keep it as a pair or a small harem near the top of a shaded, planted tank with floating cover and a very tight lid, since it will jump. It is mostly peaceful with fish too large to swallow, but it is a small ambush predator and will eat anything tiny, so skip dwarf shrimp fry and very small surface fish and choose tankmates of similar or larger size. Feed small floating and live foods such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, cyclops, wingless fruit flies, and fine frozen fare. A pair is happy in a tank of about 40 liters.

In the wild

Dubois' panchax lives at the surface of quiet forest streams in the central Congo basin, soft, shaded, tannin-tinted water with a slow current. Match that with floating plants and overhanging cover to dim the light, a dark substrate, and gentle flow. Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, about pH 5.5–7.0, and warm at 20–25 C, so the surface stays calm and the light stays low, which is where this fish feels secure.

Good to know

Epiplatys duboisi is a member of the family Nothobranchiidae and one of the smallest of the surface hunting pike killifish, reaching only about 3.5 cm. It is a non-annual plant spawner: pairs lay their eggs among fine vegetation or spawning mops near the surface, and the eggs develop in water over a couple of weeks, making breeding a moderate rather than difficult task.

Did you know

It shows the whole pike killifish approach in miniature: a straight backed body poised under the surface, taking prey as small as mosquito larvae, an ambush hunter scaled down to about the length of a fingernail.