Kadlec's notho

Nothobranchius kadleci

Also known as Kadlec's killifish, Kadlec's nothobranch

FreshwaterFish

Kadlec's notho (Nothobranchius kadleci) — Mahomed Desai · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.0
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Native to seasonal floodplain pools in the Save, Pungwe, Gorongose, and Zangue river drainages of Sofala Province in central Mozambique.
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

House a male with two or three females in a 40 litre species tank at 22 to 26 C and soft water of pH 6.0 to 7.0. Rival males spar, so keep one male per small tank. Feed live and frozen meaty foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, and grindal worm. This is a short-lived annual, so collect and store eggs if you want to keep a line going.

In the wild

Like its close relative the turquoise killifish, it lives in temporary rain pools that dry out for part of the year. Males are light blue with heavy red scale edging, red lips, and red pelvic fins, which sets them apart from furzeri. Give it a soft dark substrate, gentle filtration, and a secure cover.

Good to know

Described by Martin Reichard in 2010, Nothobranchius kadleci is one of the closest known relatives of the turquoise killifish and comes from just north of that species' range. Only a red male colour form is known, whereas furzeri has both red and yellow tailed forms. It shares the annual life cycle with eggs that pass the dry season in diapause.

Did you know

In the hobby it is easy to confuse with the red tailed form of the turquoise killifish, but kadleci carries far more red across its body, lips, and pelvic fins.