Splendid killifish

Aphyosemion splendopleure

Also known as Splendopleure killi

FreshwaterFish

Splendid killifish (Aphyosemion splendopleure) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Coastal Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea
Family: Nothobranchiidae

Overview

The splendid killifish is one of the easier Aphyosemion to start with, kept as a single pair or a trio of one male and two females. It swims in the middle water of a shaded, planted tank, and since it is an accomplished jumper a tight lid is essential. It is mostly peaceful and suits a quiet species tank or the company of small, gentle fish that will not outcompete it. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops, and micro bloodworm. A pair or trio is comfortable in a tank of about 40 liters, with dense planting and cover to help the male show his colours.

In the wild

The splendid killifish lives in small rainforest streams along the coast of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, soft, shaded, slow waters running over leaf litter. Recreate that with a dark substrate, roots, floating plants for shade, and gentle flow. Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, about pH 5.5–7.0, and warm at 20–25 C, the low, dim conditions it knows in the wild.

Good to know

Aphyosemion splendopleure is a non-annual member of the family Nothobranchiidae reaching about 5.5 cm, the male's flanks a shimmer of yellow, green, blue, and red. As a plant spawner it lays eggs on fine vegetation or mops that develop in water, and because it breeds without a dry season it is a good first step into the genus, though rearing the fry keeps the effort at a moderate level. Its name means splendid-sided.

Did you know

Different wild populations wear different colours, so hobbyists trade the splendid killifish under collection codes that tag each strain to the stream it came from, which keeps the local forms from blending together.

Tank mates

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