All fish / Nothobranchiidae

Scheel's Killifish

Fundulopanchax scheeli

Also known as scheel's killi, scheeli killifish, aphyosemion scheeli, fundulopanchax scheeli, scheeli, emerald lyretail killi, フンドゥロパンチャックス・シェーリ, 谢氏旗鳉

Males are a striking metallic green to blue with rows of red spots on the body and red and yellow edged, lyre-shaped tail fins, while females are plainer brown. It is kept for its bright colours and because it is one of the hardier and more adaptable West African killifish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

One male with two or three females

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and mosquito larvae; some take quality flakes

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 3 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Cross River basin, southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon

Breeding

A non-annual egg scatterer that lays eggs on spawning mops near the surface or bottom over several weeks. Eggs can be left in water to hatch in about two to three weeks or incubated briefly on damp peat, and the fry take newly hatched brine shrimp, so breeding is fairly straightforward.

Good to know

Males fight one another, so keep only one male per small tank or provide plenty of cover, and use a tight lid as killifish jump well. Strains are often labelled by collection locality and should not be mixed with similar species such as Fundulopanchax gardneri.