All fish / Nothobranchiidae

Boji Plains Nothobranch

Nothobranchius bojiensis

Also known as boji plains nothobranch, boji killifish, nothobranchius bojiensis, boji plains killi, ノソブランキウス・ボジエンシス, 博吉假鳃鳉

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This is a small annual killifish from temporary pools on the Boji Plains of northern Kenya. Males have bluish scales edged in red, giving a scaly look, with reddish unpaired fins, while females are plain greyish brown. Killifish keepers value it as a rare, colourful species and keep it going in hobby lines.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

One male with two or three females

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 12 months

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Kenya (Boji Plains, Ewaso Ng'iro basin)

Breeding

Pairs or trios spawn into a peat substrate, and the eggs are then kept in damp peat for several months before being wetted to hatch. It is reasonably simple for anyone used to annual killifish, though timing the egg incubation takes practice.

Good to know

It is very short lived and is rarely seen outside killifish clubs, so it is usually traded as eggs. Males fight among themselves, so a roomy tank or a single male per tank works best.