All fish / Nothobranchiidae

Brien's Nothobranch

Nothobranchius brieni

Also known as brien's nothobranchius, nothobranchius brieni, brieni killifish, brien's killifish, ノソブランキウス・ブリエニ, 布氏假鳃鳉

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Brien's nothobranch is a small annual killifish from seasonal pools in the southern Congo basin. Males have bluish scales edged in red with a red and yellow banded tail, while females are plain brown. Killifish enthusiasts keep it for the bright male colours and its unusual seasonal life cycle.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

30 litres

Keep as

One male with two or three females

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

1 year

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Lualaba (Congo) basin, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Breeding

It is an annual species that lays eggs in a soft peat substrate, where they must be stored slightly damp for several months before being wetted to hatch. Breeding is quite manageable for experienced killifish keepers, though the long egg storage period takes patience.

Good to know

Males fight one another and can harass females, so give cover and avoid keeping several males in a small tank. It lives only about a year and rarely appears in shops, mostly passing between killifish hobbyists.