All fish / Nothobranchiidae

Kirk's Nothobranch

Nothobranchius kirki

Also known as kirki killifish, kirk's killifish, kirki nothobranchius, red kirki, nothobranchius kirkii, ノソブランキウス・キルキ, 柯氏假鳃鳉

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Kirk's Nothobranch is a small annual killifish. Males have a blue to turquoise body with red scale edging, and their fins are reddish with yellow and dark margins. Females are plain brownish. Hobbyists keep it for the bright colour of the males and for its unusual annual life cycle, which comes from the seasonal pools around Lake Chilwa where it lives.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

4.5 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 and frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

9 to 18 months

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Malawi: Lake Chilwa and Lake Chiuta basins

Breeding

Pairs dive into a soft peat substrate to lay their eggs. The peat is then lightly dried and stored for roughly two to four months before it is wetted again to hatch the fry. This is fairly easy once you know the method, but you need patience and close control of moisture levels in the peat.

Good to know

Even with good care these fish only live a short time, and males can fight with each other, so give females places to hide. Most fish sold are aquarium strains, so keep each collection locality separate and do not cross them.