All fish / Rivulidae

Pirá-brasília

Simpsonichthys boitonei

Also known as pira brasilia, brasilia killifish, boitone's pearlfish, lyre-finned pearlfish, simpsonichthys boitonei

A tiny annual killifish from seasonal swamp pools in the Cerrado around Brasília. Males are colourful, with bluish bodies, reddish bars and long, pointed dorsal and anal fins, while females are plain brown with a few dark spots. It is kept almost only by specialist killifish breeders who value rare annual species.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7

Smallest tank

20 litres

Keep as

One male with two or three females

Diet

Carnivore: live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworm and mosquito larvae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

Under 1 year

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil: upper Paraná basin around Brasília, Distrito Federal

Breeding

An annual species that lays its eggs into soft substrate such as peat, where they rest through a dry season before they hatch. In captivity the peat is collected and kept damp for several months, then wetted again. It is difficult, and keepers need patience to get the timing right.

Good to know

Threatened in the wild and protected in Brazil, so collecting or exporting it is restricted and legal stock is very rare. It is short lived and does best in a species-only tank.