Lyretail Killifish (Cape Lopez)

Color Variants:

There are two dominant strains in fishkeeping: the original wild "Cape Lopez" (named after the promontory in Gabon where it was discovered) which has a brown/chocolate back, metallic scales and yellow, orange and black banded fins; and the very popular "Gold" strain, a breeding strain created in the 1950s and ubiquitous today, entirely golden orange.

Non-Annual Nature:

Unlike *Nothobranchius*, whose seasonal African pools dry up killing all adults and forcing the eggs to wait in the dry dust for the next rain, the *Aphyosemion* inhabits permanently wet rainforests. Therefore, it does not have the accelerated biological clock of annuals, living a long time.

Shady Setup:

These fish do not like bright light at all. The perfect habitat is a small aquarium (from 30 liters / 8 gallons up) dominated by thick roots of *Microsorum* and mosses, covered almost entirely by floating plants (*Salvinia*, *Phyllanthus*) or dry leaf tannins. If you put them under powerful lights they will hide at the bottom, losing their colors. Motorized filters are superfluous and harmful due to the current they generate; a tiny sponge air filter in a corner is all you need.

Thermal Warning:

Do not heat the water too much. Living under the dense canopy of the Gabonese jungle, they appreciate water around 22°C (72°F). The use of a heater at home is often unnecessary, while in summer you must be careful not to let the aquarium boil, otherwise fatal diseases like Oodinium (Velvet disease) will appear.

The Hermetic Roof:

The most frequent cause of death of Killifish is not illness, but suicide. In nature, they jump from puddle to puddle to colonize new swamps or escape predators. They will jump out of small service holes for tubes and even from the crevices of hang-on-back filters. Seal the lid.