Just for Fun …
Nothing says that keeping killifish has to be boring. Recently Paul Raymond presented a series of questions to the members of the (electronic) killifish mailing list, and received a number of replies to each question, including those given below.
What is the biggest killie?
Nothobranchius ocellatus. Theywill reach up to 10-12 inches in the wild (Bob Morenski). Cynolebias elongatus (reputed to reach 30 cm). Aphyosemion sjoestedti
What is the smallest killie?
Fundulosoma thierryi (Bob Morenski). Diapteron species (Alan Smallbone). Foerschicthys flavvipinnis (Richard Sexton). Plesiolebias aruana fry (Cal Hin)
How long can the longest-surviving annual eggs survive?
Two plus years (Bob Morenski). Unknown. I’ve seen N. guentheri last a year. My guess is two seasons. I’m just assuming that if (in the wild) the rains don’t come one year, a few eggs hatch if they come the year after. (Richard Sexton). Cynolebias magnificus – two years and still clear. (Cal Hin). Didn’t Scheel report that he kept C. nigripinnis eggs anaerobic for three years before drying the peat (thereby allowing the eggs to start development) and hatching viable fry? (Eric Lund)
What is the most colorful killie?
A good strain of N. rachovii is hard to beat. (Bob Morenski). Hardly an objective answer: N. rachovii? A. ogoense 24/18? (Richard Sexton). C. magnificus, C. fulminantis, C. sp. Shoelzel. (Cal Hin)
What is the most colorful female killie?
Cynolebias zonatus? (Bob Morenski). Maybe N. fuscotaeneatus (Alan Smallbone). Epiplatys annulatus (Richard Sexton)
What is the most violent killie, in terms of others of that species?
N. ocellatus, hands down. In nature, there are never more than 5 or 6 per pool, yet adults lay 30 to 60 eggs per day. Fry have to be separated at birth. They also classify as the worst egg eaters of any annual species. (Bob Morenski). Cynolebias melanotaneia (Richard Sexton). Cynolebias prognathus (Cal Hin). I think you’ve forgotten the meanest, nastiest spud on the face of the planet, Fundulopanchax gulare. They have to be raised in the dark. If they have light, they bet on each other until the light goes off. A fried and I saved only two (a male and a female) from a spawn of 150. It’s no wonder they have to be prolific. (Jim Robinson).
— G.C.K.A. Newsletter, Sept/Oct 1998