Species Profile | Images | Breeding Report | Similar Species

back to the killifish index

How to look after
Aphyosemion australe
Cape Lopez lyretail, Lyretailed killifish
(Rachow) 1921

The 'gold' strain of Aphyosemion australe
more images here

(Other members of the genus Aphyosemion)

ADULT SIZE: 6 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Not critical

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 23-28 C

FOOD: Feed Aphyosemion australe small live-foods and fine grade dried foods. All killifish appreciate livefoods, either living or frozen.

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Congo (DRC), Gabon, Angola, Congo (Rep.)

SEXUAL DIFFERENCES: Males are brightly coloured with fin filaments. Females are a pale grey/brown.

AQUARIUM CARE: This is probably the worlds favourite killifish. It is easy to keep (if kept alone or with gentle fish), usually easy to breed, and a stunning addition to a dark well planted aquarium. The most common 'gold' or 'orange' strain is actually a line bred albino, and does not occur in the wild, but what a beautiful fish!

Killifish can be timid, and generally do best in a species tank

BREEDING: An easy mop spawner. This species will also breed in small numbers in a well-planted, well-fed tank. Failure to breed the species is usually a result of too-young parents, rather than environmental factors. Breeding may be easier in softer, more acidic water, but they will breed in most non-extreme conditions

Have you bred Aphyosemion australe? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Aphyosemion australe breeding reports

Aphyosemion australe
Cape Lopez lyretail, Lyretailed killifish

The 'gold' strain of Aphyosemion australe

Aphyosemion australe
Cape Lopez lyretail, Lyretailed killifish
breeding notes

BREEDING: An easy mop spawner. This species will also breed in small numbers in a well-planted, well-fed tank. Failure to breed the species is usually a result of too-young parents, rather than environmental factors. Breeding may be easier in softer, more acidic water, but they will breed in most non-extreme conditions

Have you bred Aphyosemion australe? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience! 1 breeder has filled in a breeding report, a summary of which is shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here. To add details of your experiences of Aphyosemion australe, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.
Would Aphyosemion australe be a good addition to a community tank? Never Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish Only with species of similar size Yes, a good community fish	How would you describe the disposition of Aphyosemion australe? Very timid Slightly timid Neutral Somewhat aggresive on occasions Very aggressive
In which water conditions do you keep these fish? Very soft and acidic Moderately soft and acidic Neutral Moderately hard and alkaline Very hard and alkaline	At what average temperature? 10-15°C 16-19°C 20-23°C 24-27°C 28°C+
What, if any is the biggest difficulty encountered when breeding these fish? Poor egg production Poor egg survival Poor fry survival rate Deformities Skewed sex ratio	How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Aphyosemion australe? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered. Almost all males Somewhat male heavy Roughly equal Somewhat female heavy Almost all females
In general, how difficult is Aphyosemion australe to keep and breed? Very easy Easy Average Difficult Very difficult

Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences