福氏假鳃鮰

Overview

An annual killifish from eastern Tanzania, Nothobranchius foerschi carries its population through the dry season as resistant eggs. Confirmed records center on the Ruvu and its delta rather than every locality named in historical accounts.

Distribution & habitat

Described from Soga west of Dar es Salaam, it may be confined to a small part of the Ruvu catchment toward Bagamoyo. A historical Rufiji record is disputed. Habitats are temporary pools, depressions, and swamps on lowland floodplains, often thickly overgrown by terrestrial vegetation.

Aquarium setup

A pair still needs at least a 45 by 30 cm footprint for normal maintenance; smaller quarters serve only temporary spawning isolation. Peat is optional for adult care but commonly used as a spawning medium.

Diet & feeding

The diet is based on tiny animal prey. Supply small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia, Artemia, and chopped bloodworms as the staple.

Sexual dimorphism

Males are larger and substantially more colorful than females.

Breeding

Adults die as seasonal pools dry, leaving eggs in the substrate until rain returns roughly five to six months later. Fry grow rapidly and may mature at about three weeks; typical aquarium life spans are one to two years. Captive eggs are commonly stored for around three months before wetting.

Fry are susceptible to Oodinium. Some aquarists use a little marine salt as a precaution, but this practice is not evidence of an obligatory brackish habitat.

Notes

Collection locality, year, and code help keep wild-derived lines distinct. A yellower aquarium strain exists, but color alone is not a substitute for lineage records.