Order Cyprinodontiformes
Superfamily Cyprinodontoidae
Family Cyprinodontidae
Subfamily Cyprinodontinae
Genus Aphanius
Genus synonyms: Anatolichthys; Apyaniops; Turkichthys. Inhabit various types of water bodies in the coastal zones of the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, ranging from Morocco and Spain to Somalia and India inclusive. Some Aphanius species inhabit the waters of Anatolia (Turkey); these species have been isolated from the sea for about a million years due to the Taurus Mountains. Successfully feed on live, dry, and vegetable foods (including algae).
Males are generally brighter than females. A pair of fish requires 15 liters. They feed on live and frozen foods. Mature at about 7 months of age. Phytophils. Water temperature for maintenance is 20-25°C, although some species can withstand temperature drops to 10-16°C and short-term increases up to 32°C. Salt is required in the aquarium. Hardness 8-25°, pH not lower than 7, salinity 2-35%.
— Aphanius anatoliae [Leidenfrost, 1912] — Anatolian killifish. Code: sds. Synonyms: Lebias anatoliae; Anatolichthys burdurensis; Cyprinodon lykaoniensis. Turkey, 6 cm. Highly variable in coloration depending on the place of origin. Light silver with 6-10 grayish-black transverse stripes and one or more stripes in the caudal fin. Anal fin yellow with a thin black edge. The dorsal fin crest becomes black during the spawning period, with a lighter band at its base.
Depending on the place of origin, the number and width of vertical stripes in males can vary. Female is brownish with a marbled pattern of spots, with a round black spot at the tail base. Subspecies: A. anatoliae splendens, A. anatoliae transgrediens. Their interesting behavior and continuous activity make them fascinating aquarium inhabitants. Dominant males have more intense coloration, forming temporary territories that they defend against competitors. Does not like acidic water. T 10-25°C.
— Aphanius apodus [Gervais, 1853] — Atlas killifish. Code: APO. Synonyms: Lebias apodus; Tellia apoda. Northeastern Algeria — freshwater habitats, streams, springs, and ponds densely overgrown with aquatic vegetation and filamentous algae. These fish lack pelvic fins, hence the Latin species name “apodus”, which means “footless” in Latin. 5 cm. Both sexes have a clearly pronounced lower jaw that is significantly raised upwards. Coloration varies somewhat depending on the population.
Males have bright yellow flanks with 6-8 vertical stripes from the gill covers to the dorsal fin, turning into small, irregularly distributed spots towards the caudal base. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are also yellowish at the base with iridescent speckling, bordered first by a broad dark blue, then by a narrower peripheral yellow or bluish margin. Dominant specimens are always colored more brightly. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced; females differ significantly from males in appearance. Females are larger than males and much more modestly colored, with a series of dark spots on the flanks and completely transparent fins.
It is best to keep them in a group of 1 male to 2-3 females. Males are not aggressive towards each other, so keeping several males in one aquarium is not a problem. Fish are best kept not in general community tanks, but in small species aquariums. These should be shaded water bodies with a soft, dark substrate. Floating surface plants are very good. Sand or gravel on the bottom is not mandatory, but substrate will not hurt. The fish does not require intensive water filtration and aeration. It cannot tolerate acidic water; the aquarium water should be brackish, calculated at 1-2 grams of pure sea salt per liter of water. Partial weekly water changes are recommended.
In the aquarium, they can be gradually accustomed to all kinds of dry foods, but as with any fish, live or frozen foods are preferred. Aphanius readily eat Artemia, Daphnia, Cyclops, or bloodworms. Males define a temporary territory, which they protect from rivals while trying to entice females to spawn. Females spawn singly or in very small batches, attaching eggs to algae, Java moss, or an acrylic spawning mop using very fine threads. pH 7.0-9.0; dH 15-30°; T 18-28°C.
— Aphanius arakensis [Teimori, Esmaeili, Gholami, Zarei & Reichenbacher, 2012] — Arak killifish. Synonym: Aphanius sp. “Namak River”. (English: Arak Tooth Carp). Code: APO. Northern Iran — freshwater habitats. 4 cm, females are larger. Males feature rows of silvery vertical stripes on the posterior part of the body, with dark spots at the base of the dorsal and anal fins. The caudal fin sometimes has 2-3 light spots.
The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins have a white border, the front rays of the dorsal fin are dark, and the pectoral and pelvic fins are yellowish. Females have relatively large spots on the flanks in the middle and posterior parts of the body, and all fins are whitish. Dominant specimens display more intense coloration.
The most important aspect is creating visual broken lines in the aquarium. Males form temporary territories, which they defend against rivals while trying to entice females to spawn. Females and subdominant males should be provided with hiding places to rest from aggressive alpha males during the spawning season. Their aggressive spawning behavior makes community tank maintenance impossible.
They should be kept in a group at a ratio of one male to 2-3 females. Can be kept outdoors in garden ponds during the summer. They accept dry foods, but regular feeding with small live or frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia, or bloodworms, with the addition of vegetable matter, is mandatory. They live up to 3 years. pH 7.0-8.5; T 18-28°C.
— Aphanius danfordii [Boulenger, 1890] — Danford’s killifish. Synonym: Aphanius chanterei. Southwestern Turkey, Anatolia. 5 cm. Males are highly variable in coloration depending on the place of origin. Light silver with 9-13 wide gray-black transverse stripes on the body and 3 stripes on the caudal fin. Anal fin yellow with 2-3 stripes and a thin black edge. Dorsal fin becomes black with light spots at the base during spawning. Female is larger, brownish with a marbled pattern of dark spots, a round black spot on the caudal peduncle, and a pale brownish dorsal fin.
Males form temporary territories that they defend against competitors. Can be kept with peaceful fish of the same size. Must not be kept with large predatory fish. Floating plants at the water surface are beneficial. Accept dry foods; regular feeding with small live or frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia, or bloodworms is mandatory. Temperature 10-30°C; pH 7.0-9.0.
— Aphanius dispar dispar [Ruppel, 1828] — Mother of pearl killifish. Code: DIS. Synonym: Lebias dispar. (English: Mother of Pearl Killi). Africa. The most widely distributed member of the genus along the coasts of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, the Persian Gulf, extending to Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula. 7 cm. This fish typically has an elongated yet very robust body, giving the impression of a rather large and powerful fish, almost circular in cross-section, up to 1.5 cm in diameter. The species is widely distributed, and its coloration and pattern may vary depending on locality.
The main coloration is brownish-bluish, with light blue (silvery) speckles on the anterior part of the body. These speckles merge towards the tail, forming blue vertical stripes. The caudal fin features 2-3 dark blue stripes. Dorsal and anal fins are elongated. Males already display a bright blue color at a length of 1.5-2 cm. Females exhibit a series of variable dark spots or stripes on the flanks. When frightened or stressed, they fade. Known subspecies include: — A. dispar darrorensis from Somalia; — A. dispar richardsoni (Code: RIC) from the Dead Sea; and — A. dispar stoliczkanus from Pakistan.
Females and non-dominant males must be provided with sufficient hiding places from energetic school leaders during the spawning period. Java moss and other fine-leaved vegetation are necessary for this. If the tank is small, oppressed males may only find refuge in hiding places or corners of the aquarium; they are kept away from food, weaken, and eventually perish. Adding a few algae-covered stones will assist reproduction.
Regular water changes are necessary, and filtration should not be too strong. Primarily a brackish water species, although they can live in both freshwater and saltwater. Try to determine the origin of your fish, as some live in freshwater and others in brackish environments. Its specific water requirements make it a poor choice for a general community aquarium. pH 7.5-9.0; dH 15-30°; T 5-30°C.
— Aphanius fasciatus [Valenciennes, 1821] — Striped killifish, Corsican toothcarp. Code: fts. Synonyms: Poecilia calaritana; Lebias fasciatus; Cyprinodon moseas. Mediterranean coast except Spain and Morocco, freshwater and brackish habitats. 6 cm, females slightly smaller. Moderately elongated body, slightly compressed laterally, with a flat head on top. Small mouth opening directed obliquely upwards. Jaws with small teeth. Scales large. Highly variable in coloration depending on origin.
Males range from olive-brown to gray-blue with 9-15 dark transverse stripes on the flanks, back is blue-green, belly whitish with a silvery sheen. Unpaired fins are yellow or yellow-orange, dorsal fin with black first rays, anal fin with blue streaks. Caudal fin with a wide dark band. Females are brown, gray-green with indistinct narrow stripes; fins are almost colorless to light gray.
In the aquarium, it swims in the middle water layers. Females and non-dominant males must be provided with sufficient hiding places from energetic school leaders during the spawning period. Java moss and other fine-leaved vegetation are necessary for this. Substrate is not required. Temperature 16-25°C, salinity 2-5%. It is beneficial to add magnesium sulfate and iodine to the water (one drop per 30 liters). pH 6.5-7.5; dH 8-10°.
Identification: Genus Aphanius
Aphanius iberus, mento, saourensis, villwocki, vladykovi.
Orestias ispi, Cubanichthys cubensis, Cubanichthys pengelleyi. 
