Order Cyprinodontiformes
Superfamily Cyprinodontoidae
Family Nothobranchiidae
Continued…
Genus Aphyosemion. A.
— Aphyosemion abacinum [Huber 1976] — Cherry Diapteron. Code: ABA. Synonym: Diapteron abacinum. Gabon. 3.5 cm. Cherry-colored with blue speckles on the body and fins. Tail with an ash-blue border along the edge. Female is grey-brown. Best kept in a spacious, planted, species-specific aquarium. Can be kept with peaceful fish of the same size. Do not keep with large predatory fish. Adapts quickly to new conditions, prefers shallow tanks with a large surface area, featuring islands of dense vegetation (including floating plants), dark substrate, and a dark background. Do not like strong currents. It should be remembered that this is a typically insectivorous fish: it only takes floating or falling food well, and rarely and reluctantly picks it up from the bottom. pH 5.5-7.0.
— Aphyosemion ahli [Myers, 1933] — Ahl’s Lyretail. Code: AHL. Synonym: Aphyosemion calliurum ahli. (English – Ahl’s Lyretail). Western Cameroon, inhabit standing or slow-flowing swampy waters. 6 cm. Non-seasonal species. The male is brightly colored, very similar to A. australe, but differs in a darker body background and some color details. The male is green to green-blue, sometimes with a red tint. On the lateral part of the head and on the gill cover there are W-shaped red strokes, on the front part of the body there are rows of red dots, and on the back part – transverse strokes.
The anal fin and the lower part of the caudal fin have a rich yellow border, the middle part of the caudal fin is blue with red dots or transverse strokes. The upper and lower ends of the caudal fin, as well as the ends of the dorsal and anal fins, are pointed. The female is grey-brownish with rows of reddish dots on the side and near the bases of the fins. The male is brightly colored, but somewhat darker and larger than the female.
Relatively peaceful in a community of similar species. Males are very aggressive, fighting both among themselves and with other killifish. The strongest male swims up to the food first and gets satiated. They require live food. A planted aquarium with open swimming space and shelters made of driftwood. Prefer lower and middle water layers. Slightly acidic medium-hard water is needed, which should be soft when breeding. Regularly replace a small portion of the water. Sexual maturity at 2-3 months. Eggs can be laid both on plants and in the substrate, or on the roots of floating plants if the substrate is coarse. Water is slightly acidic, medium hardness 4-12°. pH 6.0-7.0; T 20-23°C.
— Aphyosemion aureum [Radda 1980] — Golden killi. (English – Golden killi). Africa, southern Gabon, small freshwater bodies (ditches, swamps, streams) with a fast current. 5 cm. Body elongated, forehead flattened. Mouth superior. Body orange-yellow, with a violet shimmer when light falls on it. Throat is red, gill covers are pink. Two transparent-red horizontal stripes begin behind the gills and end at the pelvic fins. Pectoral fins are orange-yellow. Males are brightly colored, their unpaired fins are elongated. Females are colored much paler.
Aquarium with dense plant thickets, including floating ones, covered with a lid on top. They need space for swimming; driftwood and grottoes can be placed in the aquarium. Can be kept in a community aquarium. It is better to keep one male and several females. In cramped aquariums, males can become aggressive towards each other. Substrate of peat crumbs and fine dark sand, 2 cm thick. Diffused lighting. Old, peaty water, weekly 20% water change. Changes should be done gradually, as a sharp change in water parameters can lead to shock and death of Aphyosemion. They eat live foods; not all Aphyosemion eat dry food. Sexual maturity at a length of 4 cm. Golden Aphyosemion have fairly robust health. Lifespan 1-2 years. Temperature: 18-24°C; dH 4-12°; pH 5.8-7.2, presence of salt (1-2 tsp per 10 liters of water).
— Aphyosemion australe [Rachow, 1921] — Cape Lopez Lyretail, Lyretail Killifish. Code: AUS. Synonym: Panchax polychromus. (English – Cape Lopez Lyretail, Lyretail Killifish, Lyre Tailed Panchax, Golden Lyretail Panchax, Orange Lyretail). West Africa, Congo, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon. 5-7 cm. Non-seasonal species. Body elongated (slightly compressed laterally), forehead flattened. Mouth superior. There are several color forms. The back of the males is greenish-brown, the body ranges from brownish-yellow to brownish-orange, with many small red spots scattered across the body and head.
Lyretail caudal fin is blue with red dots on top, its upper and lower edges are orange with a red-purple border on the bottom, and the elongated outer rays are white. Elongated dorsal and anal fins are yellow-red, have a blue and white border, and a dark stripe on the anal fin. Pectoral fins are translucent. There are both natural and artificially bred color varieties of this fish. Albino, golden, orange (synonym Aphyosemion australe hjerresensii), and red-orange forms are known. Breeders have developed a yellow variety of this Aphyosemion, but with less contrasting coloration than the original species.
Males are colored red-orange with a scattering of cherry-colored dots and strokes of various sizes (in the yellow form, the dots are less pronounced). The belly is more yellow, strewn with many dark red specks. Unpaired fins are the same color as the body, with a cherry stripe running closer to their base. In the offspring, individuals with tiger coloration of either just the dorsal or both the dorsal and anal fins can be found. Such fish grow faster, but in fights males usually lose to standard-colored specimens.
Pectoral and pelvic fins are bright orange, anal fin is orange at the base with a purple border and a white tip, dorsal fin is greenish-yellow with red specks, a violet border, and also a white tip. The caudal fin is lyrate, elongated into two filaments, the upper rays are yellow, the lower ones are orange, both with white tips. Along their inner edge run cherry stripes on an orange background, on its blue central rays there are red specks and a purple border. The rear edge of the tail resembles perforation on postage stamps.
Cherry-red dots are scattered across the gray-yellowish body. Reddish gills show through the gill covers. Fins are smoothly rounded. Males are larger than females. Females have a lighter brown coloration with single red spots, without stripes. Her fins are round, weakly and uniformly colored. At night, the coloration of Aphyosemion darkens, and the fish become almost black.
Schooling fish, hierarchical relationships form among them. Within a small school of fish, the most energetic (usually not the largest) male stands out as the “leader”. He is more active in feeding, usually stays close to the spawning substrate, and fertilizes all approaching females that typically stay nearby. Other males stay away; occasionally one of the males tries to approach the spawning site, but a fight immediately ensues, which, as a rule, is won by the same “leader”. If the “leader” is defeated, his coloration fades, and for a few days he loses his appetite, staying in some shaded spot away from all other fish. Then he “recovers”, joins the school, and behaves just like the other males. The new “leader” behaves similarly to his predecessor.
Calm, peaceful fish, well suited for keeping in mixed aquariums with calm, small, peaceful fish. Do not keep with slow-moving fish that have long fins. They are best kept in a species aquarium. Floating plants on the water surface will not be superfluous. They prefer to stay in the upper and middle water layers. Swimming space is required, along with dense vegetation along the side and back walls, driftwood, and bushes of Java moss as shelters. Lighting should be subdued, and shaded areas must be created. The fish are prone to jumping and do not like fresh water. They prefer standing, old, peaty water. Weekly 20% water change. Cases of Aphyosemion death at pH 7.0 have been reported.
Keeping them at a higher temperature shortens the lifespan of the fish. At temperatures above 26°C, they try to stay closer to the bottom. They prefer live food and are indifferent to dry food. Common salt is added to the water for prophylaxis (1 teaspoon per 10 liters). Mature in 4 months. Spawning is in pairs or groups (1 male to 2-4 females), eggs are laid on plants. Reproduction is uncomplicated but requires experience. Perhaps the most frequently hybridized species of this genus. As a result, many color forms have been obtained, each with a more or less bright red or orange coloration with varying numbers of red spots. Lifespan 2-3 years. dH 2-10°, pH 6.2-6.5; T 20-23°C.
Identification: Cape Lopez Lyretail — Aphyosemion australe.
Aphyosemion bitaeniatum, bivittatum, bualanum, buytaerti.
Care of fishes of the genus Aphyosemion. 
