Killifish / Aphanius dispar / How to Hatch & Breed Arabian Killifish eggs

Hatching and Breeding the Arabian Aphanius dispar Killifish

How to Hatch & Breed Aphanius dispar / Arabian Killifish

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Scientific name: Aphanius dispar dispar (Rüppell; 1829)

Synonyms: Alphaniops cilensis, Aphaniops darrorensis, Aphaniops dispar, Aphaniops zaccarinii, Aphanius airebejensis, Aphanius cilensis, Aphanius darrorensis, Aphanius foemina, Aphanius lunatus, Aphanius stoliczkanus, Aphanius velifer, Aphanius zaccarinii, Cyprinodon cilensis, Cyprinodon darrorensis, Cyprinodon dispar, Cyprinodon lunatus, Cyprinodon stoliczkanus, Cyprinodon zaccarinii, Cyprinus leuciscus, Lebias dispar, Lebias lunatus, Lebias velifer

Common name: Arabian Killifish / Arabian Toothcarp

Group: Killifish

Habitat: Africa and Asia; coastlines of the Red Sea: Egypt, Israel, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and western Saudi Arabia; the Arabian Gulf: Somalia, Yemen and Oman; the Persian Gulf: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Iran

Size: up to 8 cm

Biotope: They live in very shallow streams and pools of water alont the coastal regions. The water is normally thick with algae growth. Because of the opportunistic nature of this species it can adapt to extreme variations in water quality and temperature. Found in both fresh and salty water.

Social behavior: Although this is a peaceful and shy fish, males can be aggresive towards one another. Best kept in trios or small shoals. Their specialized water requirements are such, that its best if they are kept in a species only tank.

Diet: Omnivorous; In the wild they consume large volumes of fine algaes but in the fishtank you can feed with both live and frozen fish foods. Supplement their diet with spirulina flake or algae wafers. 

Breeding: Requires some knowledge of killifish spawning behaviour / Very easy

Tank: Minimum 60 litres

Population: Trio 1 male / and 2-3 females for 80 litres or small group for larger tanks.

Decoration: Provide a lot of dark green floating mops that hang all the way down to the base. This mimics their spawning sites in the wild where they will deposit eggs between the gravel and heavily algae overgrown ponds and streams. While some breeders use a lot of moss, this makes it very difficult to collect the eggs.

Temperature: 15-30 °C

pH: 7.5-9

Hardness: 15-35 NK°

Lifespan: 3-5 years