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Spotted killifish (Nothobranchius kuhntae) — Nothobranchiidae

Spotted killifish

Nothobranchius kuhntae

The Spotted killifish (Nothobranchius kuhntae) is a fish of the family Nothobranchiidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
10 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The spotted killifish is a small annual killifish (Nothobranchiidae) from temporary pools of the coastal plain around Beira in Mozambique; FishBase treats the species under Nothobranchius orthonotus. The species grows to about 10 cm; males are bright red to brownish-red with a network of dark scale edges, females plain grey-brown. It lives in rain pools that dry out in the dry season: the adults die, but the eggs survive dry in the mud and hatch with the next rains. It eats insect larvae, small crustaceans and worms. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Spotted killifish?

The Spotted killifish is mainly red-orange and shows a marbled pattern.

Where does the Spotted killifish live?

The Spotted killifish is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Spotted killifish get?

The Spotted killifish grows to a maximum of about 10 cm. On average the species is around 6 cm.

Is the Spotted killifish dangerous to humans?

No, the Spotted killifish is harmless to humans.

Is the Spotted killifish edible?

The Spotted killifish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Beira-prachtgrondel sourced
English name
Spotted killifish sourced
Scientific name
Nothobranchius kuhntae
Family
Nothobranchiidae
Other names
Nothobranchius orthonotus sourced

Appearance

Max length (cm)
10.0 verified
Average length (cm)
6.0 sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Pattern
Marbled sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Nothobranchius

More from the family Nothobranchiidae

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