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Bruening's killi (Scriptaphyosemion brueningi) — Nothobranchiidae

Bruening's killi

Scriptaphyosemion brueningi
LC · Least Concern

The Bruening's killi (Scriptaphyosemion brueningi) is a freshwater fish of the family Nothobranchiidae that grows up to 6 cm.

Length
6 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

Bruening's killi is a small, colourful killifish from coastal streams of Sierra Leone and Guinea in West Africa. The species grows to about 6 cm; males are handsomely coloured with red spots and blue and yellow tones in the fins, females inconspicuous brownish. It lives in calm, shaded forest brooks and swamps and eats small zooplankton and insect larvae. The fish is harmless to humans, occurs in the aquarium trade and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bruening's killi?

The Bruening's killi has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly multicoloured and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Bruening's killi live?

The Bruening's killi lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Bruening's killi get?

The Bruening's killi grows to a maximum of about 6 cm. On average the species is around 5 cm.

Is the Bruening's killi dangerous to humans?

No, the Bruening's killi is harmless to humans.

Is the Bruening's killi edible?

The Bruening's killi is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bruenings killivis verified
English name
Bruening's killi verified
Scientific name
Scriptaphyosemion brueningi
Family
Nothobranchiidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
6.0 verified
Average length (cm)
5.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Multicoloured sourced
Pattern
Spots 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

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native verified

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 sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Scriptaphyosemion

More from the family Nothobranchiidae

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