Translated by Lella Cimmarrusti 

The Aphyosemion is the most bred species in aquarium by the hobbyist of the entire world. They have recently been object of numerous studies in systematic. Approximately 100 valid species have been described from 1882 to nowadays. Aboriginal of the west from Africa, their area of distribution stretches from Senegal to Angola and towards east up to Zaire. The existence of the killies in this part of Africa is essentially limited to the primary, secondary forest and to the continent. The division zones of the species (limited also to some kms) are determined by the different ecological systems and by geographical barriers. The habitats, extremely diversified, have caused several differentiations in the reproductive methods.

The Aphyosemion species could be divided into three principal groups, according to the average life span: the non-annual, the semi-annual and the annual ones.

It is the largest grouping, as proof that most killies have a long life, typical of biotypes in which the water is present all year long.

Small brooks that flow on a bed of dead leaves and sand mostly represent these water systems. The temperature in the different biotypes varies from 17 to 28 °C.

The eggs, provided with adhesive filament, are laid both on the aquatic plants and on the bottom. These develop in water (but they cannot bear even a small dry period of some week) and they open in 10-20-days, according to the temperature. The sexual maturity is reached after around 4-8 months, according to the species. Some of these species can ever arrive at 4-5 year of life (Diapteron sp.).

For the breeding and the spawning of a pair or a trio you could use little tanks of about 5-10 liters, because the modest dimensions of the subject (for bigger population it is necessary a little tank of 20-30 liters).

The characteristic of the breeding water are not important while for the spawning you need soft water with a pH lower 7 and a temperature around 24 °C for the Aphyosemion of coastal forest and near savannas; lower temperatures, about 20 °C are necessary for the Diatperon species (A. fulgens, A. abacimun, A. cyanosticum, a seegersi), elegans species (A. exiguum, A. elberti, A. dargei), A. joergensheeli and all the Aphyosemion of the camerounense group and of the most inside forests.

As a substratum for the spawn, you could use a “mop” (a 100%% synthetic wool ball with an edge frayed into a fringe) let float and tied up the closed side with a cork or a small container with some fibrous peat as other equipment you could use Microsorium sp., Vesicularia sp. And Anubias sp.

You could add a bottom of not calcareous gravel and a sponge filter running by the air, but those are not necessary if regular water changes are made (besides the mop furnishes a considerable surface for the installation of aerobic bacteria). Lighting must not be intense.

The eggs can be daily collected from the mop (good if it is not light in color in order to easily find the eggs of amber color) by the hands and put in a small container filled with water of the same characteristic of the breeding tank (better the same water). You could also add some peat extract or, for the most difficult species, full of problems, some drop of acriflavine (10mg/liter) to reduce at the minimum the quantity the eggs that could grow mouldy (if this happens you must remove them a soon as you spotted it).

Alternatively you can store the eggs into a small container with some damp peat for around 20 days, then put the peat into water for the hatching (by this method all the eggs hatch contemporarily). The fry accept micro worms and/or newly hatched brine shrimp (for the most problematic species and for the first days you could add some infusorians).

It is advisable to feed the adults on all the type of fresh food drosophilae, enchitraeus, chironomus, brine shrimp, also newly hatched and, for the lesser problematic species also with flake food.

They live in the coastal regions that extend from Cameron to Ghana where the temperature of the water is about 35 – 30 °C, and in some inside zones of Cameron where, however, the temperature of the water is about 19- 24 °C (Raddaella sp.: for example A.batesii). In these zones the water systems never dry completely nor regularly during the year.

The eggs develop in water within about a month (only for some species) on in the peat a period varying from two to three months or more. The sexual maturity is reached in two months and the average life span is around two year.

The dimension of breeding tanks must be greater than those of non-annual the equipment must include many hiding places.

Recommended plants are: Microsorium, Vescicularia, Hydrocotyle, Najas and floating plants since the light must be intense. Because the dimension, but above all the aggressiveness, for the smallest species (A.filamentosum, A.arnoldi, A.walkeri, A.gardneri) you need 10 liters tank (for a pair) while the biggest species and for many pairs you need tanks from 20-50 liters upwards, always employing a good filtering system. As spawning substrate you can use a mop left on the bottom or much better some peat (better if fibrous) placed in a container (not too small). The eggs can be collected weekly, simply extracting the container from the tank, squeeze its content (don not exaggerate) and place it in a plastic bag (leaving a lot of air after closing it).

The various bags are kept in a dark place at 24- 28 °C to incubate for around 1 –2 months (A.gardneri, A.ndianum, A.puerli, A.amieti), while for 2- 3 months or more for the Fundulopanchax, Gularopanchax, Paludopanchax like A.sjoestedti, A.arnoldi, A.filamentosum, A.gulare and A.walkeri.

After the diapause the bags content is put in a small container filled with water of average hardness at 15 °C of temperature. The low temperature favors the creation of enzymes necessary to the hatching.

For spawning purpose the water characteristics aren’t so important however is better to use soft acid water. The temperature must be around 25 °C or little more (for A. batesii lower temperatures, around 18-23 °C are necessary).

For the feeding purpose there isn’t big problems (some species accepts also flake food) but to obtain god spawning result it’ necessary feed them with good quantity of live food or, failing, frozen one.

They come from the coastal savanna of Sierra Leone where the waterways dry up completely once a year.

The vital cycle in nature is less than a year (in captivity they can reach 20 month).

When the water evaporates the damp of the ground protects the eggs laid in the bottom. By this the eggs have time to develop (in around 5-8 months) waiting for the next rain season. The sexual maturity is achieved in few weeks.

The annual species are more aggressive and have bigger dimensions. It’s advisable to put together only one male with one or more females in a tank of 40 liters or more with many hiding places. Two or more males can be bred only in tanks of 80 liters or more. They are extremely tolerant for the water conditions provided that they aren’t extreme (Hardness between 5 - 20 °dGh and pH 6.5 - 7). A good filtering and an accurate cleaning of the tank are necessary because they are more sensitive than other Aphyosemion to the infections and parasites. To avoid or reduce these problems you could add a teaspoon of salt every 1o liters of water and some extract of peat.

For the spawning purpose you could use some peat (the fibrous one) placed in a not too small container inside the tank.

Every 15 days you should collect the peat with the eggs, squeeze and place it in a plastic bag, always with a good quantity of air. The peat will be soaked after around 6 months of incubation at 22-23°C, either for A. occidentalis, A. toddi or A. huwaldi.

To stimulate the hatch you could add some microworms to the water (at around 20 °C).

If well fed, that is if the live food (newly hatched brine shrimp, Cyclops and daphnia) is constantly in the tank, and if the water characteristic are good the small fish begins to spawn after 6-7 weeks. It is useful to add to the fry tank, both annual and non annual, some snail to increase the general hygiene (excellent the Linmees).

The adults accept every type of live or frozen food willingly. Remember to furnish always foods rich in cinders and poor on fats like drosophilae and daphnia to avoid problems of sterility due to fats accumulation.

You can also add to the spawning tank a bottom layer of non-calcareous gravel so the fish can spawn everywhere and to collect the eggs you must carefully inspect all siphon you made.

I hope that this general smattering can be useful to those people who want to undertake the breeding of this magnificent fish.

Remember that the borderline between annual and non-annual is extremely subtle and variable; it has been made only to facilitate the comprehension to the less experienced hobbyist. In addition the life span of annual and non-annual depends mainly on the breeding temperature and food furnished.

The use of Aphyosemion term for these killi is not correct since (according to the last studies on the Fundulopanchax powelli, performed by Zee & Wildekamp in 1994) new valid motivation have drawn aside to separate the group of Fundulopanchax (the semi and annual) from the Aphyosemion (those non annual) because they live in separate and different areas; they have:

·         egg structure

·         post-opercularis neuromastic system

·         opercularis scales disposition

·         skeletal structure

·         position and structure of the bladder

·         position of dorsal fin in regard of the anal

·         number of scales of the caudal peduncle

All these elements demonstrates different evolutions lines

We hope that this terminology, systematically exact, would be applied.