''Nothobranchius rachovii'', or the bluefin notho, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of freshwater annual
killifish
A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish (including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae and Valenciidae). All together, there are 1,270 species of killifish, the biggest family ...
from
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. It can grow up to 6 cm (2.4").Mongabay Rainbow Nothobranch Accessed 23 January 2010. It is popular among killifish enthusiasts, who raise them from eggs in aquaria.
Description
Aside from the typical orange and blue variant, there is ''Nothobranchius rachovii KNP Black'', which has much darker colors, and was collected from the wild in Kruger National Park,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
in 1984, and ''Nothobranchius rachovii var. Red'', which has a red head with turquoise highlights. The females of all varieties are more neutrally colored. This shows sexual dimorphism among these fish.
Distribution
''Nothobranchius rachovii'' '' sensu stricto'' is found in the floodplain of the lower
Zambezi
The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...
and also in the floodplain of the
Pungwe River
Pungwe River ( pt, Rio Púngoè, links=no or ''Rio Púnguè'') is a long river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It rises below Mount Nyangani in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and then flows southeasteastward through the Manica and Sofala provinces ...
.
Diet
''N. rachovii'' are benthopelagic, feeding on
zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
and other small organisms living at the bottom of the water (
benthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.benthic zone. They lay their eggs in mud as the water level decreases, which preserves them until the water returns.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Bluefin nothos mature in about twelve weeks, live for up to a year or year and a half, then die at the end of the breeding season- which is why they are called “annual” killifish. They are able to have offspring by burying their eggs in the river/ lake bed before their habitat dries up- they live in temporary pools dependent on rainfall. These eggs develop while buried in the mud and then hatch once the pools are refilled with water from rainfall.
In the Aquarium
''N. rachovii'' are of commercial importance, being commonly found in the pet trade. They can be housed in a 40–60 litre (10–15 gallons) aquarium. Males are aggressive toward other males of the same species. They can be kept in a community tank of similar-sized peaceful freshwater tropical fish.
Museum für Naturkunde
The Natural History Museum (german: Museum für Naturkunde) is a natural history museum located in Berlin, Germany. It exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history and in such domain it is one of three major muse ...