Canberra Killifish Study Group

Fundulopanchax sjoestedti - Blue Gularis

by Serkan Alasya

This month the killifish in focus is Fundulopanchax sjoestedti the Blue Gularis. This killifish has been available through hobbyist and wholesalers semi-regularly since early 90's. It is fairly certain that sjoestedti was also widely available in the decades previously. Though as with all killifish widely available meaning, the fish are around if you look hard enough and prepared to wait for months, you might get a pair!!!

This attractive species can grow upto 14cm in length, as such it is one of the largest killifish available in Australia. This African killifish is found in Nigeria and Cameroon.

What's in a name?

One of the most challenging things about Killifish keeping is actually keeping up with the name changes!

In some old publications you'll see this fish named as Aphyosemion coeruleum. Also before the genus Fundulopanchax was given emphasis by Parenti (1981), the fish was called Aphyosemion sjoestedti. Currently the name this kilifish goes under is; as in the title, Fundulopanchax sjoestedti.

In Australia we had the normal or aquarium strain sjoestedti as well as the 'dwarf red' sjoestedti as well. The Dwarf red strain is smaller in size and the red colour on the body is more intense.

Feeding

In the past it was recommended that these killies should only be fed live foods since it was the only way to keep them alive! (Axelrod, 1971). Even if this statement was ever true, today your sjoestedti will eat any food you can feed it.

I feed my sjoestedti powder, flake and granule prepared dry foods as well as the occasional frozen and live foods. Of course if you are conditioning your fish for breeding frozen and live foods will increase the egg production. You'll still get eggs from high quality dry foods as well.

Breeding

To breed sjoestedti sinking breeding mops is all that is needed. The males are strong drivers so make sure the breeding tank is not too small and the female has hiding spots if she needs it. A pair in breeding condition will spawn a few eggs per day, but if you'd like a number of eggs to incubate together condition the breeders seperately. Put the pair into the spawning tank with numerous sinking spawning mops and you'll get dozens of eggs within a few hours to a day.

sjoestedti can also be spawned over gravel or peat moss.

The eggs are better incubated over moist peat. Remove the unfertilized eggs during the first few days as they'll go milky white and easy to spot over the peat moss. Incubation time varies depending on temperature and the moisture of the peatmoss. The fry can be ready to hatch as soon as 3 weeks from spawning but quite often longer incubation period will be required. Look for the eye ring of the developing fry in the eggs, if it is nice and shinny the fry is ready to hatch.

Previous Months

June 2007 - Epiplatys sexfasciatus
March 2007 - Aphyosemion scheeli
August 2006 - Chromaphyosemion splendopleure
July 2006 - Fundulopanchax sjoestedti
June 2006 - Pseudoepiplatys annulatus
May 2006 - Fundulopanchax gardneri Akure
April 2006 - Fundulopanchax nigerianus Jos Plateau

Canberra Killifish Study Group

Killifish in Focus July 2006

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Fundulopanchax sjoestedti - Blue Gularis

What's in a name?