Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri)

Scientific name: Nothobranchius furzeri Jubb, 1971

The Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is a freshwater fish of the family Nothobranchiidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 23–30°C (73–86°F).

Turquoise killifish care at a glance

Temperature: 23–30°C (73–86°F)

Biology

Occurs in temporary pools. Bottom spawner, 5-7 months incubation. Annual species with a lifespan of less than 12 weeks in captivity, suggested to be the shortest lifespan ever reported for a vertebrate; but life span of Eviota sigillata might be even shorter at 59 days at most.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Nothobranchius furzeri
Family: Nothobranchiidae (African rivulines)
Order: Cyprinodontiformes (Live bearers, Killifishes and Rivulines)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 6.5
Environment: Freshwater;; pH range: 6.5 - 7.0; dH range: 4 - 15 benthopelagic; non-migratory
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Africa: Pans in Ghona-re-Zhou Game Reserve in southeastern Zimbabwe. Reported from Save River. Extremely rare and is threatened by habitat destruction and insecticide spraying.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm=0.1)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026