Aphyosemion australe, the lyretail panchax, golden panchax, or Cape Lopez lyretail, is a freshwater fish species belonging to the family Aplocheilidae. This species is widespread in tropical Africa ( Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, Congo ), where it lives in stretches without current of rivers, in streams and marshes. It prefers waters with great plant presence.
A. australis comes in two colors. The wild type is brown and called ‘chocolate’ in the aquarium hobby, and a human-made ‘gold’ form exists, which is orange; this form was spontaneous mutation bred by a Finnish aquarist name Hjerssen in 1952. JJ Scheel in “Rivulins of the World World (TFH PRess, 1970) deleted the pointed out these were not a separate species and deprecated the name Aphyosemion Australe hjersseni.
Males can reach a length of around 6 cm, with females being slightly smaller. The caudal fin is lyre-shaped, which is characteristic of the genus. The females also are less colorful; their body coloration is the brownish tan for the wild form and a light tan for the gold/orange form, and they have rounded fins.
Behavior in a natural habitat:
Aphyosemion Australe mainly populates the coastal region of Gabon and Cameroon. This small fish prefers swamps, ponds, and small streams densely planted with slow or no current. It is a peaceful fish that swims close to the water’s surface in the constant search for insects, larvae, and small invertebrates.
In Aquarium
The Aphyosemion Australe is a small, peaceful, and shy cyprinodontid; it should be raised together with equally peaceful and peaceful roommates in a richly planted medium-small size tank with a dark bottom and soft lighting. The water current inside the tank should be very slow.
Due to the ease of maintenance and breeding in the aquarium, this killifish is considered a favorite for beginners. Aphyosemion australe, also known by the name of killifish, is a reasonably famous fish among the aquarists of half the world. Its relatively small size grows up to 6 cm, and due to the very bright and lively color of the livery.
It is relatively easy to breed, as long as you continuously monitor the water values and the temperature, the true Achilles heel of this fish.
They live very well in temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees. If it were higher, the risk of shortening his life expectancy (on average, two years) is very high.
It can be kept in community aquariums for its calm and peaceful character. The important thing is that the other tenants are about the same size and character.
It can be a valid alternative for those who own a small aquarium (45 liters minimum is the best for a group of small cool fish). His aquarium must consist of a preferably dark-colored bottom, firmly planted to create any hiding places.
Common Names: lyretail panchax, golden panchax, or Cape Lopez lyretail
Origin / Habitat: widespread in tropical Africa
Care Level: Rather Easy
Adult Size: Grow to up to two inches (5-6 cm).
Life: around 2 years
Tank Size: 10 gallon
Water Parameters: the pH of 5.5-7.0
Water Hardness: 18 – 179 ppm
Temperature: Between 70-80 °F or 21-27 °C
Diet
Small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworm, tubiflex, or chironomus are preferred, although because most specimens available are tank bred, it will also accept good quality flake in most cases.
Reproduction
It is not a seasonal killifish, so it has a longer lifespan. The male becomes aggressive with the females, who are often chased; therefore, they tend to hide in the thick vegetation. After this lively courtship, the female agrees to lay the eggs that the male immediately fertilizes, leaving them on the watercourse or delicate aquatic plants’ bottom. They are better confused with the environment and therefore less within the reach of predators. Feeding live foods to the breeders will result in more eggs being produced. The small round and clear eggs (1 mm in diameter) can be collected from the mops and incubated in water; they hatch within 10 to 20 days. Alternatively, they can be stored in damp peat for approximately three weeks at 76°F (25°C), and then the peat is made thoroughly wet, which causes the fry to hatch.
ref. – wiki/Aphyosemion_australe