Lyretail panchax (Aphyosemion australe) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Cape Lopez lyretail, Lyretail panchax, Golden lyretail, Golden panchax, Lyretail killi
Family
Nothobranchiidae (African killifishes)
Origin
Coastal lowlands of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo, around Cape Lopez near the mouth of the Ogooué; lives in permanent swamps and small streams.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
6 cm
Temperature
21–32°C
pH
5.5–7
Hardness
Very soft to medium, 1–10 dGH
Minimum tank
28 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Lifespan
3+ years years

Care

The lyretail is one of the most popular and easily found killifish, and a good first killie. Keep a pair or a trio of one male and two females; a tank with a base of about 45 × 25 cm (around 28 litres) is enough for that. It is a peaceful, rather shy fish rather than a showy community swimmer. A dark substrate brings out the colour, and floating plants to soften the light help the fish feel secure. Add fine-leaved plants or moss and a little wood for cover. Like most killies it jumps very well, so the lid must fit tightly with no gaps around pipes and cables. Seriously Fish gives a wide temperature range of about 21–32 °C, but FishBase quotes 21–24 °C, so a moderate, stable 22–25 °C is a sensible target rather than keeping them hot. Soft, slightly acidic to neutral water (pH about 5.5–7, 1–10 dGH) suits them, though captive-bred fish are adaptable. Males are larger and much more colourful, with extended, lyre-shaped tail tips and pointed dorsal and anal fins; females are smaller, plainer brownish fish with rounded fins. The wild form is a rich brown ('chocolate'). A gold/orange form arose as a spontaneous mutation in the early 1950s and is now the one most often seen; albino and 'spotless' types are also around. Wild-type fish are kept by enthusiasts under locality names from the place they were collected, so keep each population separate and do not cross them with the line-bred colour forms. Kept well, they can live more than three years. FishBase lists it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/aphyosemion-australe/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Aphyosemion-australe.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphyosemionaustrale). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A small micropredator that eats worms, small crustaceans and insect larvae in the wild. Base the diet on small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia and bloodworm; tank-bred fish will usually also take a good-quality flake, but they do best with plenty of live food.

Breeding

A non-annual plant spawner. A small tank (about 30 × 20 × 20 cm is enough) with a pair, soft and slightly acidic water (pH about 6–6.5) at 21–24 °C, and fine-leaved plants, moss or a synthetic spawning mop works well. The female lays some 10–20 eggs a day for around two weeks. Either pick the eggs off the mop and incubate them in a small container of water, where they hatch in roughly 10–20 days (about 14 days at 26 °C), or store them in slightly damp peat for about 18 days and then add water. The fry are big enough to take newly hatched brine shrimp straight away.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and shy, so best in a species tank or with small, calm fish that will not out-compete it at feeding time: small tetras and rasboras, dwarf cichlids, peaceful small catfish and some of the gentler gouramis. Avoid boisterous or fin-nipping species and anything big enough to eat it. Keep just one male per small tank, as males squabble.

Last updated 4 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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