No established common name (Nothobranchius korthausae) (Nothobranchius korthausae) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Family
Nothobranchiidae (African killifishes)
Origin
Endemic to Mafia Island, Tanzania, where it lives in temporary pools, swamps, ditches and small streams.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
5 cm
Temperature
23–26°C
pH
5.8–6.4
Hardness
Soft, 4–6 dGH
Minimum tank
41 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive

Care

An annual killifish from Mafia Island off the Tanzanian coast, named after the German aquarist Edith Korthaus. Males reach about 5 cm in total length. Seriously Fish has no profile for it, so the care notes here use the FishBase figures and general practice for the genus. Keep a pair, or one male with two or three females, in a species tank. Seriously Fish suggests a tank with a 45 × 30 cm base for related Nothobranchius. Use gentle, air-driven filtration, a peat or soft substrate, some plants for cover, and a tight lid, as killifish jump. FishBase gives 23–26 °C, soft water (4–6 dGH) and a slightly acidic pH of about 5.8–6.4. Keep the water clean with regular partial changes, and ask the breeder what conditions their fish are used to. If your fish came with a locality code, keep that population separate and pass the code on with eggs and fish. FishBase and Wikipedia list the species as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, so well-kept, correctly labelled hobby lines are worth looking after. Sources: FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Nothobranchius-korthausae.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothobranchiuskorthausae). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Like other Nothobranchius it is a small predator. Offer small live and frozen foods such as Daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm.

Breeding

An annual killifish. As with other Nothobranchius, offer peat to spawn into, then store the peat damp (not wet) for the eggs to develop before wetting it with shallow water to hatch them. FishBase gives an incubation of 1–3 months; check the eggs for developed eyes before wetting the peat.

Compatibility and tank mates

Best in a species tank. Males fight each other and chase females, so keep one male with two or three females. Avoid mixing with other Nothobranchius, whose females look very similar.

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

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