Some species of killies spotted at Tropical Farm

[Roark33]

Hi everyone, and a early happy chinese new year to all.

Was fish farm hopping today with a friend and spotted quite a number of different species of killies for sale in one of the farm. Some beautiful nothos and all, with what seems to be female species available in each of the different tanks of species. Checked with the people there and was told those are indeed the females. My friends bought 2 pairs of killies which was labelled k17 and named Nothobranchius eggersi ( something like that ) but after checking with the pictures available here, finds it looking exactly like Nothobranchius rachovii.

Just wondering if anyone saw them, and if the information was correctly given by the sales people ( kind of sceptical ), and since have no experience with killes at all, thought I might be able to get some answers here.

Cheers, and again, a happy chinese year to all.


Mark

[stormhawk]

Hi Mark, thank you for the information. Apart from that I can't quite tell you what species you have there. What I would require for a tentative identification is some pictures, hopefully clear and sharp enough, which show them in a side profile at least.

There's no known code called K17. If they told you the fish were eggersi, they should have reddish streaks on the sides, if they're the blue forms of eggersi, or a reddish body with shiny sides and white tips to the edge of the dorsal and anal fin, to the best of my knowledge.

I am usually sceptical with what the shops tell me unless it is clearly seen what they are. That said, be wary for the females may not be the proper ones that match with the males in question. Most Notho females look very similar to each other so it is possible that mixing up occurs every now and then. Nevertheless good luck with the fish and keep them as they are.

Last but not least, Happy Chinese New Year to you as well.

[RonWill]

Hi Mark,
Last weekend, my wife bought me a pair of killifish with a vague name. Further references and comparison, here and elsewhere online, point possibly to a male Nothobranchius palmqvisti but mismatched female.

The LFS and their sales people need to realize that naming practices like this, hurt themselves and their suppliers, more than us especially when the killie knowledge-base builds rapidly and they can no longer pull the wool over our eyes.

If it's a nice looking fish, just keep it and enjoy it for whatever it is.

[stormhawk]

Ron, that's a flammicomantis male. Not a palmqvisti male.

[Roark33]

Thanks guys for the clarification. Will try to take a pic of the beautiful fish and post it here for identification help. Though I doubt I will be able to take a good enough picture, as I'm a lousy photog with a ancient digital camera .

My friend and myself have long been fascinated with these beautiful fishes but have never been able to find places that sells females. SO when we chanced upon them in the farm, my friend couldn't resist and bought 2 pairs. He's going to be disappointed if they're really mismatched . I on the other hand, wanted to learn more about them before I get any for myself, and also have my hands full with my cories and shrimps at the moment. But I must say this is a really great site, as everyday I'm learning something new here.

[stormhawk]

Hi Mark, its hard to say whether the pairs are mismatched and neither is it easy to say whether they're properly matched.

In short, the suspicion arises because some suppliers have been known to mix the females in holding tanks because they simply look almost the same to each other.

To be fully sure one has to spawn them and look at the resultant fry. If they grow up to resemble both parents then you're lucky, otherwise you might get hybrid fry that don't look like either parent.

That said, killies are nevertheless, beautiful fish deserving of a place in a planted tank.

[CM Media]

My friends bought 2 pairs of killies which was labelled k17 and named Nothobranchius eggersi ( something like that ) but after checking with the pictures available here, finds it looking exactly like Nothobranchius rachovii.

Hi Mark,

The code K17 is the label tagged by the breeder as a reference code for importers to quote when placing orders. So this code is use by the importer also as a order reference for shops to place thier orders. It's not the population code as we're talking about here.

Do not be mislead by the so called code tagged by the LFS here. Most of the killifish sold by the LFS here are not tagged ( only fishes sold by breeders to LFS are tagged) as all are term as commercial imports.