A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish, including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae and Valenciidae. All together, there are 1,270 species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species. As an adaptation to living in ephemeral waters, the eggs of most killifish can survive periods of partial dehydration. Many of the species rely on such a diapause, since the eggs would not survive more than a few weeks if entirely submerged in water. The adults of some species, such as Kryptolebias marmoratus, can additionally survive out of the water for several weeks. Most killies are small fish, from 2.5 to 5 centimetres, with the largest species growing to just under 15 centimetres (6 in).
The blue panchax or whitespot is a common freshwater fish found in a large variety of habitats due to its high adaptability. This species is native to southern Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia. It has been discovered in two hot springs in Singapore. Identified by a white-coloured spot on its head, the species can reach up to 9 cm (3.5 in) in length; it tends to keep to the surface of the water, and controls the mosquito population by feeding on their larvae.
The flathead grey mullet is an important food fish species in the mullet family Mugilidae. It is found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Its length is typically 30 to 75 centimetres. It is known with numerous English names, including the flathead mullet, striped mullet, black mullet, bully mullet, common mullet, grey mullet, sea mullet and mullet, among others.
Upeneichthys lineatus, also known as the blue-striped mullet, blue-lined goatfish. blue-striped goatfish, blue-spotted goatfish and blue striped red mullet, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a goatfish from the family Mullidae. It is native to the Pacific coast of Australia. It occurs in sheltered areas over rocky and sandy substrates and can be found 5 to 100 metres, though rarer below 40 metres (130 ft). This species can reach a length of 40 centimetres (16 in) FL. This species is commercially important.
Aplocheilus is a genus of killifish in the family Aplocheilidae. Their native range is in South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to Vietnam and Malaysia, and from Nepal to Sri Lanka. Several species, especially the striped panchax, A. lineatus, are important aquarium fishes.
Pachypanchax playfairii, the golden panchax, is a species of Aplocheilid killifish, the only species of freshwater fish endemic to the Seychelles, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, east of Tanzania. It is the only member of its genus found outside of Madagascar. Within the Seychelles it is found only on the granitic islands. Here it occurs in small freshwater and brackish water streams, feeding on worms, crustaceans, insects and fish. An egg scatterer, the golden panchax breeds amongst floating water plants. This species is unusual in that the scales of the male become lifted during the breeding season, giving the skin a rough appearance. Unlike the true annual killifish, they live as long as similar fishes, a few years, 3 years is not uncommon 5 is unknown.
Plotosus is a genus of eeltail catfishes native to the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean and New Guinea.
The spotted killifish is a small, short lived species of fish, an African rivuline from the family Nothobranchiidae. These fish are native to many isolated freshwater pools located in the savannah depressions of east Africa, specifically Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. This species of fish occurs in ephemeral waters and killifish eggs can survive long periods of dehydration. The word killifish likely comes from the Dutch kil for kill.
The striped nothobranch is a species of freshwater fish of East Africa, belonging to the family Aplocheilidae.
The blue lyretail, also known as the Gardner's killi and formerly as the steel-blue aphyosemion. It is a species of killifish endemic to freshwater habitats in Nigeria and Cameroon.
The striped killifish, also called the striped mummichog, is a North American species of fundulid killifish. It lives in salt and brackish waters in shallow coastal regions from New Hampshire to Florida, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Diademichthys lineatus, commonly known as the long-snout clingfish or urchin clingfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiesocidae.
Acanthurus lineatus, the lined surgeonfish, is a member of the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes. Other common names include blue banded surgeonfish, blue-lined surgeonfish, clown surgeonfish, pyjama tang, striped surgeonfish, and zebra surgeonfish.
The Ceylon killifish (Aplocheilus dayi) is a species of killifish endemic to Sri Lanka. This species grows to a length of 9 cm (3.5 in). Males and females have a black dot at the rear end of the base of the dorsal fin. The females lay 50–150 eggs. The specific name of this fish honours the Inspector-General of Fisheries in India Francis Day (1829-1889), who first reported this fish, although he identified it as Aplocheilus panchax.
Surface wave detection by animals is the process by which animals, such as surface-feeding fish are able to sense and localize prey and other objects on the surface of a body of water by analyzing features of the ripples generated by objects' movement at the surface. Features analyzed include waveform properties such as frequency, change in frequency, and amplitude, and the curvature of the wavefront. A number of different species are proficient in surface wave detection, including some aquatic insects and toads, though most research is done on the topminnow/surface killifish Aplocheilus lineatus. The fish and other animals with this ability spend large amounts of time near the water surface, some just to feed and others their entire lives.
Aphyosemion australe, the lyretail panchax, golden panchax or Cape Lopez lyretail, is a species of freshwater fish belonging to the family Aplocheilidae. It is found around Cape Lopez and in surrounding areas in Gabon.
Aplocheilus parvus, the dwarf panchax, is a species of killifish native to India and Sri Lanka. This species grows to a length of 6.3 cm (2.5 in). Its natural habitats are sheltered fresh and brackish water tanks, small streams and rivulets overgrown with vegetation. They are rarely use as an aquarium fish. It is often misidentified as Aplocheilus panchax or as Aplocheilus blockii.
Aplocheilus werneri is a species of killifish endemic to Sri Lanka. This species grows to a length of 7 cm (2.8 in). Its natural habitats are small, shallow, slow-flowing, heavily shaded streams and rivulets with a silt or clay substrate. They are largely use as an aquarium fish. The specific name honours the fish importer Andreas Werner who imported this species into Germany for the first time in 1964.
Aplocheilus blockii or the green panchax is a species of fish native to waters around India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Aplocheilus kirchmayeri is a species of killifish native to India. It was named after the aquarist J. Kirchmayer. Its validity as a species has been questioned, with some experts believing that it is a subspecies of Aplocheilus blockii. The species has been noted to be rather difficult to keep in an aquarium.
