The killifish genus Pachypanchax is comprised of three species at present but there are several populations which may or may not turn out to be undescribed species. The three species in the genus are playfairii, omalonotus and sakaramyi. The last two are found on the island of Madagascar; playfairii is found on the Seychelle Islands and Zanzibar.
Pachypanchax playfairii (Guenther 1886) has been known in the hobby for almost 80 years, having been first imported into Germany in 1924. It has certainly been available in our area (Ontario) for at least forty years as it was among the first of the killifish I remember keeping. It is, however, one of those fish that comes and goes because it is not “new”, nor is it as flashy as many of the Aphyosemion species for example. Male P. playfairii can be grown to four inches or so (10cm); base colour is yellow with red dots on the body and black edging to the tail. Females are somewhat plainer.
The fish are easy to keep and are undemanding of water conditions in terms of hardness or pH. Most average water suits them just fine, both for maintenance and breeding. They appreciate meaty foods and should not be trusted with smaller fish. An unusual characteristic of playfairii is that the scales, on the back especially, stand up under certain conditions, making the fish appear to be suffering from the disease “dropsy”, which is usually fatal. Raised scales however are very normal for this species and not an indication of illness.
Breeding is quite simple. Adhesive eggs are laid in bushy plants or spawning mops. They can be picked and incubated in small containers and will hatch in about twelve days. Fry are able to eat baby brine shrimp and microworms as first foods and grow at reasonable rates. Over a period of two weeks or so a couple of hundred eggs can be collected from a good pair; the male can be very aggressive however and it’s necessary to keep watch on the female’s condition as well as to supply hiding places for her.
The second species, P. omalonotus (Dumeril 1861) was first imported into Europe about 1953. (Although introduced into the hobby later than playfairii, it was described before it.). The fish is often called the Powder Blue Panchax, which gives some idea of its colours; males’ colours are more intense and they also have longer fins than do females.
P. omalonotus (which may be found misspelled as homalonotus in some, especially older, references), may have been available in our area in the more distant past but I only remember seeing them at shows within the last five years or so. In particular, a population from Nosy Be (a small island off the northwest coast of Madagascar) has been available recently. Apparently there are several populations of “omalonotus” along the northwest coastal areas of Madagascar which may turn out to be undescribed species.
The species is said to breed readily and be fairly prolific and, like P. playfairii, is a mop spawner. As well, like the other members of the genus, the males are quite aggressive towards the females and steps must be taken to protect them.
The third species, Pachypanchax sakaramyi is found only in Madagascar. It was collected and distributed in the hobby seven or eight years ago by Dr. Paul Loiselle. Before this it was apparently last collected in the early fifties. Males are quite pretty fish, being deep yellow with blue on the back and dark fin edgings. I have been told that the blue greatly intensifies if the fish is kept in sunlight (i.e. in a pond). Females are essentially brown.
They grow to the same sizes as the other two species and share many of the same characteristics. Males are aggressive drivers when spawning (which would be nearly always if they had their way), and females are in constant peril of being damaged to the point of death. I’ve found it necessary to keep females apart from the male except for a few days of spawning. During this period, when the females have eggs to lay, they will fare reasonably well as long as they have lots of cover. I use six or eight spawning mops, both sinking and floating. (Finding the eggs in this many mops is more time consuming but at least the females stay alive.) Females do not bother one another and are suitable community tank fish. While not in the spawning tank, I have been keeping my adult females in a tank with a group of Chalinochromis sp. “ndobhoi”.
I incubate the eggs in a shallow, covered dish with a bit of fungicide. They hatch in about two weeks and the fry are large enough to take baby brine shrimp as a first food. The fry do not seem to be difficult to raise as long as they are fed regularly and water quality is maintained.
First publication: newsletter of the Hamilton and District Aquarium Society, June 2002
Source: Aquarticles (no longer available)
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