Black Spotted Nothobranch (Nothobranchius melanospilus)

Overview

The Black Spotted Nothobranch (Nothobranchius melanospilus) is a seasonal East African annual killifish for aquarists who enjoy specialist behaviour, fast life cycles and vivid colour in a small, carefully managed aquarium. Our current fish are supplied at about 2.5-3.5 cm; adults can be larger, so plan the aquarium for mature fish rather than only the arrival size.

This is not a generic community fish. It is best kept as a species-first project in a covered, quiet aquarium with soft spawning media, gentle filtration and frequent small feeds. Kept well, it rewards you with active displays, bold red and dark fin contrast, and fascinating annual-killifish breeding behaviour.

Quick Facts

• Scientific name: Nothobranchius melanospilus
• Common name: Black Spotted Nothobranch / Blackspotted Nothobranch
• Approximate size supplied: 2.5-3.5 cm
• Adult planning size: allow for around 5-6 cm depending on sex and population
• Temperature: 22-26 C
• pH: 6.0-7.5
• Hardness: soft to moderately hard, roughly 2-12 dGH
• Minimum aquarium: 40 L+ for a pair or small trio; larger is easier for groups
• Diet: small live and frozen carnivore foods, with suitable micro pellets as support
• Best for: killifish keepers, nano-species specialists and breeders who can manage seasonal fish

Visual Effect

The exact Petra source photo shows a compact fish with a warm peach-to-rose body, pale blue-white scale highlights, a red caudal fin and darker red-brown dorsal and anal fins. Specialist descriptions note that males can show a red caudal fin with dark edging, while females carry the irregular black spotting that gives the species its name. Use subdued lighting, dark background tones and floating plants if you want the metallic scale pattern and fin colour to stand out.

Natural Habitat And Taxonomy Note

Nothobranchius melanospilus belongs to a group of seasonal Nothobranchius from coastal East Africa. FishBase records temporary pools, floodplains, rice fields, swamps, ditches and small streams. WildNothos gives a newer specialist treatment that narrows true N. melanospilus around coastal Tanzania and Zanzibar after some older Kenya/Tanzania hobby records were revised into related forms. For a retail care page, the practical point is consistent: this fish is adapted to shallow seasonal habitats that fill, warm, grow vegetation and then dry.

Because of that natural cycle, adults grow quickly, spawn in soft bottom material and the eggs survive a dry rest before hatching when water returns. The aquarium should copy the useful parts of that habitat, not the instability: clean warm water, soft spawning media, cover, gentle flow and a secure lid.

Aquarium Setup

A 40 litre aquarium is a sensible starting point for a pair or one male with two females; use more space if keeping multiple males. Add a tight lid, sponge or gentle internal filtration, floating plants, fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, and a soft spawning container with peat substitute, coir or fine fibre if breeding is intended. Keep the layout simple enough that you can remove and check spawning media without disturbing the whole tank.

Use subdued light and avoid strong current. Annual killifish often look best in quiet tanks with dark substrate, leaf-litter-style cover and open feeding space. They are small, fast feeders and can jump, so every gap around cables and filter returns matters.

Water And Maintenance

Aim for 22-26 C, pH 6.0-7.5 and stable, clean water. The species is associated with temporary habitats, but that does not mean poor aquarium water is acceptable. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, keep nitrate low, and use regular small water changes rather than large swings. A mature sponge filter is ideal because it gives biological stability without pushing small fish around.

Feeding

Feed small live and frozen foods such as newly hatched or adult brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, chopped bloodworm and similar small carnivore foods. Good micro pellets can be used as a support food, but this fish should not be treated as a dry-food-only species. Small meals once or twice daily are better than heavy feeding, especially in smaller aquariums where waste builds quickly.

Behaviour And Tank Mates

Black Spotted Nothobranch are lively, seasonal killifish with male display behaviour. Males may chase each other and can be hard on females in breeding condition, so provide cover and avoid overcrowding. A species-only setup is the safest recommendation. In larger, carefully planned aquariums, only choose calm fish that will not outcompete them for food or nip fins. Avoid shrimp and very small fry with them, and avoid boisterous community fish, large predators, fin nippers and species needing hard alkaline water.

Breeding Notes

This is a substrate-spawning annual killifish. Condition fish with live and frozen foods, then provide peat substitute, coir or a suitable spawning medium. Eggs are normally stored damp rather than underwater for an incubation period; published hobby guidance varies with temperature, moisture and population, with specialist notes commonly ranging from several weeks to a few months. Fry are usually able to take newly hatched brine shrimp soon after hatching. If you are new to annual killifish, read a dedicated Nothobranchius breeding guide before attempting egg storage.

Arrival, Discount And Guarantee

Your fish are packed for live-animal courier delivery and covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee. New customers can use WELCOME10 for a first-order discount when the code is active at checkout. Please make sure the aquarium is mature, covered and ready before ordering; annual killifish settle best when they can move straight into stable, quiet water with small foods available.

Source Notes

• FishBase: habitat, annual life cycle, bottom-spawning note and aquarium status for Nothobranchius melanospilus.
• WildNothos: diagnostic colour traits, revised distribution/taxonomy notes, semi-annual/annual life-cycle comments and maximum size record.
• British Killifish Association A-to-Z sheet: maintenance/breeding notes, 40 x 25 x 25 cm minimum aquarium guidance and incubation notes.
• Petra Aqua source data and exact source photo: supplier identity, size band and visual reference used for this listing.