Blue lyretail

Blue lyretail
Two individuals of the nigerianus population exhibiting Sexual dimorphism
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cyprinodontiformes
Family:	Nothobranchiidae
Genus:	Fundulopanchax
Species:	F. gardneri
Binomial name
Fundulopanchax gardneri (Boulenger, 1911)
Synonyms[2]
Fundulus gardneri Boulenger, 1911 Aphyosemion gardneri (Boulenger, 1911) Haplochilus brucii Boulenger, 1911 Aphyosemion brucii (Boulenger, 1911) Aphyosemion nigerianum Clausen, 1963 Aphyosemion obuduense Wright & Jeremy, 1974 Aphyosemion meridionale Kottelat, 1976

The blue lyretail (Fundulopanchax gardneri),^[3] also known as the Gardner's killi and formerly as the steel-blue aphyosemion, is a species of killifish. It is endemic to freshwater habitats in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Blue lyretails are sexually dimorphic. The males are more colourful than the females and have wavy lines of red spots which run along its body. The outer margins of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins are tinted with yellow. The females are less brightly coloured and have brown spots rather than red.^[4] They grow to a maximum total length of 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in).^[2]

The blue lyretail inhabits the tributary streams and marshes of the Benue and Cross River basins of Nigeria and Cameroon.

The blue lyretail occurs in both savanna and forested regions.^[2] The males are larger, more colourful and have larger extendable fins than the females. The males are territorial. The waterbodies in which this species occurs are of an unpredictable nature and it has evolved a spawning strategy which is frequently referred to as a "switch" or "semi-annual" breeding strategy. This means that the eggs can survive a period of drying but that they are also viable when permanently submerged. Submerged eggs normally hatch in around 14–21 days depending on the temperature of the water.^[5] The eggs are laid on the bottom.^[2]

Fundulopanchax gardneri originally described in 1911 as Fundulus gardneri by George Albert Boulenger with the type locality given as Okwoga in the headwaters of Cross River, Nigeria.^[6] The type was collected by a Captain R.D. Gardner who is honoured in the specific name.^[7]

There are several valid subspecies:

• Blue lyretail – Fundulopanchax gardneri gardneri (Boulenger, 1911)^[8]
• Ejagham killi – Fundulopanchax gardneri lacustris (Langton, 1974)^[9]
• Mamfe killi – Fundulopanchax gardneri mamfensis (Radda, 1974)^[10]
• Nigerian killi – Fundulopanchax gardneri nigerianus (Clausen, 1963)^[11]

Blue lyretails are harvested for the aquarium trade.^[1] They are apparently easy to maintain and breed although the males can be aggressive to other slower moving species.^[12] Gardner's killifish are generally kept in species-only tank, as they social are prone to becoming sexually frustrated in the lack of females, where then they will attempt to mate with often unrelated tankmates^{[citation needed]}

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

• UNEP-WCMC Protected Areas Programme – Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve