Redtail Notho Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Slender, torpedo-shaped body under 6 cm, typical of the Nothobranchius group
• Males show a bright orange-red caudal fin, often edged with a dark or black submarginal band
• Body flanks flash steel-blue to teal-green with rows of small red spangling
• Dorsal and anal fins carry the same red-orange wash as the tail, sometimes with thin blue trim
• Flattened, slightly upturned head with a large upward-pointing mouth for surface feeding
• Females are plain olive-tan with faint speckling and a clear or lightly tinted tail, useful for confirming sex

Common look-alikes

• Rachovi killifish: shares red-blue coloring but shows bolder, more contrasting red bars across the body rather than fine spangling
• Guenther's notho: tail color tends toward solid orange without the sharp dark submarginal edge
• Steel-blue killifish: lacks the strong red tail wash, staying mostly blue-green across all fins

Where you'll see one

Native to seasonal pools and swamp margins in coastal East Africa, this species survives dry seasons as drought-resistant eggs buried in mud, hatching when rains refill the pools. In the aquarium hobby it is kept in soft, warm, well-planted tanks mimicking those temporary waters.