Twostripe lyretail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Twostripe lyretail |
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| Aphyosemion bivittatum Male | |
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The twostripe lyretail (also called the two-banded killi or red lyretail) is a type of small freshwater fish. Its scientific name is Aphyosemion bivittatum. This fish belongs to a family called Aplocheilidae.
You can find these colorful fish in rivers in southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. A Swedish scientist named Einar Lönnberg first described this fish in 1895. The very first example of this fish was found near a waterfall in the Ndian River in Cameroon. Today, that first fish is kept safe in the Stockholm Museum.
What Does the Twostripe Lyretail Look Like?
The twostripe lyretail has a long, colorful body. It gets its name from two dark stripes that run along each side. These stripes are actually made up of red spots! The exact colors of the fish can change depending on where they live.
Male twostripe lyretails often have golden-brown backs and bluish sides. Their bellies are usually golden. These males can grow to be about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long. Their fins are very bright and pretty. The anal and dorsal fins are tall and pointed, colored yellow to pastel green with red edges. Their tail and dorsal fins are green with red spots and bright yellow tips. This fish has 10 to 13 spines in its dorsal fin and 12 to 15 in its anal fin.
Where Does the Twostripe Lyretail Live?
This fish lives in small streams in the coastal rainforests of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. These streams have water that is rich in calcium.
Twostripe lyretails are known as benthopelagic fish. This means they like to swim just above the riverbed. They prefer water that is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6 to 6.5. They also like warm water, usually between 22 to 24 °C (72 to 75 °F).
