08/08/2026
🐟 A TINY FISH WITH A BIG STORY: Epiplatys annulatus
Small, colourful and unmistakable – the Clown Killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) is one of those species that immediately captures attention.
Native to West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, this tiny killifish is adapted to shallow, quiet freshwater habitats. It spends much of its time close to the surface, often among floating vegetation, where its upturned mouth is perfectly suited to hunting tiny insects and other small prey.
✨ Its most fascinating features?
The striking vertical bands, the spectacular colours of the males and, above all, the elongated central rays of the caudal fin that give this little fish its characteristic “rocket” or “pintail” appearance.
But there is much more to this species than its appearance.
🌿 This is exactly why we are so happy to see participants entering the Biotope Aquarium Project with such unusual and fascinating fish.
A biotope aquarium is not simply a beautiful aquarium containing a particular species.
It is an opportunity to show where the fish comes from, how it lives, what its habitat looks like and why that habitat matters.
For Epiplatys annulatus, this means recreating the shallow waters, vegetation, roots, leaf litter and gentle conditions of the Upper Guinea rainforest region, allowing us to look beyond the aquarium glass and understand the ecosystem behind the species.
🌍 And this is one of the important goals of the Biotope Aquarium Project:
to use aquariums as a tool for knowledge, scientific curiosity and conservation awareness.
When we learn to recognise a species and understand its natural environment, we also begin to understand what can be lost when those habitats are destroyed.
💚 We are particularly pleased to see Epiplatys annulatus represented by several fascinating biotope aquarium entries in the competition.
Take a look at these three recreations:
🌿 1. Forest Pool – Upper Guinea Rainforest, Sierra Leone
View the aquarium → https://biotopeaquariumproject.com/bam/forest-pool-upper-guinea-rainforest-sierra-leone-dtspeller/
🌿 2. Clearwater Forest Creek – Southern Province, Sierra Leone
View the aquarium → https://biotopeaquariumproject.com/bam/clearwater-forest-creek-southern-province-sierra-leone-kdas/
🌿 3. Wetland Puddle – Male River Catchment, Bo Region, Sierra Leone
View the aquarium → https://biotopeaquariumproject.com/bam/wetland-puddle-male-river-catchment-bo-region-sierra-leone-prozsahegyi-prozsahegyi/
🐠 And if you want to discover the species itself – its distribution, biology, behaviour, water parameters and reproduction:
Read the BAP Fish Profile: Epiplatys annulatus → https://biotopeaquariumproject.com/fish/epiplatys-annulatus/
Every biotope tells a story.
And sometimes, that story begins with a fish only a few centimetres long. 🌿💧
Discover the habitat. Understand the species. Protect the ecosystem.
