Taxonomy & naming
Aphyosemion celiae was described by the Danish killifish authority Jørgen Jørgen Scheel in 1971. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, Fricke & van der Laan) lists the valid name as Aphyosemion celiae Scheel, 1971, placing it in the family Nothobranchiidae. Within Aphyosemion, the species sits in the subgenus Mesoaphyosemion and the calliurum group — a cluster of related lyretails distributed across the lowland rainforest belt of west-central Africa. Meristics of D 11–12 and A 14–16 help separate it from close relatives.
The type locality is a small stream near Mambanda in western Cameroon, within the Mungo River basin. Additional collection localities recorded from the same central Mungo drainage system include Badouma, Kumba, Makanje Plantation, and Téké. The American Killifish Association (AKA) reference library notes that sympatric species at several of these sites include Epiplatys sexfasciatus and Procatopus similis, providing a useful ecological cross-reference.
Morphology
Males of Aphyosemion celiae are among the more striking members of the calliurum group: the body is laterally compressed and slender, the caudal fin extended into the lyrate shape that gives the species its common name, with the upper and lower fin-ray tips drawn out into soft filaments. Ground colouration on males is typically a rich blue-green to turquoise on the flanks, overlaid with a pattern of vivid red to orange-red spots and streaks that intensify toward the ventral surface and into the unpaired fins. The dorsal and anal fins carry matching red spotting on a blue base.
Females are considerably plainer — brownish to olive overall with fainter spotting and a rounded, unextended caudal fin. Wild males are recorded reaching 3 in standard length (AKA), though most aquarium specimens mature at around 2–2.5 in SL (FishBase gives a standard length of 2 in; Seriously Fish records 2–2.5 in SL). Egg diameter is approximately 0.5 in.
Habitat
The central Mungo drainage of western Cameroon is characterised by hilly rainforest and patches of secondary savanna lying inland from the coast between the Mungo and Wouri river systems. Aphyosemion celiae inhabits wells, small brooks, marshy swamps, and forest pools within this zone — permanent or near-permanent waterbodies that retain water through the dry season, which is the key ecological distinction from annual killifish species.
Field and hobbyist records indicate soft, slightly acidic water: pH 6.2–7.6 and hardness of 0–4 DH (AKA), with temperature in the range 68–79 °F (Seriously Fish) to 75–79 °F at collection sites. The water is often shaded by forest canopy and may carry light tannin staining from leaf litter and organic substrate. Dense marginal and submerged vegetation — sedges, roots, and fine-leaved aquatic plants — provides both cover and spawning sites.
Feeding
In the wild, Aphyosemion celiae feeds opportunistically on small invertebrates — aquatic insect larvae, microcrustaceans, and worms — typical of a small surface-oriented killifish in a forested stream environment. The species poses no threat to fish of similar or larger size and is itself vulnerable to predation by larger stream predators.
In captivity it readily accepts a varied diet of live and frozen invertebrates: Drosophila fruit flies and small mosquito larvae at the surface are particularly relished, as are Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, and finely chopped bloodworm. High-quality small dried foods are accepted by most individuals but should not form the bulk of the diet; conditioning for breeding responds well to live food.
Mating
Aphyosemion celiae is a non-annual plant-spawner — the pair deposit adhesive eggs individually on fine-leaved plants, Java moss, or synthetic spawning mops placed at various levels in the water column, from close to the surface to near the substrate. Spawning is continuous and drawn out over days or weeks rather than a seasonal mass event: a compatible pair in good condition will spawn in small numbers daily, making it possible to remove eggs or mops at intervals and accumulate a manageable batch for incubation.
The male displays to the female with spread fins, the lyrate caudal fin fully extended and the colour at peak intensity. Females may initially flee or show indifference; a gentle mop arrangement with adequate cover allows the female to control the pace of interaction. Mops positioned at both upper and lower levels of the tank cater to the species' reported tendency to use both surface and bottom spawning sites (AKA).
Breeding
Eggs are water-incubated — they do not require burial in peat or a diapause period. Incubation takes approximately 17–22 days at typical temperatures, with some sources reporting a slightly shorter span of 12–14 days under warmer conditions (AKA). Eggs can be left in the adult tank in a well-planted setup where some fry will survive naturally, or removed to a small hatching container for more controlled rearing. Spawning mops lifted and kept slightly moist in a sealed container for three to four weeks offer a semi-dry incubation alternative that the AKA reports as workable.
Fry are notably large at hatching relative to many small killies but growth thereafter is slow. First foods should be Paramecium or similarly fine live infusoria, advancing to baby brine shrimp nauplii and microworm as the fry grow. Segregating fry by size avoids cannibalism. Sexual maturity is reached at approximately five to six months. The AKA notes that 'resting eggs' have been reported in a roughly 3:1 ratio in batches, implying a proportion of eggs in any clutch may take longer to hatch — leaving apparent non-developers a further week before discarding is worthwhile.
In the aquarium
Aphyosemion celiae is well-suited to a small species tank of 10–15 US gal, soft and slightly acidic water (pH 6.0–7.0, hardness below 90 ppm), and subdued lighting. A dark substrate, floating plants or a surface cover of Indian fern, and spawning mops at two levels replicate the shaded forest-stream environment and encourage natural behaviour. Temperature should be maintained between 68–79 °F; the species is not fond of high temperatures and performs best toward the lower end of that range.
Celia's Lyretail is peaceful and can be combined with other small non-predatory species — small Corydoras or Otocinclus are useful bottom companions — but male–male aggression is possible in close quarters, and a single pair or a trio (one male, two females) is generally the most manageable arrangement. Water quality must be kept high; small, frequent water changes with well-aged or RO-blended water are preferable to large irregular ones. The fish is hardy within its preferred parameters and is considered an accessible species for killifish beginners.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Aphyosemion celiae as Least Concern in 2007, citing a reasonably wide distribution across the central Mungo drainage and no evidence of rapid population decline at the time of assessment. The species occupies a variety of habitat types — wells, swamps, brooks, and forest pools — which provides some resilience compared to single-locality endemics.
Nonetheless, the Mungo basin faces ongoing pressure from deforestation, agricultural expansion (rubber and oil-palm plantations occupy much of the historical forest), and drainage of swampy areas. As a permanent-water specialist rather than an annual, the species is dependent on streams and pools that persist through the dry season; any reduction in ground-water retention from forest loss or water abstraction directly affects viable habitat. The introduction of non-native fish — including mosquitofish (Gambusia) and tilapia — to local water bodies is an additional threat observed widely across west-central Africa. Continued habitat monitoring in the Mungo drainage is warranted given regional deforestation trends since the 2007 assessment.