Norman's Lampeye
Poropanchax normani
Procatopodidae
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About
Norman's lampeye is sold on one feature: a chip of reflective blue in the top of the iris that catches light like a headlamp, set in a 4 cm fish otherwise translucent silver-blue with faintly yellow fins. Wikipedia calls it "the most widespread African lampeye species", and the range backs that up — Senegal and the Gambia east through the Niger and Chad basins to the White Nile in Sudan, in the vegetated margins of small rivers, brooks and swamps. It is a killifish relative rather than a killifish. FishBase places it in Procatopodidae, the African lampeyes, a family closer to the livebearers than to the annual Nothobranchius, and it states the thing that matters most to a buyer plainly: "Not a seasonal killifish." The eggs never need a dry rest, and a fish that dies at ten months died of something you can find. What the shelf gets wrong is everything after the eye. FishBase, Maidenhead Aquatics and AquaInfo independently give 22–26 °C, so a standard community tank run at 26–27 °C is already at or above the ceiling for a fish sold as cheap filler for exactly that tank. Maidenhead is blunt about the rest: "Always maintain this peaceful, timid species in good sized groups of at least 10 specimens"; "The home aquarium should be biologically mature with high standards of water quality maintained at all times"; "Water movement must be kept as gentle as possible"; and "they are not suitable as general community fish as they are easily intimidated and will be predated upon by larger fish". The chemistry is the one pleasant surprise. Every source puts the fish near neutral — pH 6.5–7.5, hardness up to 15 °dGH — so this is not a blackwater animal and does not want acid, tannin-stained water; Lithuanian tap at around 20 °dH is still too hard, but the pH is already where the fish wants it. And buy the shoal rather than the fish. AquaInfo puts it best: "A single African Light Eye is not very conspicuous, but a whole school with its reflective blue eyes is beautiful."
Care
Ten or more — Maidenhead's floor, not a suggestion — in a mature, heavily planted tank of about 70 L on a 60 × 30 cm base, at 23–25 °C. Never above 26: three independent sources cap the range there, and running the tank tropical-warm is the commonest way this species is quietly killed. Near-neutral water, pH 6.5–7.2, hardness to about 15 °dGH; Lithuanian tap needs cutting with RO for the hardness even though its pH is already right. Minimal flow, dim lighting or floating cover such as Ceratopteris or Pistia, a dark substrate to bring out the iris, and a lid — AquaInfo warns to "ensure a well-covered aquarium, as these fish are excellent jumpers". Tankmates must be tiny and peaceful: Maidenhead names Ladigesia roloffi, ember tetras, pencilfish, pygmy corydoras, Boraras and some of the smaller anabantoids, and says outright that the species is not a general community fish. Feed frozen and live: cyclops, Artemia nauplii, daphnia, mini-bloodworm and white mosquito larvae, several times a week.
Diet
Surface micropredator on small aquatic invertebrates, with a superiorly positioned mouth. Frozen and live cyclops, Artemia nauplii, daphnia, mini-bloodworm and white mosquito larvae; only some individuals take crushed flake or micropellets, so dry food is a supplement rather than a diet.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (173)
Possible with care (177)
Avoid (68)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Colour and patternStrong · from about 6 months, and only on a settled fish
In rainbowfish, killifish and several barbs the male carries the colour — deeper and more saturated, intensifying further when he displays.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Norman's Lampeye need?
- A Norman's Lampeye needs an aquarium of at least 70 litres (18.5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Norman's Lampeye need?
- Norman's Lampeye does best at 22–26 °C (71.6–78.8 °F), pH 6–7.5 and a general hardness of 4–15 °dGH.
- What group size does a Norman's Lampeye need?
- Norman's Lampeye is a social species — keep a group of at least 10 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Norman's Lampeye suitable for beginners?
- Norman's Lampeye sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.