Encyclopedia / Killifish / Norman's lampeye

★New · no ratings yetIllustration

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Norman's lampeye

Poropanchax normani · Normani, Normans lampeye, Blue lampeye

Peaceful and shy; keep in a group of 6 or more with other tiny fish.

Local price coming soon

Prices for· real AED shop prices, never conversions

4.5 cmAdult size ✓

22–26 °CTemperature ✓

6.5–7.5pH ✓

UnknownSmallest tank ?

Add to my tank Compare

Tank mates

Check your own mix →

Not recommended

Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Norman's lampeye only grows to 4.5 cm.

Not recommended

White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Norman's lampeye is tropical.
Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.

Not recommended

Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Norman's lampeye only grows to 4.5 cm.

With conditions

Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.

With conditions

Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.

Compatible

337 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓up to 15 dGH

Group size ✓10 or more

Temperament ✓Peaceful

Swims at ?Top

Care level ✓Easy

Diet Carnivore

Lifespan ?Unknown

Size in shops 2–3 cm

Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and shy; keep in a group of 6 or more with other tiny fish.

Food

Baby brine shrimp, daphnia, microworms and fine flake.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males have longer, more pointed fins (and long ventral fins) and are often larger and slightly more colourful; females have shorter, rounder fins.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (mop spawner) · Easy

Easy to breed: eggs are scattered over java moss or spawning mops; adults rarely eat eggs or fry.

Pairing

A group of 6 or more.

Setup

20 L planted tank with floating plants, soft water and spawning mops.

What starts it

Warm, soft water and live food.

Eggs

Relatively large, adhesive eggs; incubation about 12-14 days depending on temperature. Fry mature in about 6 months.

Raising the fry

Baby brine shrimp and microworms.

Common mistakes

Large tankmates
Hard water
No cover

Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

Loading the map…

Native range (rough area)Centre of the rangePlaces on the World Map

RegionWest Africa – Senegal and Gambia east to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad

Rivers and lakesGambia, Niger, Volta and Lake Chad basins

HabitatSlow, vegetated rivers, swamps and floodplain pools in savanna

Native rangeAbout 1,800 km across

Open on the World Map

The story of the norman's lampeye

A tiny West African killifish whose upper iris glows bright blue. Best in a species tank or with other tiny peaceful fish; it is too timid for a general community. Described by Ahl in 1928 from northern Nigeria and named after ichthyologist J. R. Norman.

Ernst Ahl described this little killifish in 1928 as Aplocheilichthys normani. It lives in loose groups near the surface of weedy savanna waters across West Africa. In the aquarium it became popular for the shining blue-white spots above its eyes, which glow under light like tiny lamps.

First described by Ernst Ahl in 1928. Named for Named after British Museum ichthyologist John Roxborough Norman.

The bright spot above each eye reflects light, giving lampeyes their name.
It stays under 4 cm long and lives in shoals near the surface.
Unlike annual killifish, it lives in permanent water and spawns among plant roots.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources

Scientific name
Often still sold as Aplocheilichthys normani or Micropanchax normani (older combinations listed by Catalog of Fishes).
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Poropanchax · FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary
Familycorrected
Legacy has no family. Older books place lampeyes in Poeciliidae (Aplocheilichthyinae).
FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Poropanchax
Sizecorrected
No Seriously Fish profile. FishBase 4.5 cm TL males, 4.0 cm TL females; fishkeeper 4 cm. Legacy 3.5 cm is a little small.
FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary · Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Temperaturecorrected
Legacy upper 28 °C not supported.
FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary · Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
pHcorrected
Legacy lower limit 6.0 not supported.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani) · FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary
Hardnesscorrected
Legacy has none.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Smallest tank
No numeric tank size found; legacy 20 L looks small given this advice.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Group sizecorrectedMaidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Temperament
Easily intimidated; only with other tiny peaceful fish.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Care level
Sources differ: FishBase easy; fishkeeper calls it relatively delicate, needing a mature, stable tank. Verified against FishBase with that caveat.
FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary · Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Where it livescorrectedFishBase: Poropanchax normani summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Poropanchax
Male or femaleMaidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani) · FishBase: Poropanchax normani summary
Breeding
Legacy says floating plants or mops; source names java moss or mops.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Eggs and young
Legacy 10-14 days fits. Legacy 10-20 eggs per day not sourced.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)
Story
'Good fish for peaceful nano tanks' holds only for tiny tankmates; 'blue-green sheen' not sourced.
Maidenhead Aquatics fishkeeper.co.uk: Lampeye (Poropanchax normani)

Norman's lampeye

Poropanchax normani · Normani, Normans lampeye, Blue lampeye

Peaceful and shy; keep in a group of 6 or more with other tiny fish.

Local price coming soon

Prices for· real AED shop prices, never conversions

4.5 cmAdult size ✓

22–26 °CTemperature ✓

6.5–7.5pH ✓

UnknownSmallest tank ?

Tank mates

Check your own mix →

Not recommended

Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Norman's lampeye only grows to 4.5 cm.

Not recommended

White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Norman's lampeye is tropical.
Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.

Not recommended

Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Norman's lampeye only grows to 4.5 cm.

With conditions

Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.

With conditions

Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.

Compatible

337 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Where it lives in the wild

Loading the map…

Native range (rough area)Centre of the rangePlaces on the World Map

RegionWest Africa – Senegal and Gambia east to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad

Rivers and lakesGambia, Niger, Volta and Lake Chad basins

HabitatSlow, vegetated rivers, swamps and floodplain pools in savanna

Native rangeAbout 1,800 km across

Open on the World Map

The story of the norman's lampeye

First described by Ernst Ahl in 1928. Named for Named after British Museum ichthyologist John Roxborough Norman.

The bright spot above each eye reflects light, giving lampeyes their name.

It stays under 4 cm long and lives in shoals near the surface.

Unlike annual killifish, it lives in permanent water and spawns among plant roots.