Genus · Killifish

Hypsopanchax

Hypsopanchax is a genus with 6 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Killifish section, recorded from Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Angola and 3 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1 in to 2 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
6
Adult sizes
1–2 in
IUCN assessed
6 of 6
Recorded from
6 countries

About the genus

Hypsopanchax is a genus of small killifish known as lampeyes, found across Central Africa with atlas records from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Angola, and Zambia. Like other lampeyes, these are small, slender, surface-oriented fish named for the reflective iridescent patch in the upper eye, an adaptation thought to help them spot prey and predators at the water's surface. Atlas species are diminutive, running 1–2 in, and typically inhabit quiet forest streams, swamps, and floodplain pools rather than open, fast-flowing water.

This is a genus known mainly to killifish specialists rather than the general aquarium hobby - species such as the chain lampeye (H. catenatus) and zebra lampeye (H. zebra) occasionally circulate among dedicated killifish keepers and clubs, kept as peaceful surface-dwelling schoolers in planted tanks, but the genus sees essentially no mainstream trade. Conservation status is mostly favorable where assessed, with four of six species Least Concern, one Data Deficient, and one Not Evaluated.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 4 Data Deficient · 1 Not Evaluated · 1

The 6 species

Every Hypsopanchax recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Boulenger, 1913)

Chain lampeye

2 in SL · DD

(Poll & Lambert, 1965)

2 in TL · LC

(Poll & Lambert, 1965)

2 in TL · LC

(Nichols & Griscom, 1917)

2 in TL · LC

van der Zee, Sonnenberg & Mbimbi Mayi Munene, 2015

1 in SL · NE

(Pellegrin, 1929)

Zebra lampeye

2 in TL · LC

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Hypsopanchax. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/hypsopanchax/

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