This species was discovered 21 kilometer North- North-east of the town Pijiguaos, South Venezuela by F. Vermeulen and S. Sladkowski.

As Rachovia fransvermeuleni is only known from a small isolated lake some kilometers north-east from the village Pijiguaos. The lake is situated near a river at:

To give a sort of indication of the time the species need to incubate I will supply you with the most average information. Please keep in mind that this vary's from one location to the other. Normally 12 to 16 weeks the eggs need to be ready for watering. They are ready if the iris is clearly visible inside the egg schell. It further depends on temperature and humidity of the storage conditions.

The higher the temperature - up to 35 C. is possible - the earlier the development. This can speed up the development at the best to 6 weeks but it is not recommended as there is a major loss of eggs possible. The humidity is also a factor and the wetter the peat the earlier the development. But also here is this not without danger of funges attacs if peat is stored to wet.

The species mostly live on clay bottoms that affect the waters pH they live in and mostly the pH is around the neutral level. So, low pH can also effect the survival of the eggs but does not has effect on the time of development. It is wise to choose a spawning medium that has not a very low pH. Therefore I recomment the use of Coco - peat that is boiled well before it is used.

Rachovia is a productive genus and many eggs can be produced by one single pair if food of good quality is given. They do not like dry foods but do like life food as mosquito larvae and other small insects. In most cases they also love fresh meat but this is not always good for their guts and overfeeding with meat can lead to siknesses or dead.

Juveniles eat artemia from the moment they are born. The growht is very rapid and whitin 6 weeks they are able to spawn themselves. Females are, at a certain point, to be seperated from the males for reasons they grow less rapad in the first weeks and can become prey to the bigger males easely.

Sexes are most of the time in balance but females do grow slower than males and can become prey than.

The species normally dive into the substrate but ocasionally they also press there body's into the bottem layer.

Bacause Rachovia fransvermeuleni is living in a lake that does not dry out over the season it uses high water level to deposit the eggs at the muddy banks and the lower water leavel as the period of rest for the eggs. When water level rises in the rainy season the eggs will be ready again. However, this species has most likely to struggle for getting adult and only few will survive in a environment with so many other non annual species like dwarf cichlids and uncountable tetra-like species.

Max. size 7.5 cm.
Dorsal 11.0,
Anal 16.0,
D/A 9.0,
LL scale count (average)35.0
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 72.0 %
Depth to % SL – 22.0 %

Berkenkamp H.O., 2020. Rachovia fransvermeuleni spec.nov., eine neue Saisonfisch-Art aus Süd-Venezuela (Teleostei: Rivulidae). Wiss.Publ.Ref.Fischbest.VDA-Bezirk 25, Weser-Ems. Wilhelmshaven* (12): I.