Alternative name Anablepsoides waimacui.

It took more than 90 years to rediscover life specimen of Rivulus waimacui after Eigenmann's description. His new species Rivulus waimacui was named after two different Amerindian tribes that lived in the British Guiana nowadays called: "The Cooperative Republic of Guyana" at that time and they still do. The Wai-Wai and the Macui tribes however do not live in the area where this Rivulus was found but more to the south in the Rupununi Savanna. The first discovery in 1908 by Mr. W. Grant was made in Shrimp Creek at the foot of the Kaieteur fall, where the path from Tukeit to the head of the Kaieteur crosses it.

In 1991 the author of this site, Frans Vermeulen and his wife Marjan went over land to the Kaiteur falls, together with his friend Wim Suyker and his wife Yvonne. There, in small puddles along the roadside, the first life discovery was established of this beautiful larger species. The species was later, in adititional expeditions by us, discovered also at the top of the Falls and in a wider range around the Potaro River-drainage.

The species R. waimacui belongs to the species group with R. gaucheri, R. hartii, R. holmiae, R. igneus, and R. immaculatus.

Keeping and breeding is easy but a good cover of the aquarium is necessary because there ability to jump, even true the smallest opening, is unbelievable.

This species can, if there is enough space for them, housed in a tank with more males than one only and several females. If separated before and brought together again however, they can be very agressive to each other and fight to become dominant to others. The best way to have much offspring is to put a pair or an trio in a small tank from 10 liters with a small filter in it or with some airation. On the bottom some peat moss or dark gravel and a floating "mop" to give space for laying there eggs. The fish will, if they become a rich varity of life food, spawn during there whole adult life and produce daily between 5 to 15 eggs.

The eggs should be collected by hand and stored for about 14 days in a small container. Eggs are 1.6 mm and amber colored. It is wise, to add to the water you store the eggs in, some acryflavine to provent fungus coming up.

After hatching the young fry can eat fresh artemia nauplii without any problem. It takes 4 to 5 months to raise them to maturity. Often the number of males is far above the number of females. For some species this can become a major problem for the breeder as he has to raise many young fishes and so become able to distribute a few pairs to other hobbyists. Recent personal tests laerned that lower pH levels during the time of hatching gave a higher percentage of females. To achieve this I use some peat moss that I add to the container with the egss just before they are ready to hatch. This peat moss also is a good way to prevent eggs to become attact by fungusses.

There lifespan can be up to 3 years in captivity.

Remarks :

Max. size 9.5 cm.
Dorsal 10.1,
Anal 15.0,
D/A 10.1,
LL scale count (average)41.0
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 74.0 %
Depth to % SL – 19.0 %