The spotted killifish (Nothobranchius orthonotus) is a small, short lived species of fish, an African rivuline from the family Nothobranchiidae.

[3] The spotted killifish consumes both aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, its diet consists mainly of juvenile lungfish (Protopterus annectens) and larval amphibia.

[4] Fish with the genus Nothobranchius show a striking level of sexual dichomatism, where the males portray bright colors, and the females are dull.

Given the lifecycle of the spotted killifish, it has adapted to varying dry and wet weather conditions that persist in this part of the world.

[2] The spotted killifish was originally described in 1844 as Cyprinodon orthonotus by Wilhelm Peters with the type locality given as Quelimane in eastern Mozambique.