Aphyolebias boticarioi was described in a paper together with Moema apurinan by W. J. E.M. Costa collected in a temporary pool within forest ; pool is small, about 7 m of long and about 3 m wide, shallow, about 0.40 - 0.60 m deep ; water is dark brown with no aquatic vegetation (Costa, 2004i).

Diagnosis: Diagnosis: The new species is distinguished from all congeners in having a deeper body (body depth 23.4–26.5% SL, vs. 20.2–23.6% SL). Similar to A. obliquus; both are distinguished from all other species of the genus by possessing dark brown spots on the pectoral fin in males (vs. spots absent). The new species differs from A. obliquus by having fewer anal-fin rays (14–16 vs. 16–18) and fewer pectoral-fin rays (13–14 vs. 15–16). Aphyolebias boticarioi is similar to A. rubrocaudatus, A. obliquus, A. claudiae and A. schleseri, but is distinguished from A. peruensis, A. wischmanni and A. manuensis by having a black stripe on the ventral margin of the caudal fin in males (vs. black stripe absent); distinguished from A. rubrocaudatus, A. obliquus, A. claudiae and A. schleseri, by having dark brown spots restricted to the posterior portion of the anal fin in males (vs. brown spots on the entire fin), and by the absence of a distal black stripe on the anal fin (vs. presence in males). The new species is also distinguished from A. rubrocaudatus by having an orange stripe only on the ventral portion of the fin in males (vs. an orange stripe on the ventral portion, and another similar stripe on the dorsal of the caudal fin); from A. claudiae by the absence of a black humeral blotch in males (vs. presence) and fewer anal-fin rays (14–16 vs. 16–19), and from A. schleseri by possessing more vertebrae (33–34, vs. 32) and more gill-rakers on first branchial arch (2 + 10, vs. 1 + 8).

Above: Holotype. UFRJ 5986, male, 42.1 mm SL; Brazil: Estado do Acre: Porto Acre, temporary pool within forest, Rio Acre floodplains, Rio Purus drainage, Rio Amazonas basin (9o35’14.8”S 67o31’57.0”W; altitude 133 m); W. J. E. M. Costa, S. Lima and A. Pinto, 10 June 2003. 

Aphyolebias boticarioi, UFRJ 5987, female, paratype, 32.4 mm SL (one day after collection;
pectoral, caudal and anal fins damaged); Brazil: Acre: Porto do Acre: Rio Purus basin.

Keeping and breeding are easy, but it takes some patience from the breeder. This because the eggs need a long incubation period of up to 4 months. To produce many eggs, the parents need to get live food only in a wide variety and mass. Like all fast-growing SAA's, they do not like dry food and rather die than get used to it. Sometimes they eat frozen foods also, but you should never skip the life food for them. They can be very productive, and the best set-up is one male and two or more females in a tank from 25 to 40 liters. Males are not too aggressive against the female, as you will see. Like all Aphyiolebias species, this species is found in primary forests and should be treated as Aphyolebias peruensis for breeding and maintenance. Aphyolebias eggs do not survive in very dry peat moss.

Storing the eggs is easy too but as said before... a matter of patience. It would be best if you boiled the peat before you use it in the breeding tank. I use deep containers with peat to avoid food enters the peat and later affects the eggs. This container will also keep the amount of peat as small as possible but the layer high enough to dive in completely. After spawning for two weeks, the peat is squeezed out and dried to a level of fresh tobacco. Storage is best at 25 Celsius in a dark place. After a few months, it is wise to look into the peat if eggs are still there and if any development is visible. Because eggs need a long incubation time, it is recommended to check the peat bi-monthly if it is still wet. If peat is put away very moist and warm (up to 30 C.), the eggs will hatch in an earlier stage. It is, however, also possible that the eggs disappear entirely by the building up of fungus.

Remarks :

Max. size 6.0 cm.
Dorsal 9.0,
Anal 15.0,
D/A 9.5,
LL scale count (average)34.0
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 74.8 %
Depth to % SL – 24.1 %

Costa, W.J.E.M. 2004. Moema apurinan sp. n. and Aphyolebias boticarioi sp. n. (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae): two new annual Killifish from the Rio Purus basin, Brazilian Amazon. Zootaxa, 707: 7, figs. 4-5.