They're African Annualfish (kind of Killifish/Pupfish) that live in temporary pools in the desert. They live one year (because the ponds only last a year) but they lay eggs as the ponds dry, which hatch when the pools fill back up. I remember reading somewhere that if they are kept longer than a year (past their lifespan) they start to get dilapidated and waste away
They would probably do better in a tank than a bowl, but then again, in the wild, they live in ponds that reach temperatures in the high 90's, and re stagnant, so they're pretty much impossible to kill.