Aplocheilus
Encyclopedia
Aplocheilus is a genus
of killifish
in the family
Aplocheilidae
, with 7 species
. Their range is primarily South
and Southeast Asia
, from Pakistan
to Vietnam
and Malaysia, and from Nepal
to Sri Lanka
. Several species, especially the striped panchax, Aplocheilus lineatus, are important aquarium fishes. The name Aplocheilus is consisted of Greek words "aploe" meaning "simplicity", and "cheilos" meaning "lip".
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of killifish
Killifish
A killifish is any of various oviparous cyprinodontiform fish . Altogether, there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Aplocheilidae
Aplocheilidae
Aplocheilidae are a family of bony fishes containing about 15 species. Formerly, the name "Aplocheilidae" was used for the Aplocheiloidei as a whole, i.e. including the Nothobranchiidae of Africa and the mainly South American Rivulidae as subfamilies. This obsolete system is sometimes still seen,...
, with 7 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Their range is primarily South
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Malaysia, and from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Several species, especially the striped panchax, Aplocheilus lineatus, are important aquarium fishes. The name Aplocheilus is consisted of Greek words "aploe" meaning "simplicity", and "cheilos" meaning "lip".
Species
- Green panchax, Aplocheilus blockii (Arnold, 1911)
- Ceylon killifish, Aplocheilus dayiAplocheilus dayiAplocheilus dayi is a species of killifish. The species is a good size, but it gets attacked by other killifish that are smaller. Males and females have a black dot at the rear end of the base of the dorsal fin. The females lay 50-150 eggs....
(Steindachner, 1892) - Aplocheilus kirchmayeri Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1986
- Striped panchaxStriped panchaxThe striped panchax, Aplocheilus lineatus, is a species of killifish, of the genus Aplocheilus. An aquarium variant of this species with a more yellowish coloration is known as golden wonder killifish. The striped panchax inhibits fresh and brackish waters of India and Sri Lanka. It is found in...
, Aplocheilus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1846) - Blue panchax, Aplocheilus panchax (Hamilton, 1822)
- Dwarf panchax, Aplocheilus parvus (Sundara Raj, 1916)
- Werner's killifish, Aplocheilus werneri Meinken, 1966