Striped nothobranch
Encyclopedia
The Striped Nothobranch (Nothobranchius taeniopygus) is a ray-finned fish species
in the family
Nothobranchiidae
. Its family was formerly included in the Aplocheilidae
, but it is not as closely related to Aplocheilus
as was long believed.
The IUCN Red List
lists Astatotilapia stappersii as its junior synonym, but this is a lapsus
; apart from both being East Africa
n Acanthopterygii
, the nothobranch ist neither similar nor closely related to the cichlid
A. stappersii, which the IUCN in fact features in a separate entry under its old name Haplochromis stappersii.
Its maximum recorded total length is 5.5 cm (2.2 in). Males are readily recognised by their bold blackish scale
rims, and anal and caudal fins which have a black margin ith a lighter band below; such a colour pattern is not found in other Nothobranchius
. Females are nondescript and resemble those of congener
s. The anal and dorsal fin
s of the Striped Nothobranch have no spines, but, respectively, 16-18 and 11-17 soft rays.
and southern Uganda
, and perhaps southwestern Kenya
. It has been introduced to other places in its native countries, and probably also Zambia
. Earlier it was believed to occur in Burundi
also, but this is at least doubtful. This killifish
's native range are the drainage basin
s of Lake Kyoga
and Victoria
, and the Aswa, Bubu and Malagarasi River
.
Its natural habitat
s are river
s, swamp
s, freshwater lake
s and marsh
es, temporary pools, floodplain
s and inland deltas. It can inhabit fairly cool (for its tropical range) water, with a temperature of 18–24 °C (64.4–75.2 F), but of course it must be very eurytherm
ic as the small pools and puddles it usually inhabits will heat up rapidly during the day and cool down just as rapidly in the night. The pH
in its habitat has been measured at 8.2 (somewhat alkaline) and the water hardness at 6° dH (rather soft), but this may not be indicative of its preferences and tolerance as very little data exists. A small carnivore
, it feeds on aquatic
invertebrate
s, mainly insect
larva
e and crustacean
s. Like its relatives it is semelparous and spawn
s in the dry season
. The eggs are deposited in the substrate
, and the parents then die, as the small waterbodies which they inhabit would mostly dry up anyway. The egg
s are adapted
to surviving the drying-up in diapause
, and can even be entirely outside the water for a time, as long as the substrate is still moist. They hatch after 3–5 months.
It is not considered a threatened species
by the IUCN. Locally, populations may disappear after habitat destruction
and water pollution
by agriculture
. On the other hand, it is very widespread and resilient, and to some degree used for mosquito control
in and around its native range. It is sometimes found as an aquarium
fish, but unlike some other Nothobranchius, it is difficult to keep as its requirements are still insufficiently known.
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...
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...
Nothobranchiidae
Nothobranchiidae
Nothobranchiidae are a family of bony fishes containing roughly 300 species. They are small killifish, usually measuring about . They are essentially limited to Africa, and were formerly included in the family Aplocheilidae...
. Its family was formerly included in 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,...
, but it is not as closely related to Aplocheilus
Aplocheilus
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...
as was long believed.
The IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
lists Astatotilapia stappersii as its junior synonym, but this is a lapsus
Lapsus
A lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Freud's early psychoanalytic theory, a lapsus represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
; apart from both being East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n Acanthopterygii
Acanthopterygii
Acanthopterygii is a superorder of bony fishes in the class Actinopterygii. Members of this superorder are also known as the ray-finned fishes for the characteristic sharp, bony rays in their fins; however this name is also often given to the class Actinopterygii as a whole.Orders:* Order...
, the nothobranch ist neither similar nor closely related to the cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
A. stappersii, which the IUCN in fact features in a separate entry under its old name Haplochromis stappersii.
Its maximum recorded total length is 5.5 cm (2.2 in). Males are readily recognised by their bold blackish scale
Scale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
rims, and anal and caudal fins which have a black margin ith a lighter band below; such a colour pattern is not found in other Nothobranchius
Nothobranchius
Nothobranchius is a genus of freshwater annual fish from East Africa in the family Nothobranchiidae which was long included in the Aplocheilidae. Many species have very small distributions. There are many species: as of April 2010 there are a total of 54 nominal species, not counting subspecies...
. Females are nondescript and resemble those of congener
Congener
Congener has several different meanings depending on the field in which it is used. Colloquially, it is used to mean a person or thing like another, in character or action.-Biology:In biology, congeners are organisms within the same genus...
s. The anal and dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
s of the Striped Nothobranch have no spines, but, respectively, 16-18 and 11-17 soft rays.
Range and ecology
N. taeniopygus is found in central TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and southern Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, and perhaps southwestern Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It has been introduced to other places in its native countries, and probably also Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. Earlier it was believed to occur in Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
also, but this is at least doubtful. This 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...
's native range are the drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s of Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...
and Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
, and the Aswa, Bubu and Malagarasi River
Malagarasi River
The Malagarasi River is Tanzania's second longest river. It empties into the eastern side of Lake Tanganyika about 25 miles south of Kigoma, and is one of the lake's primary inflows. The Malagarasi pre-dates Lake Tanganyika and was formerly a tributary of the Congo River to its west...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, freshwater lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, temporary pools, floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s and inland deltas. It can inhabit fairly cool (for its tropical range) water, with a temperature of 18–24 °C (64.4–75.2 F), but of course it must be very eurytherm
Eurytherm
A eurytherm is an organism that can function at a wide range of different body temperatures.For example, a goldfish can function with a body temperature ranging from 5 to 30 degrees C. They are contrasting to stenothermic organisms....
ic as the small pools and puddles it usually inhabits will heat up rapidly during the day and cool down just as rapidly in the night. The pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
in its habitat has been measured at 8.2 (somewhat alkaline) and the water hardness at 6° dH (rather soft), but this may not be indicative of its preferences and tolerance as very little data exists. A small carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, it feeds on aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, mainly insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. Like its relatives it is semelparous and spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
s in the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
. The eggs are deposited in the substrate
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
, and the parents then die, as the small waterbodies which they inhabit would mostly dry up anyway. The egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s are adapted
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
to surviving the drying-up in diapause
Diapause
Diapause is the delay in development in response to regularly and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions. It is considered to be a physiological state of dormancy with very specific initiating and inhibiting conditions...
, and can even be entirely outside the water for a time, as long as the substrate is still moist. They hatch after 3–5 months.
It is not considered a threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
by the IUCN. Locally, populations may disappear after habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
by agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. On the other hand, it is very widespread and resilient, and to some degree used for mosquito control
Mosquito control
Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria.Mosquito-control...
in and around its native range. It is sometimes found as an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish, but unlike some other Nothobranchius, it is difficult to keep as its requirements are still insufficiently known.