Nothobranchius attenboroughi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Nothobranchiidae
Genus: Nothobranchius
Species:
N. attenboroughi
Binomial name
Nothobranchius attenboroughi
Nagy, Watters & Bellstedt, 2020

Nothobranchius attenboroughi is a species of brightly colored seasonal killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is endemic to Tanzania. It is currently known from ephemeral pools and marshes associated with the Grumeti River and other small systems draining into Lake Victoria at the east side of the lake, which ecological integrity is maintained by the congruence of its catchments largely within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.[2]

The small and colourful Nothobranchius fishes inhabit ephemeral habitats in freshwater wetlands of Africa and have extreme life-history adaptations. Members of the genus are recognized as seasonal fishes, with all known species having an annual or semi-annual life cycle, a key adaptation to reproduce in the seasonally arid savannah biome and allowing their eggs to survive the periodic drying up of the seasonal natural habitats.[3]

Nothobranchius fishes are subject to high levels of threat, with 72% of the species falling into one of the Threatened Red List categories, as a consequence of habitat destruction of seasonal wetlands. There is, therefore, a need to conserve ephemeral waters for species that rely on the seasonality of habitats. Phases in the seasonal life cycle underscore the vulnerabilities of ecological factors that need to be preserved to maintain the structural integrity of the habitats throughout both seasonal phases of wet and dry seasons.[4]

Sources

  1. ↑ Nagy, B.; Watters, B. (2020). "Nothobranchius attenboroughi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T175184840A175184849. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T175184840A175184849.en. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  2. ↑ Nagy, B., Watters, B.R., van der Merwe, P.D.W., Cotterill, F.P.D. & Bellstedt, D.U. (2020). Review of the Nothobranchius ugandensis species group from the inland plateau of eastern Africa with descriptions of six new species (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 30(1): 21–73. doi:10.23788/IEF-1129 ResearchGate:340922876
  3. ↑ Nagy, B. (2015) Life history and reproduction of Nothobranchius fishes. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 47 (4–6): 182–192. ResearchGate:341121138
  4. ↑ Nagy, B. & Watters, B.R. (2021) A review of the conservation status of seasonal Nothobranchius fishes (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes), a genus with a high level of threat, inhabiting ephemeral wetland habitats in Africa. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 32 (1): 199–216. doi:10.1002/aqc.3741 ResearchGate:355904136


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