Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Aphaniidae (Oriental killifishes)
Etymology: Esmaeilius: Named for Hamid Reza Esmaeili (Shiraz) for his extensive contribution to the understanding of diversity within this genus; isfahanensis: Named for the province and its capital city, Isfahan, central Iran.
Eponymy: Dr Hamid Reza Esmaeili is an Iranian biologist and ichthyologist at Shiraz University, Shiraz where he is full Professor of Ichthyology. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 57741). Subtropical
Asia: Iran.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94835); 3.8 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 13; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12. This species is clearly distinguished at the genetic level from its congeners in having 82 molecular apomorphies-19 transversions, 2 transversions/transitions (depending on comparison), and 61 transitions - that show fixed character state differences to homologous characters analyzed in sophiae, persicus and vladykovi from Iran. Thirty-seven of these character states are also apomorphies when compared to anatoliae, danfordii, villwocki, asquamatus and fasciatus from Turkey (see www.cyprinodontiformes.org).
Males can be distinguished from all other Iranian species by having distinct black edge on the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins; the dorsal fin is covered with a high density of black blotches (also observed in males of Aphanius anatoliae from Turkey).
Females can be distinguished from those of sophiae and vladykovi by having flank-bars rather than spots; from persicus by less well-defined bars terminating at a mid-flank stripe and a relatively light gray stripe at the caudal-fin base rather than a black spot or blotch. However, flank-bars are also characteristic of females of dispar and fasciatus. Aphanius isfahanensis can be distinguished unambiguously only from vladykovi by a lower lateral-line scale count, but not with any morphometric or meristic character from sophiae or persicus (Ref. 57741).
Collected from the lower reaches of the Zayanadeh River, 50 m width and 0.5 m depth, where water temperature is 27°C, pH 6.7, brackish water, conductivity 10.9 mS, dissolved solids 5450 ppm, dissolved oxygen 12.3 mg/L; current is slow and no cover (Ref. 57741).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hrbek, T., Y. Keivany and B.W. Coad, 2006. New species of Aphanius (Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae) from Isfahan Province of Iran and a reanalysis of other Iranian species. Copeia 2006(2):244-255. (Ref. 57741)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00912 (0.00692 - 0.01202), b=3.23 (3.19 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).