Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Nothobranchiidae (African rivulines)
Etymology: Nothobranchius: Greek, nothos = false + Greek, brangchia = gill (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Peters.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 15; non-migratory. Tropical; 23°C - 30°C (Ref. 2060)
Africa: coastal plain from the lower Zambezi region south to the Mkuze River, in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa (Ref. 3788, 52193). Populations are threatened by destruction of pans and by anti-malarial and tsetse fly spraying programs (Ref. 7248).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52193)
Found on temporary pools, floodplains, swamps, rice fields, ditches and small streams (Ref. 3788). A slow-moving fish usually found in sections of a river where aquatic vegetation provide some cover (probably as a means of avoiding predators). Feeds on mosquito larvae, small crustaceans and other aquatic organisms (Ref. 6465). Used for mosquito larva control. Collection for the aquarium trade is controlled (Ref. 7248). Bottom spawner, 3-5 months incubation; it is difficult to maintain in aquarium (Ref. 27139).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Huber, J.H., 1996. Killi-Data 1996. Updated checklist of taxonomic names, collecting localities and bibliographic references of oviparous Cyprinodont fishes (Atherinomorpha, Pisces). Société Française d'Ichtyologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, 399 p. (Ref. 27139)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Aquarium: commercial
Tools
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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=0.01122 (0.00472 - 0.02669), b=2.94 (2.74 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.40 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).