Aphyosemion

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Aphyosemion
Colored splendor (Aphyosemion australe)

Colored splendor ( Aphyosemion australe )

Systematics
Ovalentaria
Superordinate : Earfish relatives (Atherinomorphae)
Order : Toothpies (Cyprinodontiformes)
Subordination : Aplocheiloidei
Family : Nothobranchiidae
Genre : Aphyosemion
Scientific name
Aphyosemion
Myers , 1924

Aphyosemion is a genus of freshwater fish belonging to the group of the males in the family Nothobranchiidae . The scientific name comes from the Greek and refers to the extended dorsal and caudal fins of many species ("aphye" = small fish, anchovy; "semeion" = flag, pennant).

Distribution area

The distribution area extends to West and Central Africa and extends from the Ivory Coast to the northern and central Congo Basin . The distribution limit in the east is the Great African Rift Valley , which the genus does not reach. In the north you can find the calves up to the Shari , in the south to the lower reaches of the Kasai . In the extreme, western Africa from Senegal to Ghana , the genus is replaced by Callopanchax .

features

Aphyosemion species have an elongated body with a round front in cross section and in most cases are extremely colorful. Their body length is between 2.5 and 9 cm. The eyes are relatively large, the mouth wide, above and with numerous small teeth. The lower jaw protrudes slightly. The outer row of teeth usually consists of conical teeth. The pectoral fins are set relatively low. Scales are cycloid or cycloctenoid, the sideline is incomplete, with neuromasts on the head and body. Corpses have nine (derived) to twenty (original) chromosomes .

There is a noticeable gender dimorphism . The males are in most cases very colored and have enlarged fins, the females are more gray to brownish with paler markings and colorless fins.

Way of life

Aphyosemion species mostly colonize small streams, ponds and rivulets in the rainforest , but also in open humid savannas . They are bad swimmers, but good jumpers and feed mainly on insects that have fallen on the surface of the water. What they all have in common is that they do not live in flocks, the males are aggressive towards each other, which differs from species to species in its expression.

Among the aphyosemion species, there are annual seasonal fish that live in periodic waters , semi-manual and non-manual species, corresponding to the different water types. The eggs of the first have a thick shell and go through a more or less long diapause . The eggs are laid on aquatic plants or on the ground.

Annual aphyosemion species only live to a maximum of one year, the others can live to around three years.

Systematics

Aphyosemion is a relatively extensive genus that is divided into various subspecies. Some of these subspecies have recently been raised to the genus rank ( Archiaphyosemion , Callopanchax , Fundulopanchax , Scriptaphyosemion ) and others have been assigned to these new genera.

species

According to Fishbase , almost 100 species are included in the genus.

literature

  • Werner Neumann: Aphyosemion. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , pp. 63-71.
  • Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
  • Melanie Stiassny, Guy Teugels & Carl D. Hopkins: The Fresh and Brackish Water Fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa. Volume 2, ISBN 9789074752213 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Agnèse, J.-F., Chirio, L., Legros, O., Oslisly, R. & Bhé, HM (2018): Unexpected discovery of six new species of Aphyosemion (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheilidae) in the Wonga-Wongué Presidential Reserve in Gabon. European Journal of Taxonomy, 471: 1-28.

Web links

Commons : Aphyosemion  - collection of images, videos and audio files