Epiplatys
| Epiplatys | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Epiplatys | ||||||||||||
| Gill , 1862 |
The name Epiplatys ( Greek epi platys - meaning "flat on the upper side") denotes a species of fish from the order of the toothfish (Cyprinodontiformes) living in Africa . It should be noted, however, that the German name Hechtlinge is also used for the genera Aplocheilus and Pachypanchax as well as the family Galaxiidae . This means that mix-ups are possible.
Occurrence
The distribution area of the genus Epiplatys is limited to the western part of Africa between Senegal , northern Angola and southern Sudan . The fish inhabit small streams there as well as accumulations of water in the rainforest and savannah areas .
Appearance
Depending on the species, the animals reach a maximum total length of five to ten centimeters. The body is elongated like a pike and has an approximately round cross-section, the dorsal fin and anal fin are set back. The back line is straight, the mouth above . The sexual dimorphism is more or less pronounced, depending on the species, as a rule the females remain significantly smaller, while the males are more colorful and their fins are often enlarged. The light-sensitive pineal organ is located on the head , with which the animals living on the surface can perceive dangers from above in the form of light-dark fluctuations.
Way of life
The animals live surface-oriented under floating plants and the flooding parts of other plants. As ambulance hunters, they feed mainly on insects , insect larvae and aquatic invertebrates that have fallen into the water , but also prey on smaller fish larvae.
Reproduction
The fish are detention spawners . After a courtship, a few eggs are laid individually on delicate aquatic plants or root fibers. The development time of the eggs is between ten and fifteen days, depending on the species. The parent animals do not care for the brood. In captivity, the animals reach sexual maturity four to eight months after hatching and are fully grown after one to two years.
Systematics
- Ringed pike ( Epiplatys annulatus ) (Boulenger, 1915)
- Ansorges Hechtling ( Epiplatys ansorgii ) (Boulenger, 1911)
- Epiplatys atratus van der Zee et al., 2013
- Epiplatys azureus (Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1983)
- Barmoi pike ( Epiplatys barmoiensis ) (Scheel, 1968)
- Biafran pike ( Epiplatys biafranus ) (Radda, 1970)
-
Epiplatys bifasciatus
- Two-banded pike ( Epiplatys bifasciatus bifasciatus ) (Steindachner, 1881)
- Epiplatys bifasciatus taeniatus (Pfaff, 1933)
- Gold Coast Pike ( Epiplatys chaperi ) (Sauvage, 1882)
- Chevaliers pike ( Epiplatys chevalieri ) (Pellegrin, 1904)
- Epiplatys coccinatus (Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1982)
-
Epiplatys dageti
- Banded pike ( Epiplatys dageti dageti ) (Poll, 1953)
- Monrovia pike ( Epiplatys dageti monroviae ) (Arnoult & Daget, 1965)
- Eseka pike ( Epiplatys esekanus ) (Scheel, 1968)
- Etzels Hechtling ( Epiplatys etzeli ) (Berkenkamp, 1975)
- Hechtling ( Epiplatys fasciolatus ) (Günther, 1866)
- Graham's pike ( Epiplatys grahami ) (Boulenger, 1911)
- Guinea pike ( Epiplatys guineensis ) (Romand, 1994)
- Hildegards Hechtling ( Epiplatys hildegardae ) (Berkenkamp, 1978)
- Huber's pike ( Epiplatys huberi ) (Radda & Pürzl, 1981)
- Epiplatys infrafasciatus (Günther, 1866)
- Epiplatys josianae (Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1983)
- Epiplatys lamottei (Daget, 1954)
- Epiplatys longiventralis (Boulenger, 1911)
- Epiplatys mesogramma (Huber, 1980)
- Boulengers pike ( Epiplatys multifasciatus ) (Boulenger, 1913)
- Neumanns Hechtling ( Epiplatys neumanni ) (Berkenkamp, 1993)
- Njala pike ( Epiplatys njalaensis ) (Neumann, 1976)
-
Epiplatys olbrechtsi
- Epiplatys olbrechtsi dauresi (Romand, 1985)
- Epiplatys olbrechtsi kassiapleuensis (Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1977)
- Epiplatys olbrechtsi olbrechtsi (Poll, 1941)
- European pike ( Epiplatys phoeniceps ) (Huber, 1980)
- Roloff's pike ( Epiplatys roloffi ) (Romand, 1978)
- Ruhkopf-Hechtling ( Epiplatys Ruhkopfi ) (Berkenkamp & Etzel, 1980)
- Sangmelima pike ( Epiplatys sangmelinensis ) (Ahl, 1928)
-
Epiplatys sexfasciatus
- Rathke's six-banded pike ( Epiplatys sexfasciatus rathkei ) (Radda, 1970)
- Six-banded pike ( Epiplatys sexfasciatus sexfasciatus ) (Gill, 1862)
- Togolese pike ( Epiplatys sexfasciatus togolensis ) (Loiselle, 1971)
- Epiplatys singa (Boulenger, 1899)
- Epiplatys spilargyreius (Duméril, 1861)
- Epiplatys superbus (Ahl, 1924)
- Epiplatys zenkeri (Ahl, 1928)
(Classification according to FishBase.)
swell
literature
- Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquarien Atlas, Volume 1 , 15th edition, Mergus Verlag, Melle 2007, ISBN 978-3-88244-227-4
- Lothar Seegers: Killifische - egg-laying tooth carps in the aquarium , Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 978-3-80017-055-5
Web links
- Epiplatys on Fishbase.org (English)
- Working group Hechtlinge of the DKG