Pachypanchax sparksorum
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pachypanchax sparksorum | ||||||||||||
| Loiselle , 2006 |
Pachypanchax sparksorum is a member of thefish genus Pachypanchax, which is endemicto Madagascar . The specific epithet isdedicated to John S. Sparks and Karen Riseng Sparks, who documented occurrences of this species for the first time andcollectedthe specimens of the type series .
distribution and habitat
So far the species has only been found in the Ankofia river basin in northeast Madagascar and in its main tributary, Anjingo . Suspected occurrences in the adjacent catchment area of the Maevarano to the north still require proof. The waters inhabited by P. sparksorum have clear, very soft (0.3397 to 0.39965 mmol / l) water with a pH value between 6.8 and 7.8. Their bottom is rocky and interspersed with sandy spots and rubble. The banks of the main streams are covered with dense, overhanging vegetation, but these waters themselves are very poor in vegetation. Here the species is mostly in the shelter of flat areas on the bank or around large stones.
Appearance
The shape of P. sparksorum corresponds to the habitus typical of the species . With a standard length of about 55 millimeters, the species belongs to the medium-sized Pachypanchax . The demarcation to the relatives from the same genus is made primarily by the shed dress. P. sparksorum differs from all other members of the genera except P. sakaramyi due to the half size of the breast scales compared to the sides . In contrast to this, the base of the caudal and anal fin are not scaly and the base of the dorsal fin is longer in relation to the body size. Ten to eleven brachio spins sit on the first gill arch . Along the side line carries P. sparksorum 32 to 33 cycloid scales .
Fins formula : dorsal III – IV / 8–11, anals II – III / 14–18, pectorals 14–16, ventral I / 5
Way of life
The excrement of captured P. sparksorum suggests a composition of the food spectrum from approach food, i.e. terrestrial insects fallen into the water, larvae and nymphs of aquatic insects and small freshwater crabs. The fish, in turn, are mainly pursued by piscivorous birds and predatory aquatic insects. The spawning season probably extends over the entire southern summer . At least in the case of animals kept in the aquarium, it was observed that individual eggs can stick to the sexual opening of the female after fertilization, possibly clump together with other eggs and only fall off after a few hours. This retention of spawn is not known from any other Pachypanchax .
status
The species is represented in large numbers within its range, but its pronounced spatial limitation is still problematic for species conservation.
literature
- Paul V. Loiselle: A review of the Malagasy Pachypanchax (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheilidae), with descriptions of four new species . In: Zootaxa . No. 1520, 2006, ISSN 1175-5326 (print) ISSN 1175-5334 (online), pp. 30–34 ( PDF, 676 kB )
Web links
Pachypanchax sparksorum on Fishbase.org (English)