THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

​MRAC 97-82-P-9, holotype, male, 32.5 mm SL; Tanzania, Kiparanganda, pools on both sides of the B2 road from Dar es Salaam to Ikwiriri, about 0.5 km south of Lukwale River, 07°11.40' S, 39°10.31' E; B. Watters, R. Wildekamp & B. Cooper, 11 Jun 1997 [field code: Kiparanganda TAN 97-40].

​MRAC 97-82-P-10-21 (12)

Nothobranchius albimarginatus differs from all other species of the N. guentheri species group, with the exception of N. korthausae, N. palmqvisti and N. ruudwildekampi by a distinct white margin to the dorsal and anal fins. It is distinguished from the latter three species by a pointed snout and relatively large curved teeth in the outer row of the lower and upper jaws (after Watters et al. 1998).

It is distinguished from the yellow-brown phenotype of N. korthausae and from N. ruudwildekampi by a red caudal fin. The female has a rhomboidal body shape and a uniform grey reticulation on the flanks.

Subgenus: Adiniops

Species group: N. guentheri group

Nothobranchius albimarginatus was established as a species by Watters, Wildekamp & Cooper in 1998, and that status has since been accepted by all authors.

"Tansania, Kiparanganda, in Tümpeln an beiden Seiten der Strasse B2 von Dar es Salaam nach Ikwiriri, ungefähr 0,5 km südlich des Lukwale Flusses."

[Tanzania, Kiparanganda, pools on both sides of the B2 road from Dar es Salaam to Ikwiriri, about 0.5 km south of Lukwale River.] 

07°11.40' S, 39°10.31' E

​This species is endemic to freshwater habitats in coastal Tanzania. It is known from seasonal pools and swamps in the drainages of the Mbezi, Lukwale and Luhule/Luhute river systems, south of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Coastal East Africa (564)

​17–76 m

Water parameters at the type locality (Watters et al., 1998):

Water temperature 24 °C

pH 6.02 

Conductivity 120 µS

Personal observation at collecting sites:

Water temperature: 27.8–29.1 °C

pH: 7.09–7.39

TDS:  156–215 ppm

Conductivity: 312–430 µS

​N. melanospilus - 64%

N. luekei - 21%

N. ruudwildekampi - 21%

N. rubripinnis - 14%

​This species has a semi-annual life cycle.

Embryonic development under captive conditions in peat moss is about two to three months at room temperature.

​Maximum size reported: 32.5 mm SL (MRAC 97-82-P-9, holotype, male)

​Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36, NF = 38, karyotype structure 2m+34st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

Karyotype structure shared with some other members of the N. guentheri species group in Adiniops subgenus.

The specific name is formed from albus (in Latin for white) and margo (in Latin for margin), in reference to the white margins of the dorsal and anal fins of males.

Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) (Nagy & Watters, 2019);

Previous assessment: Vulnerable D2 (Hanssens & Snoeks, 2006)

​    Watters, B. R., R. H. Wildekamp & B. J. Cooper. 1998. Zwei neue Nothobranchius-Arten aus der Küstenebene Tansanias. Deutsche Killifisch Gemeinschaft Journal, 30 (3): 52–63. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius albimarginatus]

    Nagy, B. & A. Horváth Kis. 2010. Variation in habitat characteristics and the occurrence of Nothobranchius species in seasonal biotopes of Tanzania. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 43 (5): 130–144. [collecting, ecology]

    Nagy, B. 2010. A la recherche de killis sur l’île de Pemba et dans la partie côtière de la Tanzanie. Killi Revue, Killi Club de France, 2010 (5): 3–11. [collecting]

    Nagy, B. 2015. Life history and reproduction of Nothobranchius fishes. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 47 (4–6): 182–192. [ecology]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius albimarginatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T61268A47242786. [conservation]