THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

BMNH 1957.11.22: 5, holotype, male, 48.2 mm SL; Kenya: from waterholes on a journey across the Boji plains, on the way to Merti; approx. 01°30' N, 39°10' E; J. C. Battersby, 15 Dec 1951.

BMNH 1957.11.22.6-19 (14), 1957.11.22.20-54 (35)

Nothobranchius bojiensis differs from the other species of the genus, with the exception of N. fasciatus, by its strongly curved dorsal profile with almost no transition to the head. It differs from the related N. microlepis by its curved versus concave dorsal-head transition, greater interorbital width, shorter snout, higher number of rays in dorsal and anal fins and higher number of scales on the longitudinal series. It differs from related N. fasciatus by greater body depth in males, higher number of rays in dorsal and anal fins and higher number of scales of 39 to 45 on the longitudinal series (after Wildekamp & Haas, 1992).

Males have an overall blue-grey body with crossbars along the base of the dorsal and anal fins. Females have narrow grey crossbars along the base of the dorsal and anal fins and short light grey vertical stripes on posteroventral part of the trunk.

​Subgenus: Cynobranchius

Nothobranchius bojiensis was established as a species by Wildekamp & Haas in 1992, and that status has been accorded by all authors since.

Kenya: from waterholes on a journey across the Boji plains, on the way to Merti; (approx. 01°30' N, 39°10' E)

This species is endemic to freshwater habitats in north-eastern Kenya. It is known from temporary pools and swamps in the Ewaso Ng'iro drainage, north-eastern Kenya.

Shebelle–Juba (531)

202–205 m

Personal observation at collecting sites:

Water temperature: 25.2–27.2 °C

pH: 8.39–8.76

TDS:  302–324 ppm

Conductivity: 604–648 µS

N. jubbi - 33%

This species has a semi-annual life cycle.​

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

Maximum size reported: 49.2 mm SL (BMNH 1957.11.22: 6-19, paratype)

Not known

The specific name refers to the type locality, originating from the Boji Plain.

Vulnerable B1ab(iii) (Nagy & Watters, 2019);

Previous assessment: Vulnerable D2 (Hanssens, 2006)

​    Wildekamp, R. H. & Haas, R. 1992. Redescription of Nothobranchius microlepis, description of two new species from northern Kenya and southern Somalia, and note on the status of Paranothobranchius (Cyprinidontiformes: Aplocheilidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 3 (1): 1–16. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius bojiensis]

    Nagy, B. 2010. In search of Nothobranchius bojiensis in the wilderness of north-eastern Kenya. Nothobranchius Archives, 1 (4): 3–17. [collecting, morphology]

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

    Nagy, B., F. P. D. Cotterill & D. U. Bellstedt. 2016. Nothobranchius sainthousei, a new species of annual killifish from the Luapula River drainage in northern Zambia (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 27 (3): 233–254. [phylogeny]

    Nagy, B. & B. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius bojiensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T60431A47188751. [conservation]