THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

SAIAB 85540, holotype, male, 36.6 mm SL; Zambia: Eastern province, seasonal pool in the eastern bank floodplains of the Luangwa River, about 650 m south-east of Kapani Lodge and 1500 m from the river, near South Luangwa National Park main gate, 13°06'31.1" S, 31°47'35.2"  E; J. Boklund, 5 Mar 2009, [field code: Luangwa Valley ZAM 09-2].

SAIAB 85539 (1), SAIAB 85541 (2), MRAC 2009-33-P-1-2-3 (3), MSNG 55322 (3)

Nothobranchius boklundi is distinguished from all other species of the genus by a unique combination of characters in females that consist of pale red elongate spots over the dorsal and anal fin rays only (vs. if spots present then also on body and not red); males similar to the other members of the N. brieni species-group and differing from all other species of the genus by the caudal and anal fin proximal portions being spotted with a broad light submarginal band and dark margin, the absence of a dark margin on the dorsal fin, the absence of spots on the head and no black margin to the scales (Valdesalici, 2010).

This species occurs as two phenotypes. In the male, the proximal part of the anal fin is spotted and the distal half is yellow to orange. The caudal fin in red form is plain red with an orange-red subdistal band and a narrow black distal margin; the caudal fin in blue form is proximally grey-green with small dark red spots, with a broad white to light blue subdistal band and a narrow black distal margin.

Subgenus: Zononothobranchius

Species group: N. brieni group

Nothobranchius boklundi was established as a species by Valdesalici in 2010, and that status has been accorded by all authors since.

Zambia: Eastern province, seasonal pool in the eastern bank floodplains of the Luangwa River, about 650 m south-east of Kapani Lodge and 1500 m from the river, near South Luangwa National Park main gate, 13°06'31.1" S, 31°47'35.2" E

This species is endemic to eastern Zambia. It is known from temporary pools and swamps on the Luangwa River drainage, eastern Zambia.

Middle Zambezi–Luangwa (558)

523–528 m

Water parameters at type locality (Valdesalici, 2010):

Water temperature: 22.0 °C

pH: 7.20

None

This species has an annual life cycle.​

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

Maximum size reported: 43.8 mm SL (MSNG 55322, paratype, male)

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36, NF = 46, karyotype structure 6m+4sm+26st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

Karyotype structure shared with other species in the subgenus Zononothobranchius.

The specific name is given in honour of Jørn Boklund, Danish aquarist and collector of the species.

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

    Valdesalici, S. 2010. Nothobranchius boklundi (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae): a new annual killifish with two male colour morphs from the Luangwa River basin, Zambia. Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 16 (2): 51–60. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius boklundi]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius boklundi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T53884646A58340324. [conservation]