THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

BMNH 1979.6.12.1, holotype, male, 56.8 mm SL; Kenya: temporary swamp west of Kikambala, ca. 15 km north of Mombasa; collected by E. Holler in Aug 1978.

BMNH 1979.6.12.2-5 (4), MRAC 74-48-P-24 (1), MRAC 79-07-P-163-171 (9), ZSM 24531 (5)

Nothobranchius interruptus males have a grey-green body and a pale to clear red caudal fin. It differs from the other species of the genus by the grey marginal band on the dominantly red caudal fin that is often incomplete, interrupted, and broken by the red inner colour.

Subgenus: Adiniops

Species group: N. melanospilus group

Nothobranchius jubbi interruptus was established as a subspecies by Wildekamp & Berkenkamp in 1979. Seegers (1981) proposed Nothobranchius interruptus as a valid species, and that status has since been accepted by all authors.

"Sumpf westlich von Kikambala, ca. 15 km nördlich von Mombasa, im Küstentiefland Kenias."

Swamp west of Kikambala, about 15 km north of Mombasa, in the coastal lowland of Kenya (03°54' S, 39°47' E).

This species is endemic to seasonal freshwater habitats in coastal Kenya. It is known from temporary swamps near Kikambala in the coastal part in eastern Kenya.

Tana, Athi, and Coastal drainages (567)

17–75 m

Personal observation at collecting sites:

Water temperature: 27.3–31.6 °C

pH: 7.04–7.41

TDS:  322–442 ppm

Conductivity: 644–884 µS

None

This species has a semi-annual life cycle.

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

Maximum size reported: 56.8 mm SL (BMNH 1979.6.12.1, holotype, male) 

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36, NF = 50, karyotype structure 8m+6sm+22st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

Karyotype structure unique in the genus.

The specific name is formed from inter- and ruptus (in Latin for broken, interrupted), in reference to the interrupted, broken gray marginal band in the caudal fins of males.

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

Previous assessment: Vulnerable D2 (IUCN Red List 2006)

​    Wildekamp, R. H. & H. O. Berkenkamp. 1979. Untersuchungen zur Identität von Nothobranchius neumanni (Hilgendorf, 1905) aus Tansania, mit der Beschreibung einer neuen Art und einer Unterart aus dem Küstentiefland Kenias. Deutsche Killifisch Gemeinschaft Journal 11 (5): 65–75. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius jubbi interruptus]

    Seegers, L. 1981. Nothobranchius cyaneus spec. nov., ein neuer Prachtgrundkärpfling aus Kenia. Die Aquarien und Terrarien Zeitschrift, 34 (11): 365–368. [systematics as Nothobranchius interruptus valid sp]

    Nagy, B. 2007. Collecting Nothobranchius - My special Souvenir from Kenya 2007. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 40 (4): 97–113. [collecting]

    Nagy, B. 2009. Distribution of Nothobranchius species in the coastal part of Kenya. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 42 (5): 194–214. [collecting, distribution]

    Nagy, B. & K. Shidlovsky. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of the Nothobranchius species of coastal Kenya. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 45 (2): 34–51. [phylogeny, distribution]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius interruptus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T60432A47188802. [conservation]

    Watters, B. R., B. Nagy, P. D. W. van der Merwe, F. P. D. Cotterill & D. U. Bellstedt. 2020. Redescription of the seasonal killifish species Nothobranchius ocellatus and description of a related new species Nothobranchius matanduensis, from eastern Tanzania (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, IEF-1149, pp. 1–28. [phylogeny]