THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

MRAC B2-09-P-6, holotype, male, 44.7 mm SL, pond on left side of the road from Kabungo to Iloba, Karira stream, Katuma river drainage, altitude 1023 m, Tanzania, 06°22.061' S, 30°56.161' E; collected by K.  Kardashev & I. Ivanova, 21 May 2011 [field code: Mpanda K 2011-25].

MRAC B2-09-P-7-12 (6), MRAC B2-09-P-13-15 (3, c&s), MSNG 56890 (3)

Nothobranchius ivanovae males are similar to other members of the N. taeniopygus species group, differing from all other species of the genus by caudal and anal fin with a broad light sub-marginal band and dark margin. Differs from the similar and geographically closest N. taeniopygus from Ipati River (phenotype 4 sensu Wildekamp, 2004) by the following combination of characters: caudal fin red (vs. caudal fin pale brownish red) with subdistal band (vs. without band), anal fin with a creamy yellow broad submarginal band (vs. thin white band), and from N. taeniopygus from Wogo river (“phenotype 2” sensu Wildekamp 2004) by the following combination of characters: blue-grey scales (vs. light blue), caudal fin red (vs. pale brownish grey) with a subdistal and distal band (vs. without any band). In addition, N. ivanovae males have a relatively shorter head compared to N. taeniopygus “Ipati river” (29.5-34.6 vs. 33.0-37.5% SL), smaller eye (22.8-29.0 vs. 30.7-38.9% HL); more scales on lateral line (31 vs. 28-30), more dorsal and anal fin rays (17-18 vs. 14-15 and 17-18 vs. 15-17, respectively), shorter head compared to N. taeniopygus “Wogo river” (29.5-34.6 vs. 33.6-35.4% SL), more scales on lateral line (31 vs. 30), and more dorsal fin rays (17-18 vs. 15) (Valdesalici, 2012).

Subgenus: Zononothobranchius

Species group: N. taeniopygus group

Nothobranchius ivanovae was established as a species by Valdesalici in 2012, and that status has been accorded by all authors since.

Tanzania: pond on left side of the road from Kabungo to Iloba, Karira stream, Katuma river drainage, (06°22.061' S, 30°56.161' E).

This species is endemic to freshwater habitats in western Tanzania. It is known from a large marshland that covers about 50 km from Kabungo to Sibwesa, and belongs to the Katuma river drainage, western Tanzania.

Lake Tanganyika (542)

999–1023 m

N. kardashevi - 43%

This species has an annual life cycle.

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

Maximum size reported: 44.7 mm SL (MRAC B2-09-P-6, holotype, male)

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36, NF = 64, karyotype structure 22m+6sm+8st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

Karyotype structure unique in the genus.

The specific name is dedicated to the aquarist, collector, and co-discoverer of the species, Iva Ivanova from Dupnitsa, Bulgaria.

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

    Valdesalici, S. 2012. Nothobranchius kardashevi and Nothobranchius ivanovae (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae): two new annual killifishes from the Katuma River drainage, western Tanzania. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 18 (4): 191–198. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius ivanovae]

    Watters, B. R., B. Nagy, P. D. W. van der Merwe, F. P. D. Cotterill & D. U. Bellstedt. 2019. Review of the Nothobranchius taeniopygus species group from central and western Tanzania with descriptions of five new species and redescription of Nothobranchius taeniopygus (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, IEF-1110, pp. 1–41. [distribution, phylogeny, systematics]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius ivanovae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T53890320A58340339. [conservation]