THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

ZFMK 13551, holotype, male, 32.3 mm SL; Tanzania: 40 km south of Dar-es-Salaam, under the bridge over the Mbezi along the road to Kibiti; H. J. Wischmann & L. Seegers, Jan 1983, [field code: TZ 83-5].

BMNH 1984.3.22.1-2 (2); ZFMK 13552 (1), 13553-56 (4)

"Eine klein bleibende, außerordentlich schlanke Nothobranchius-Art aus der Untergattung Aphyobranchius, mit sehr weit zurückgesetzten Rücken-, After- und Bauchflossen und spitzem Kopf (Seegers, 1984)."

[A small, extremely slender species of Nothobranchius from the subgenus Aphyobranchius, with very rearward set dorsal, anal and pelvic fins, and a pointed head.]

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Nothobranchius luekei is a small species of the genus, having a pointed snout, slender body (body height 19–25 % SL), a rearward positioned dorsal fin (predorsal length 66–73 % SL), an anal fin that is rectangular shaped, with orange spots proximally, a yellow subdistal band and an orange distal band.

Subgenus: Aphyobranchius

Species group: N. janpapi group

Nothobranchius luekei was established as a species by Seegers in 1984, and that status has since been accepted by all authors.

"40 km südlich Dar es Salaaam unter der Brücke der Straβe nach Kibiti über den Mbezi."

[Tanzania: 40 km south of Dar-es-Salaam, under the bridge over the Mbezi along the road to Kibiti.]

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

Coastal East Africa (564)

22–99 m

Water parameters of collecting sites: temperature of 22–29°C; pH of 7.1–8.0; conductivity of 60–280 µS; and typically turbid. (Nagy & Watters, 2019).

N. melanospilus - 60%

N. rubripinnis - 60%

N. ruudwildekampi - 60%

N. albimarginatus - 20%

N. lucius - 13%

N. lourensi - 7%

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: 32.3 mm SL (ZFMK 13551, holotype, male) 

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 38, NF = 40, karyotype structure 2m+36st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

Karyotype structure unique in the genus.

The specific name is given in honor of Karl-Heinz Lüke, German aquarist and first breeder of the species, "who not only managed to breed this extremely difficult species and also carried out the crossbreeding experiments, but who also made my scientific work much easier and often only made it possible by breeding and keeping most of the fish that I brought back with me" (Seegers, 1984).

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

Previous assessment: Vulnerable D2 (IUCN Red List 2006)

    Seegers, L. 1984. Nothobranchius luekei spec. nov., ein neuer Prachtgrundkärpfling aus Tanzania. Die Aquarien und Terrarien Zeitschrift, 37 (7): 248–252. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius luekei]

    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. [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 luekei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T60336A47183695. [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]