THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

MCSNG 15163, lectotype, male, 52.4 mm SL; Somalia: pools at the foot of the Egherta mountain, between Brava and Lugh (= present Lugh Galana); 02°20'N 43°20'E; V. Bottego, 31 Oct 1895.

MSNG 15163 (19)

​Nothobranchius microlepis differs from the other species of the genus by its humpback, convex dorsal profile and concave transition between head and body along dorsal midline, numerous small and irregularly set scales in the longitudinal series, 26-30 gill rakers in contrast to 12-15 in other species, long and closely set, dark vertical bar through the eye, uniform drab male colour pattern, and courting behaviour (Wildekamp & Haas, 1992).

Subgenus: Cynobranchius

Fundulus microlepis was established as a species by Vinciguerra in 1897, and that status has since been accepted by all authors. Myers assigned the species into the genus Nothobranchius in 1933. Wildekamp & Haas (1992) assigned N. microlepis into the subgenus Paranothobranchius, until Costa (2018) assigned it to the newly created subgenus Cynobranchius.

"Raccolti nello stagno Sahà, sotto il monte Egherta, tra Brava e Lugh."

​

[Pools at the foot of the Egherta mountain, between Brava and Lugh], southern Somalia; (02°20'N 43°20'E).

This species is endemic to seasonal freshwater habitats in eastern coastal Kenya, and in south-eastern coastal Somalia. It is known from temporary pools and water reservoirs in the middle Uebi Scebeli, middle Juba and upper Madogoi river systems in south-eastern coastal Somalia, and in the middle Tana and Ngeyeni river systems in eastern coastal Kenya.

Shebelle–Juba (531)

Tana, Athi, and Coastal drainages (567)

30–250 m

Personal observation at collecting sites (4 sites):

Water temperature: 26.6–34.9 °C

pH: 7.52–8.40

TDS:  131–195 ppm

Conductivity: 262–390 µS

N. jubbi - 47%

N. elongatus - 6%

This species has a semi-annual life cycle.

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

Maximum size reported: 61.8 mm SL (MCSNG 15163, paralectotypes)

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 24, NF = 26, karyotype structure 2m+22st/a (Scheel, 1990).

Karyotype structure unique in the genus.

The specific name is formed from mikros (in Greek for small) and lepisma (in Greek for scales), in reference to the small scales on sides.

Vulnerable B2ab(iii) (Nagy & Watters, 2019);

Previous assessment: Least Concern (Getahun & Hanssens, 2010);

Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2006)

    Vinciguerra, D. 1897. Pesci raccolti dal Cap. V. Bottego, durante la sua seconda spedizione nelle regione dei Somali e dei Galla. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 17 (37): 343–364. [taxonomy as Fundulus microlepis]

    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. [morphology, systematics]

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

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

    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. [phylogeny]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius microlepis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T60438A47189216. [conservation]