THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

BMNH 2010.12.6.1, holotype, male, 31.8 mm SL; Zambia: Northern Province, ephemeral pool in the swamp of the seasonal Mwawe River, , Mweru Wantipa Lake drainage basin, about five km west of Kalaba village, south side of the road, 08°25.300' S, 29°50.474' E; collected by G. Amato, J. Boklund, K. Østergaard & S. Valdesalici, 16 Feb 2010, [field code: Mweru Wantipa ZAM 10-4].

MRAC 2010-33-P-4 (1), MSNG 56047A-B-C (3, 1 c&s), SAIAB 98224 (1)

​Nothobranchius oestergaardi males similar to other members of N. taeniopygus species group, differing from all other species of Nothobranchius by caudal and anal fins having broad pale sub-marginal band and dark margin. Nothobranchius oestergaardi differing from members of N. taeniopygus species group by following combination of characters: proximal portion of caudal fin plain red; dorsal fin without  coloured margin; body without distinct black spots anteriorly; anal fin striped, distal portion of anal fin cream then light blue and with broad dark brown border; distal portion of pelvic fin plain light blue (after Valdesalici & Amato, 2011).

Subgenus: Zononothobranchius

Species group: N. brieni group

Nothobranchius oestergaardi was established as a species by Valdesalici & Amato in 2011, and that status has since been accepted by all authors.

Zambia: Northern Province, ephemeral pool in the swamp of the seasonal Mwawe River, Mweru Wantipa Lake drainage basin, about five km west of Kalaba village, south side of the road (08°25.300' S, 29°50.474' E).

This species is endemic to seasonal freshwater habitats in northern Zambia. It is known only from an ephemeral pool in the swamps of the seasonal Mwawe River of the drainage system of the Mweru Wantipa Lake basin, northern Zambia.

Bangweulu–Mweru (544)

939 m

Water parameters at type locality (Valdesalici & Amato, 2011):

pH: 6.10

Conductivity: 207 μS

None

This species has an semi-annual life cycle.

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

Maximum size reported: 42.7 mm SL (MSNG 56047A-B-C, paratype, male).

Not known

The specific name is dedicated to the collector and friend Kaj Østergaard, Denmark, for his contributions over a long period of time on field investigations that have led to the discovery of many new populations of Nothobranchius species in numerous countries.

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

    Valdesalici, S. & G. Amato. 2011. Nothobranchius oestergaardi (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae), a new annual killifish from Mweru Wantipa Lake drainage basin, northern Zambia. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 17 (2): 111–119. [taxonomy as Nothobranchius oestergaardi]

    Nagy, B., F. P. D. Cotterill & D. U. Bellstedt. 2016. Nothobranchius sainthousei, a new species of annual killifish from the Luapula River drainage in northern Zambia (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 27 (3): 233–254. [phylogeny]

    Nagy, B. & B. R. Watters. 2019. Nothobranchius oestergaardi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T53904378A58340379. [conservation]