THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

BMNH 1907.12.20.3-4 (2), MNHN 1912-0237 [ex NRM] (3), NRM 10002 (2), syntypes; Tanzania: inundated cocoa plantation at Tanga (approx. 05°04' S, 39°04' E), collected by Y. Sjöstedt, 1905.

Nothobranchius palmqvisti is closely related to N. guentheri but the latter has a greater number of scales (30-32) in the lateral line and depth of body greater than the length of head which is 3 1/3 times in total length without caudal. The situation of the origin of dorsal and anal fins is also different in N. guentheri in which both begin at the same vertical. The anal rays are longer in N. palmqvisti, being almost equal to the depth of the body, but in N. guentheri very much less (after Lönnberg, 1907).

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Nothobranchius palmqvisti males are characterized by a blue-green iridescent body with narrow red to red-brown scale borders, creating chevron-shaped crossbars on posterior part of the trunk. The dorsal fin is yellow to pale green and with narrow red-brown spots and stripes, whereas the anal fin is yellow to pale green with a slender red to red-brown banded pattern. The caudal fin and caudal peduncle are red.

Subgenus: Adiniops

Species group: N. guentheri group

Fundulus palmqvisti was established as a species by Lönnberg in 1907. Its species name was sometimes spelled erroneously as N. palmquisti. The exact identity of the species was not well defined and populations belonging to this species were called as N. species Tansania, whereas N. palmqvisti was used for the current species N. foerschi, until Wildekamp and Berkenkamp (1979) clarified the situation, when described the population that was called errouneusly as N. palmqvisti as a new species N. foerschi and referred the population that was called N. species Tansania as the true N. palmvisti.

Tanzania: inundated cocoa plantation at Tanga (approx. 05°04' S, 39°04' E).

This species is endemic to freshwater habitats in coastal Kenya and Tanzania. It is known from temporary pools and swamps from the lower Pangani, in the section below the Pangani Falls, and Umba river systems in north-eastern Tanzania and in the Umba and Ramisi river systems in south-eastern Kenya.

Tana, Athi, and Coastal drainages (567)

Pangani (568)

17–135 m

Personal observation at collecting sites (3 locations):

Water temperature: 24.6–27.2 °C

pH: 6.50–7.31

TDS:  53–721 ppm

Conductivity: 106–1442 µS

N. kwalensis - 26%

N. melanospilus - 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: 42.0 mm TL (Lönnberg, 1907)

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36 (Scheel, 1968 ['56 population]; Ewulonu et al., 1985 [Pangani]); NF 42, karyotype structure 6m+30st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018).

​Karyotype structure unique in the genus.

The specific name is given in honour of Gustaf Palmqvist, the maecenas of the Kilimanjaro - Meru expedition.

Vulnerable B1ab(iii) (Nagy & Watters, 2019);

Previous assessment: Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2006)

​    Lönnberg, E. 1907. Fishes. 8 pp. In: Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedische Zoologische Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und den Umgebenden Massaisteppen 1905-1906 unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Yngve Sjöstedt. K. Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Upsala, Sweden. [taxonomy as Fundulus palmqvisti]

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

    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 palmqvisti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T60430A47188686. [conservation]