THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

MSNG 23260 (9) & 33702 (36), syntypes, marshes of Harenaga, collected by S. Patrizi, Sep 1923.

Questo specie è molto vicina ad ... F. Palmquisti [sic!] ... ma se ne distingue perchè in questo il numero delle squame della linea laterale sarebbe aquanto maggiore (27-28) e l'origine dell'anale cosi poco in addietro di quella della dorsale che cio non apparisce dalla figura. La differenza principale pero consiste nella lunghezza delle pinne pettorali che nel Palmquisti raggiungono appena la base delle ventrali mentre nel Patrizii vanno sino a quella dell'anale. ... Un altro carattere che puo servire a distinguere il Patrizii dal Palmquisti è che in questo il labbro inferiore è separato dal margine orbitario da uno spazio corrispondente a 1/4 del diametro dell'occhio, mentre del Patrizii l'estremità angolare di quello è ricevuta in un incavo vicinissimo al margine orbitario (Vinciguerra, 1927).
 

Nothobranchius patrizii males are characterized by a small and deep body, and relatively large dorsal and anal fins. The body is clear blue with dark grey scale margins, creating a reticulation pattern. On posterior part of the body, the scale margins of about every other vertical scale row are larger, forming a regular chevron-shaped vertical crossbar pattern. The dorsal and anal fins are blue-gray with a marbled pattern of irregular, curved dark grey stripes. The caudal fin is deep red, and may have a narrow black distal margin.

Females are brown-grey, with darker scale margins creating a reticulated pattern on the body and with chevron-shaped crossbars on posterior part of the trunk.

Subgenus: Adiniops

Species group: N. melanospilus group

Nothobranchius patrizii was established as a species by Vinciguerra in 1927, and that status has since been accepted by all authors.

"Paludi di Harenaga, sulla sinistra del Giuba."

Marshes of Harenaga, on the left hand side of the Juba River, in puddles of water which completely dry out for a few months of the year and are full during times of rainfall (00°32' N, 42°55' E).

This species is endemic to seasonal freshwater habitats in the central and north-eastern parts of coastal Kenya, and in south-eastern coastal Somalia. It is from temporary pools and swamps from the Uebi and lower Juba river drainages in south-eastern coastal Somalia and the lower Tana drainage in eastern coastal Kenya.

Shebelle–Juba (531)

Tana, Athi, and Coastal drainages (567)

4–108 m

Personal observation at collecting sites (4 locations):

Water temperature: 25.9–32.7 °C

pH: 6.12–7.51

TDS:  84–179 ppm

Conductivity: 168–358 µS

N. jubbi - 36%

N. willerti - 4%

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: 34.0 mm SL (MSNG 23260, 33702, syntypes) 

Diploid chromosome number 2n = 36 (Ewulonu et al., 1985 [Jennale]); NF 52, karyotype structure 4m+12sm+20st/a (Krysanov & Demidova, 2018)

The specific name is given in honor of Marquis Saverio Patrizi, discoverer of the species.

Least Concern (Nagy & Watters, 2019);

Previous assessment: Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2009)

    Vinciguerra, D. 1927. Enumerazione de alcune specie di pesci della Somalia Italiana raccolte dal March.se Saverio Patrizi. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (3), 52: 246–259 [taxonomy as Fundulus patrizii]

    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 patrizii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T60440A47189318. [conservation]