THE NOTHOBRANCHIUS SITE

Key to the species of Nothobranchius ugandensis species group

 

Species of the genus Nothobranchius exhibit pronounced sexual dichromatism and dimorphism. Colour pattern elements and morphometric characters are based on mature males.

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1a. Throat red or orange-red.

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1b. Throat light blue.

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2a. Scale margins orange-red; frontal part of head, snout and throat orange-red; caudal-fin base light blue with red dots proximally, whereas uniform orange-red medially and distally (Ugalla system in the Malagarasi drainage in central Tanzania).

..........................................................................  Nothobranchius streltsovi

2b. Scale margins red; frontal part of head, snout and throat red; caudal-fin base red and uniform red proximally, medially and distally;

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3a. Anal fin distal zone light blue without markings; pectoral fin hyaline with red-brown stripes parallel to fin rays; caudal peduncle length 130 % of its depth (Mhwala system in upper Wembere drainage and Wala system in Malagarasi drainage in central Tanzania).

.......................................................................  Nothobranchius hoermanni

3b. Anal fin distal zone yellow or orange with narrow red-brown stripes; pectoral fin red (Wadi Al Ghallah drainage in South Kordofan, and Khor Abu Habl system in the White Nile drainage in West Kordofan, and Sobat system in the White Nile drainage in western Ethiopia).

.........................................................................  Nothobranchius nubaensis

 

4a. Caudal-fin base light blue and caudal fin with red to red-brown dots proximally (Katuma drainage in south-western Tanzania).

.......................................................................  Nothobranchius kardashevi

4b. Caudal-fin base red or yellow and caudal fin uniform red or yellow with grey dots.

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5a. Snout red-brown or yellow-grey.

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5b. Snout light blue.

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6a. Anal fin yellow with red-brown spots proximally, that are merged medially to a pattern parallel to fin rays and may be fused distally to form a marginal band; caudal peduncle length 14.9–15.7 % SL and 96–103 in % of its depth; and head width 68–72 in % of its depth (uppermost Ruaha drainage and the Bahi Swamp area in central Tanzania).

..........................................................................  Nothobranchius itigiensis

6b. Anal fin yellow or light blue with irregular red-brown spots; caudal peduncle length 17.5–20.1 % SL and 130–139 in % of its depth; and head width 73–83 in % of its depth.

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7a. Dorsal fin yellow with stripes in medial part parallel to fin rays; anal fin yellow without pattern; anal fin positioned anterior to dorsal fin; anal-fin base length 22.5–25.9 % SL (Albert Nile drainage in western and north-western Uganda).

....................................................................  Nothobranchius albertinensis

7b. Dorsal fin light blue with red-brown spots and irregular stripes perpendicular to fin rays; anal fin light blue and occasionally with red-brown spots; anal fin positioned posterior to dorsal fin; anal-fin base length 19.3–22.2 (Lake Victoria basin in south-eastern Uganda, Nile drainage and Lake Kyoga basin in central and northern Uganda, and Sio system in Lake Victoria basin in south-western Kenya).

.......................................................................  Nothobranchius ugandensis

 

8a. Dorsal fin with light blue subdistal band.

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8b. Dorsal fin subdistal zone with red-brown pattern and without subdistal band.

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9a. Dorsal fin with a narrow light blue subdistal band; anal fin with irregular red-brown stripes perpendicular to fin rays proximally and medially, and yellow to orange with red-brown stripes parallel to fin rays in distal zone; pelvic fin light blue with red-brown spots and with yellow distal band; dorsal-fin base length 20.4–23.2 % SL; suborbital depth 19–25 % HL (south-western Lake Victoria basin in north-western Tanzania).

...........................................................................  Nothobranchius venustus

9b. Dorsal fin with a slender light blue subdistal band; anal fin with red-brown dots proximally and medially and subdistal zone broad cream to yellow; pelvic fin hyaline proximally and with light blue distal band; dorsal-fin base length 23.4–26.8 % SL; suborbital depth 16–18 % HL (Nyando system northeast of Lake Victoria in south-western Kenya).

...........................................................................  Nothobranchius derhami

 

10a. Dorsal fin densely spotted with red-brown dots (Kapatu system in the upper Wembere drainage in central Tanzania).

........................................................................  Nothobranchius torgashevi

10b. Dorsal fin almost completely covered by red-brown markings.

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11a. Anal fin light blue becoming yellow distally with red-brown narrow lines parallel to fin rays; body depth 25.7–31.0 % SL; head depth 80.1–86.2 % HL; dorsal fin positioned posterior to anal fin; and caudal peduncle length 122–129 in % of its depth (Grumeti and other lesser systems east of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania).

...................................................................  Nothobranchius attenboroughi

11b. Anal fin light blue or yellow distal zone without markings; body depth 31.6–33.2 % SL; head depth 87.1–94.3 % HL; dorsal fin positioned anterior to the anal fin; and caudal peduncle length 111–121 in % of its depth (Moame system south of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania).

................................................................... Nothobranchius moameensis