Aphaniidae

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Oriental killifishes
Aphanius fasciatus male.jpg
Aphanius fasciatus
Apricaphanius iberus.jpg
Apricaphanius iberus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Aphaniidae
Sethi, 1960
Genera

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Aphaniidae, the Oriental killifishes, are a family of the order Cyprinodontiformes. The 42 extant species of the family inhabit inland waters, rivers and lagoons. The distribution of these species extends from the entire Mediterranean region throughout the neighboring states of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf to southwest India. Several species in this family have very small distributions and are seriously threatened. [1] [2]

Contents

Characteristics

Aphaniidae are small fishes that usually grow to a length of 3 to 15 cm (1.2 to 5.9 in). Their bodies are moderately elongated and only slightly flattened at the sides. The mouth is short and their teeth are tricuspid. Scales are complete, but can also be reduced or completely absent. All fins are rounded. dorsal and anal fins similar and are almost symmetrical. There is usually sexual dimorphism and females are usually larger and have dots or spots on a solid colored background. The males often have horizontal stripes. There can also be significant color dimorphism within a species, due to populations that lived completely isolated from another. [3]

Ecology

The Aphaniidae species mostly live in small and tiny bodies of water with fresh, brackish or sea water. These can be springs, ponds, swamps, lagoons, canals or ditches. The bodies of water are often directly connected to the sea and have a high content of sulphides or magnesium compounds . Salinity and temperatures can fluctuate greatly, the latter both on an annual basis and between day and night. The fish avoid flowing water and feed on plants as well as various small animals and detritus. [4]

Taxonomy and systematics

Aphanius , the type genus of the Aphaniidae, was introduced in 1827 by the Italian naturalist Giovanni Domenico Nardo. The American ichthyologist Lynne R. Parenti placed the genus together with the South American Andean killifish ( Orestias ) within the family Cyprinodontidae in the tribe Orestini. [3] Because of the polyphyly of the Cyprinodontidae, the genus was transferred to an independent family, the Aphaniidae, in mid-2017 by the German ichthyologist Jörg Freyhof and two Turkish colleagues. The name was first mentioned in a dissertation in 1960. [5] With the introduction of the genus Paraphanius and the revalidation of Aphaniops in April 2020, the family is no longer monotypic. [6] [7] In mid-2020s, two more genera were newly introduced and three genera were revalidated, so that the Aphaniidae now consists of eight genera :

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyprinodontiformes</span> Order of fishes

Cyprinodontiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, freshwater fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and live-bearers, are included. They are closely related to the Atheriniformes and are occasionally included with them. A colloquial term for the order as a whole is toothcarps, though they are not actually close relatives of the true carps – the latter belong to the superorder Ostariophysi, while the toothcarps are Acanthopterygii.

<i>Aphanius</i> Genus of fishes

Aphanius, commonly referred to as Mediterranean killifish, are a genus of the order Cyprinodontiformes. They are found in fresh and brackish waters in the coastal plains of the Mediterranean region.

Oxynoemacheilus is a genus of fish in the family Nemacheilidae found in Europe and Western Asia.

Paracobitis is a genus of Asian stone loaches.

<i>Anatolichthys danfordii</i> Species of fish

Anatolichthys danfordii, the Kızılırmak toothcarp or Sultan Sazlığı toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Kızılırmak River and the upper Seyhan River drainage systems and is now restricted to a few locations in the Sultan Sazlığı marshes. Though little data is available, the population of the fish seems to be declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "critically endangered" and fears it may become extinct in the wild if the drainage of the marshes continues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian toothcarp</span> Species of fish

The Arabian toothcarp, known also as the Arabian toothcarp or mother-of-Pearl fish is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It can be found from the shores of the Red Sea south to Ethiopia, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and along the Persian Gulf east to Pakistan and India. It is also found in the Suez Canal, the northern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, and in one location on the Palestinian coast. The former recognized subspecies: A. d. richardsoni, the Dead Sea toothcarp endemic to the Dead Sea has now been raised to a full species as Aphaniops richardsoni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iridescent toothcarp</span> Species of fish

The iridescent toothcarp or pearl-spotted killifish(Paraphanius mento) is a species of killifish in the family Aphaniidae. It can be found in Western Asia. It occurs in a wide range of freshwater habitats. It grows to 5 cm (2.0 in) total length. This species was described in 1843 as Lebias mento by Johann Jakob Heckel with the type locality given as Mosul in Iraq. The acanthocephalan parasite Triaspiron aphanii was found to infest 90% of a sample of Iridescent toothcarp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyprinodontoidei</span> Suborder of fishes

Cyprinodontoidei is a suborder of fishes, one of the two suborders in the order Cyprinodontiformes. The Cyprinodontoidei consists of four superfamilies which are found in the Americas, the Mediterranean and in Africa, including Madagascar.

The Arak toothcarp is a species of pupfish belonging to the family Cyprinodontidae. Discovered in 2012, it is endemic to the Namak Lake basin in Iran.

The Farsi toothcarp is a species of pupfish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Maharloo Lake Basin in Iran, residing in springs, lagoons, and marshes containing fresh to brackish water.

Esmaeilius darabensis, the Kol toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It can be found in the Golabi spring near the city of Darab in the Fars Province, Iran. The species is threatened by droughts and the introduction of invasive species.

The Lake Afdera killifish is a species of fish in the family Aphaniidae. It is found in Lake Afdera in Ethiopia. The species was evaluated by the IUCN on 1 May 2009 and listed as endangered on the Red List.

<i>Esmaeilius sophiae</i> Species of fish

Esmaeilius sophiae, the Soffia toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is native to Iran and Iraq which includes the Kor River basin of the Fars Province in Iran, Namak lake and Tigris River basin. They are one of the subclades of the Inland and Inland-related Aphanius Species (IIRAS) and they are part of the richest of the 3 subclades. They can be found in freshwater but also occur in saline water.

Esmaeilius shirini, the Shirin toothcarp, or Khosroshirin tooth-carp, is a species of pupfish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is found in the Khosroshirin stream of the Kor River basin, Fars Province, Iran. The species is threatened by the introduction of the predatory rainbow trout to their habitat. It is harmless to humans.

Anatolichthys marassantensis, also known as the Kızılırmak toothcarp, is a species of killifish in the family Aphaniidae endemic to the basin of the Kızılırmak River in Turkey. The species is named after Marassanta, the Hittite language word for the Kızılırmak.

<i>Apricaphanius</i> Genus of fishes

Apricaphanius is a genus of killifishes in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to northern Africa and southern Europe. All species in the genus have very small distributions and are seriously threatened.

<i>Esmaeilius</i> Genus of fishes

Esmaeilius is a genus of toothcarps in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to Iranian Plateau. Most species in the genus have very small distributions and all are seriously threatened.

<i>Paraphanius</i> Genus of fishes

Paraphanius is a genus of killifishes in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to western Asia. Several species in the genus have very limited distribution and may be threatened.

<i>Anatolichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Anatolichthys is a genus of toothcarps in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to Asia Minor. Several species in the genus have very limited distribution and may be threatened.

<i>Aphaniops</i> Genus of fishes

Aphaniops is a genus of killifishes in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to Western Asia, Northeast Africa and east to southwest India. Several species in the genus have very limited distribution and may be threatened.

References

  1. ↑ Jörg Freyhof; Baran Yoğurtçuoğlu (13 July 2020). "A proposal for a new generic structure of the killifish family Aphaniidae, with the description of Aphaniops teimorii (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes)". Zootaxa. 4810 (3): 421–451. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4810.3.2. PMID   33055730.
  2. ↑ "Family Aphaniidae - Oriental killifishes". FishBase.
  3. 1 2 Lynne Parenti (January 1981). "A Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Analysis of Cyprinodontiform Fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 168 (4): 335–557.
  4. ↑ Steinbach, Gunter (1984). Süßwasserfische in europäischen Gewässern. Mosaik Verlag, München (in German).
  5. ↑ Sethi RP (1960). Osteology and phylogeny of oviparous cyprinodont fishes (order Cyprinodontiformes) (PhD thesis). University of Florida.
  6. ↑ Hamid Reza Esmaeili; Azad Teimori; Fatah Zarei; Golnaz Sayyadzadeh (16 April 2020). "DNA barcoding and species delimitation of the Old World tooth-carps, family Aphaniidae Hoedeman, 1949 (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes)". PLOS ONE. 15 (4): e0231717. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1531717E. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231717 . PMC   7162479 . PMID   32298351.
  7. ↑ Jörg Freyhof; Müfit Ozulug; Gülşah Saç (July 2017). "Neotype designation of Aphanius iconii, first reviser action to stabilise the usage of A. fontinalis and A. meridionalis and comments on the family group names of fishes placed in Cyprinodontidae (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes)". Zootaxa. 4294 (5): 573–585. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4294.5.6.
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