Killifish

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A bluefin notho killifish, Nothobranchius rachovii, from East Africa Nothobranchius rachovii male.jpg
A bluefin notho killifish, Nothobranchius rachovii , from East Africa

A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish, [1] including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Nothobranchiidae, Profundulidae and Valenciidae. All together, there are 1,270 species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species. [2] As an adaptation to living in ephemeral waters, the eggs of most killifish can survive periods of partial dehydration. Many of the species rely on such a diapause, since the eggs would not survive more than a few weeks if entirely submerged in water. The adults of some species, such as Kryptolebias marmoratus , can additionally survive out of the water for several weeks. [3] Most killies are small fish, from 2.5 to 5 centimetres (1 to 2 in), with the largest species growing to just under 15 centimetres (6 in).

Contents

The word killifish is of uncertain origin, but is likely to have come from the Dutch kil for a kill (small stream). [4] Although killifish is sometimes used as an English equivalent to the taxonomical term Cyprinodontidae, some species belonging to that family have their own common names, such as the pupfish and the mummichog.

Range and habitat

Devils Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis, from Death Valley National Park Cyprinodon diabolis.jpg
Devils Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis, from Death Valley National Park

Killifish are found mainly in fresh or brackish waters in the Americas, as far south as Argentina and as far north as southern Ontario and even Newfoundland and Labrador. [5] There are also species in southern Europe, in much of Africa as far south as KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the Middle East and Asia (as far east as Vietnam), and on several Indian Ocean islands.

The majority of killifish are found in permanent streams, rivers, and lakes, and live between two and three years. Such killifish are common in the Americas ( Cyprinodon , Fundulus and Rivulus ) as well as in Africa and Asia (including Aphyosemion , Aplocheilus , Epiplatys , Fundulopanchax and Lacustricola ) and southern Europe ( Aphanius ). Some of these habitats can be rather extreme; the only natural habitat of the Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) is Devils Hole: a cavern at least 91 metres (299 ft) deep, branching out from a small opening at the surface, approximately 1.8 metres (6 ft) by 5.5 metres (18 ft) wide.

Some specialized forms live in temporary ponds and flood plains, and typically have a much shorter lifespan. Such species, known as "annuals", live no longer than nine months, and are used as models for studies on aging. Examples include the African genus Nothobranchius and South American genera ranging from the cold water Austrolebias of Argentina and Uruguay to the more tropical Gnatholebias , Pterolebias , [6] Simpsonichthys and Terranatos .

Territorial behaviour

Fundulus auroguttatus, a non-annual North American killifish similar to Fundulus chrysotus known as a topminnow Fundulus cingulatus.jpg
Fundulus auroguttatus , a non-annual North American killifish similar to Fundulus chrysotus known as a topminnow

A small number of species will shoal while most are territorial to varying degrees. Populations can be dense and territories can shift quickly, especially for species of the extreme shallows (a few centimetres of water). Many species exist as passive tribes in small streams where dominant males will defend a territory while allowing females and immature males to pass through the area. In the aquarium, territorial behaviour is different for every grouping, and will even vary by individuals. In a large enough aquarium, most species can live in groups as long as there are more than three males.

Diet

Killifish feed primarily on aquatic arthropods such as insect (mosquito) larvae, aquatic crustaceans and worms. Some species of Orestias from Lake Titicaca are planktonic filter feeders. Others, such as Cynolebias and Megalebias species and Nothobranchius ocellatus are predatory and feed mainly on other fish. The American Flagfish ( Jordanella floridae ) feeds heavily on algae and other plant matter as well as aquatic invertebrates. Nothobranchius furzeri needs much food because it grows quickly, so when food supplied is inadequate, bigger fish will eat the smaller fish. [7]

In lifespan research

A male Nothobranchius furzeri GRZ
(from Gonarezhou National Park) Nothobranchius furzeri GRZ thumb.jpg
A male Nothobranchius furzeri GRZ
(from Gonarezhou National Park)

Some strains have a lifespan as short as several months and can thus serve as a model for biogerontological studies. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The African turquoise killifish ( Nothobranchius furzeri ) is the shortest-living vertebrate that can be bred in captivity, having a lifespan of between three and nine months. [9] [10] Sexual maturation occurs within 3–4 weeks, with fecundity peaking in 8–10 weeks. [13]

Nothobranchius furzeri shows no signs of telomere shortening, reduced telomerase activity, or replicative senescence with age, despite its short lifespan. [14] [15] Nonetheless, lipofuscin accumulates in the brain and liver (associated with age-related neurodegeneration), and there is an increased risk of cancer with age. [13] Calorie restriction reduces these age-related disease conditions. [13] Resveratrol has been shown to increase the mean (56%) and maximum life span (59%) of Nothobranchius furzeri, [16] [17] but resveratrol has not been shown to have this effect in mammals. [18] [19] [16]

Transferring the gut microbiota from young killifish into middle-aged killifish significantly extends the lifespans of the middle-aged killifish. [20] [21]

Transgenic strains have been made, [22] and precise genome editing was achieved in Nothobranchius furzeri using a draft genome and the CRISPR/Cas9 system. [10] By targeting multiple genes, including telomerase, the killifish can now be used as an attractive vertebrate model organism for aging and diseases (such as Dyskeratosis congenita ). [10] Sequencing the whole killifish genome indicated modification to the IGF-1 receptor gene. [23]

As pets

Blue lyretail, Fundulopanchax gardneri, one of the most common West African species of killifish kept in aquariums Fundulopanchax gardneri.png
Blue lyretail, Fundulopanchax gardneri, one of the most common West African species of killifish kept in aquariums

Many killifish are lavishly coloured and most species are easy to keep and breed in an aquarium. Specimens can be obtained from specialist societies and associations. Striped panchax (also known as the Golden Wonder killifish) are commonly found in pet shops, but caution must be exercised when considering tank mates, since the mouth of the Striped panchax is as wide as the head, and much smaller fish will be eaten. Flagfish, native to south Florida, is another species of killifish commonly found in pet stores. They are useful in aquariums for algae control. The golden topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus) is also native to the United States and often available at auction, but care must be taken with these fish to stop them from jumping out of the tank. A firm cover and a layer of floating plants is best when keeping these fish.

Behaviour-altering infection

Normally, killifish avoid near-surface water to reduce the danger of being eaten by predators. However, when infected with a type of fluke the fish swim near the surface, and sometimes even swim upside down, exposing their camouflaged bellies. The fluke completes its lifecycle in the digestive tract of birds. [24]

Evolved resistance to extreme levels of toxicity

The large populations of killifish and the genetic diversity of the species have enabled it to evolve and survive in areas where other species have died out, including Superfund sites. Over a few dozen generations of killifish [25] [26] in a relatively short period of time (50–60 years), killifish have evolved resistance against levels of dioxins, PCBs, mercury, and other industrial chemicals up to 8,000 times higher than the previously estimated lethal dose. Sequencing the genomes of the adapted individuals showed a common set of mutations among the pollution-tolerant fish, many of which help to deactivate or turn off a molecular pathway responsible for a large part of the cellular damage caused by the chemicals. [27]

Killifish were found to fare relatively well in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

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

The mummichog is a small killifish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Also known as Atlantic killifish, mummies, gudgeons, and mud minnows, these fish inhabit brackish and coastal waters including estuaries and salt marshes. The species is noted for its hardiness and ability to tolerate highly variable salinity, temperature fluctuations from 6 to 35 °C, very low oxygen levels, and heavily polluted ecosystems. As a result, the mummichog is a popular research subject in embryological, physiological, and toxicological studies. It is also the first fish ever sent to space, aboard Skylab in 1973.

<i>Nothobranchius</i> Genus of fishes

Nothobranchius is a genus of small, freshwater killifish, classified in the family Nothobranchiidae in the order Cyprinodontiformes. There are about a hundred species in the genus, many with very small distributions. They are primarily native to East Africa from Sudan to northern South Africa, whereas a dozen species are found in the upper Congo River Basin; the greatest species richness is in Tanzania.

<i>Fundulus</i> Genus of fishes

Fundulus is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the superfamily Funduloidea, family Fundulidae. It belongs to the order of toothcarps (Cyprinodontiformes), and therein the large suborder Cyprinodontoidei. Most of its closest living relatives are egg-laying, with the notable exception of the splitfin livebearers (Goodeidae).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded killifish</span> Species of fish

The banded killifish is a North American species of temperate freshwater killifish belonging to the genus Fundulus of the family Fundulidae. Its natural geographic range extends from Newfoundland to South Carolina, and west to Minnesota, including the Great Lakes drainages. This species is the only freshwater killifish found in the northeastern United States. While it is primarily a freshwater species, it can occasionally be found in brackish water.

Nothobranchius neumanni is a species of killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is endemic to Tanzania. It occurs in both perennial and seasonal wetlands including rivers, lakes and ponds where it most likely feeds on planktonic crustaceans. This species was described as Fundulus neumanni by Franz Hilgendorf in 1905. The specific name honours Hilgendorf's companion on some of his expeditions to Africa, the German ornithologist Oscar Neumann (1867-1946).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted killifish</span> Species of fish

The spotted killifish is a small, short lived species of fish, an African rivuline from the family Nothobranchiidae. These fish are native to many isolated freshwater pools located in the savannah depressions of east Africa, specifically Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. This species of fish occurs in ephemeral waters and killifish eggs can survive long periods of dehydration. The word killifish likely comes from the Dutch kil for kill.

<i>Nothobranchius palmqvisti</i> Species of fish

Nothobranchius palmqvisti is a species of killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are swamps and intermittent freshwater marshes. This species was described as Fundulus palmqvisti by Einar Lönnberg in 1907 with the type locality being Tanga in the Usambara Mountains of north eastern Tanzania, the type being collected on the 1905-06 Sjöstedts Kilimandjaro-Meru Expedition. The specific name honours the patron of that expedition, Gustaf Palmqvist.

The blue notho, or Patrizi's notho is a species of killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is found in Kenya and Somalia. Its natural habitat is running water. The males are usually around 5.0 centimetres (2.0 in). In the aquarium the females lay their eggs on bottom peat. This species was described as Fundulus patrizii by Decio Vinciguerra in 1927 with a type locality of the Harenaga swamps, near mouth of the Juba River in southern Somalia. Vinciguerra gave this fish the specific name of patrizii in honour of the collector of the type Saverio Patrizi Naro Montoro (1902-1957), an Italian explorer, zoologist and speleologist.

<i>Rivulus</i> Genus of fishes

Rivulus is a genus of small freshwater fish in the Cyprinodontiformes family Rivulidae. It was traditionally considered to be the largest genus in its family; however, the genus's size is currently in dispute. Wilson J. E. Costa split this genus into several new genera in 2004 and 2011, leaving only a few Greater Antillean species in Rivulus itself. Despite being moved to other genera, some of the species retain the common name "rivulus", like the well-known mangrove rivulus. Shortly after the review by Costa, another review authored by J.H. Huber refuted the split, moving the proposed genera back in Rivulus and again making the genus the largest in the family Aplocheilidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothobranchiidae</span> Family of fishes

Nothobranchiidae are a family of bony fishes containing roughly 300 species, also known as African rivulines. They are small killifish, usually measuring about 5 centimetres (2.0 in). They are limited to Africa, living in fresh water but being also somewhat salt-tolerant. They are also found in muddy or brackish water. Some species are kept as aquarium pets. They have frilly fins and many are brightly colored. They were formerly included in the family Aplocheilidae ; a return to that broader family has recently been suggested.

<i>Nothobranchius furzeri</i> Species of fish

Nothobranchius furzeri, the turquoise killifish, is a species of killifish from the family Nothobranchiidae native to Africa where it is only known from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This annual killifish inhabits ephemeral pools in semi-arid areas with scarce and erratic precipitations and have adapted to the routine drying of their environment by evolving desiccation-resistant eggs that can remain dormant in the dry mud for one and maybe more years by entering into diapause.

<i>Nothobranchius rachovii</i> Species of fish

Nothobranchius rachovii, the bluefin notho, is a species of freshwater annual killifish from Mozambique. It can grow up to 6 cm (2.4"). It is popular among killifish enthusiasts, who raise them from eggs in aquaria.

Austrofundulus is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae native to northern Colombia, northern Venezuela and southwestern Guyana. They are annual killifish where adults generally have a short life in temporary ponds or swamps and the eggs experience a period of drought, only hatching when again covered by water.

<i>Austrolebias</i> Genus of fishes

Austrolebias is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish live in temporary pools, swamps and streams in the Río de la Plata, Patos–Mirim and Mamoré basins in South America.

<i>Melanorivulus</i> Genus of fishes

Melanorivulus is a genus of South American freshwater fish in the family Rivulidae. Most species are endemic to the Río de la Plata, eastern Amazon, Tocantins–Araguaia and São Francisco basins in Brazil, but a few members of this genus range west into Bolivia, south into Paraguay and Argentina, and east to Parnaíba and Sergipe in northeastern Brazil. Only M. schuncki occurs north of the Amazon River. They inhabit shallow waters, generally 5–30 cm (2–12 in) deep, at the margins of streams in open or fairly open habitats like the Cerrado or Cerrado–Amazon transition. Many have tiny ranges and are seriously threatened.

<i>Anablepsoides</i> Genus of fishes

Anablepsoides is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae native to tropical South America and the Lesser Antilles. The majority are from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as freshwater systems in the Guiana Shield, but a few species are from northern Venezuela, northeastern Brazil and the Lesser Antilles. Although largely restricted to lowlands, a few species occur in the lower East Andean foothills. They are mostly found in shallow fresh water swamps, streams, edges of rivers, ponds and pools, but a few may occur in brackish estuaries. They are able to jump over land and breathe air for short periods, allowing them to access isolated waters inhabited by few or no other fish. Several Anablepsoides species have small distributions and some are seriously threatened by habitat loss; the entire known range of A. xinguensis is in the area flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.

<i>Fundulus pulvereus</i> Species of fish

The bayou killifish or bayou topminnow is a topminnow-like fish that thrives primarily in the shallow waters off the shores of the Americas, as well as fresh and brackish waters. Feeding off of small vertebrates and invertebrates, this fish displays reproduction techniques unique to its species.

Anne Brunet is the Michele and Timothy Barakett Endowed Professor and the co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her lab studies mechanisms of aging and longevity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitochondrial theory of ageing</span> Theory of ageing

The mitochondrial theory of ageing has two varieties: free radical and non-free radical. The first is one of the variants of the free radical theory of ageing. It was formulated by J. Miquel and colleagues in 1980 and was developed in the works of Linnane and coworkers (1989). The second was proposed by A. N. Lobachev in 1978.

Nothobranchius lucius is a species of killifish, an African rivuline which is placed in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is endemic to Tanzania.

References

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