Nothobranchius rachovii
| Nothobranchius rachovii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult male | |
| |
| Adult female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Nothobranchiidae |
| Genus: | Nothobranchius |
| Species: | N. rachovii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nothobranchius rachovii Ahl, 1926
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Adiniops rachovii (Ahl, 1926)[2] | |
Nothobranchius rachovii, the bluefin notho, is a species of freshwater annual killifish from Mozambique.[2] It can grow up to 6 cm (2.4").[3] It is popular among killifish enthusiasts, who raise them from eggs in aquaria.
Description[edit]
Aside from the typical orange and blue variant, there is Nothobranchius rachovii KNP Black[disputed ], which has much darker colors, and was collected from the wild in Kruger National Park, South Africa in 1984,[4] and Nothobranchius rachovii var. Red, which has a red head with turquoise highlights.[3] The females of all varieties are more neutrally colored. This shows sexual dimorphism among these fish.
Distribution[edit]
Nothobranchius rachovii sensu stricto is found in the floodplain of the lower Zambezi and also in the floodplain of the Pungwe River.[2]
Diet[edit]
N. rachovii are benthopelagic, feeding on zooplankton and other small organisms living at the bottom of the water (benthos).
Habitat[edit]
N. rachovii are naturally found in flat plains or water depressions that dry up annually.[5] Like other benthopelagic fish, N. rachovii prefer to stay at the bottom of the water, right above the benthic zone.[6] They lay their eggs in mud as the water level decreases, which preserves them until the water returns.[7]
Reproduction and life cycle[edit]
Bluefin nothos mature in about twelve weeks,[8] live for up to a year or year and a half, then die at the end of the breeding season- which is why they are called “annual” killifish.[9] They are able to have offspring by burying their eggs in the river/ lake bed before their habitat dries up- they live in temporary pools dependent on rainfall. These eggs develop while buried in the mud and then hatch once the pools are refilled with water from rainfall.[10]
In the aquarium[edit]
N. rachovii are of commercial importance, being commonly found in the pet trade. They can be housed in a 40–60 litre (10–15 gallons) aquarium. Males are aggressive toward other males of the same species.[3] They can be kept in a community tank of similar-sized peaceful freshwater tropical fish.
Naming[edit]
Nothobranchius rachovii was described by Ernst Ahl in 1926 with the type locality given as Beira, Mozambique.[11] The specific name honours the German aquarist Arthur Rachow (1884–1960), who donated a number of fish specimens to the Museum für Naturkunde.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Nagy, B.; Watters, B. (2019). "Nothobranchius rachovii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T141973907A58311523. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T141973907A58311523.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2010). "Nothobranchius rachovii" in FishBase. October 2010 version.
- ^ a b c Mongabay – Rainbow Nothobranch. Accessed 23 January 2010.
- ^ Killitalk – 5 July 1998 Accessed 23 January 2010.
- ^ "Nothobranchius rachovii (Bluefin Nothobranch)". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ Mauchline J and Gordon JDM (1986) "Foraging strategies of deep-sea fish"] Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 27: 227–238. Download
- ^ "The Genus Nothobranchius | American Killifish Association". aka.org. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Nothobranchius rachovii summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Rachow's Nothobranch – Killifish". www.aboutfishonline.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Killifish – Nothos Killifish". www.fishlore.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Nothobranchius rachovi". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf; Kenneth J. Lazara (31 May 2019). "Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES: Families APLOCHEILIDAE and NOTHOBRANCHIIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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