Redtail notho

The redtail notho (Nothobranchius guentheri) is a species of killifish in the family Nothobranchiidae. It is endemic to Zanzibar.[2] Its natural habitats are intermittent rivers and intermittent freshwater marshes. The redtail notho eats mosquito larvae and other planktonic creatures. Scientists are looking at introducing the species elsewhere in Africa to help with malaria prevention.[3]

Redtail notho
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Nothobranchiidae
Genus: Nothobranchius
Species:
N. guentheri
Binomial name
Nothobranchius guentheri
(Pfeffer, 1893)
Synonyms[2]
  • Fundulus guentheri Pfeffer, 1893
  • Adiniops guentheri (Pfeffer, 1893)
  • Aphyosemion guentheri (Pfeffer, 1893)

As with other "peat spawner" killifish, pairs or small groups spawn by repeatedly pushing into the substrate and releasing and fertilising a single egg. During the dry season when the temporary pools of water the fish inhabit dry up and the adult fish perish, specially adapted proteins in the eggshell or chorion are triggered to retain moisture, thereby ensuring the next generation of fish last until the rains return and the fry can hatch. Once the fry detect a change in pressure (due to being submerged again), and an increase in dissolved carbon dioxide concentration, an enzyme, chorionase is released to soften the eggshell and allow the fish to hatch.

This species is sometimes encountered in the aquarium trade. Eggs have a dry incubation of between 8 and 12 weeks, but most hatch after 9 weeks.[4]

The specific name honours the German-born British ichthyologist and herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), who first noted this species.[5]

References
  1. Nagy, B.; Watters, B. (2019). "Nothobranchius guentheri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T61284A47243542. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T61284A47243542.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Nothobranchius guentheri" in FishBase. April 2019 version.
  3. Jonathan R Matias & Araceli Q Adrias (2010). "The use of annual killifish in the biocontrol of the aquatic stages of mosquitoes in temporary bodies of fresh water; a potential new tool in vector control". Parasites & Vectors. 3 (46): 46. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-46. PMC 2888800. PMID 20492714.
  4. "Redtail Notho (Nothobranchius guentheri)". Aquatropic. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  5. 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 4 September 2019.


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