PFK Fishnews: New Cameroon killifish described - Fundulopanchax kamdemi

[AquaticQuotient.com]

A new species of nothobranchid killifish has been described from western Cameroon by scientists in Cameroon, Germany and Belgium.

Christian Akum, Rainer Sonnenberg, Jouke van der Zee and Rudolf Wildekamp have named the new killifish Fundulopanchax kamdemi in a paper published in the most recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Fundulopanchax kamdemi is recorded from the pools and rivulets of the Ndian and Akpa-Yafe river systems in Korup National Park, western Cameroon, and is named after its collector, Andre Kamdem Toham.

The new species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by its unique male colour pattern of a red longitudinal band on the sides of the body and a red ventral band from the pelvic fins to the lower part of the caudal-fin base, a high number of dorsal- (15–18) and anal-fin rays (16–19), and a unique colour pattern of the median fins.

Females of this species differ from other members of the genus in having an orange-red margin of the dorsal fin and a narrow red band at the base of the anal fin.

According to the authors, the new species inhabits shallow swampy pools and small forest streams connected to these swampy pools.

Streams and pools are heavily shaded by peripheral vegetation and their bottom is covered by decaying leaves, branches and logs. Both the streams and pools contain clear water during the rainy season and brown tinged during the dry season. Water depths ranged during the seasons from 2 to 48.3 cm. Water temperature was measured between 20.9 and 23.8° C, the pH between 5.0 and 7.5. Water hardness varied between 0.6 and 1 DH, conductivity between 10 and 21 μS/cm and the total dissolved oxygen between 0.9 and 5.5 mg/l. Stomach contents of F. kamdemi indicated an insectivorous behavior and consisted of ants, crickets, beetles, spiders and cockroaches, with a predominance of ants. In the wild, maturity was observed in the months of November to January. These shallow pools dry out periodically, suggesting an annual mode of reproduction.

For more information, see the paper: Akum, C, R Sonnenberg, JR van der Zee & RH Wildekamp (2007) Fundulopanchax kamdemi (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae) a new species from Korup National Park, western Cameroon. Zootaxa 1532, 41–49.

Here is an abstract of the article

Complete article by Ng Heok Hee here...

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