Aphanius vladykovi
Encyclopedia
The Zagros pupfish, Aphanius vladykovi, is an endemic species found in a restricted area of the central Zagros Mountains
of Iran
and is an attractive species for keeping in aquaria
. Its name in Persian
is (), which means zebrafish. Little information on this species beyond the original description and some brief biological observations is available.
This species is a close relative of Aphanius sophiae, but characterised by a higher lateral line
scale counts and by its color pattern: males have darker coloration on the dorsal fin and a lighter one on the anal fin. Females lack the typical, large, lozenge-shaped spot at the base of the caudal fin seen in A. sophiae.
The stomach
content of this fish consists mostly of freshwater crustacean
s and the relative length of the gut (RLG) suggests a carnivorous habit. The eggs have an average diameter of 1 mm and the average absolute and relative fecundity
is 415 and 110, respectively. The gonadosomatic ratio and ovary condition suggests that the reproductive season of the species is between late March and June with a peak in early April. The species is euryhaline
and eurythermal and prefers neutral to basic waters. It is usually found in well oxygenated
waters, but is tolerant to hypoxia
as well.
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and is an attractive species for keeping in aquaria
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
. Its name in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
is (), which means zebrafish. Little information on this species beyond the original description and some brief biological observations is available.
This species is a close relative of Aphanius sophiae, but characterised by a higher lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
scale counts and by its color pattern: males have darker coloration on the dorsal fin and a lighter one on the anal fin. Females lack the typical, large, lozenge-shaped spot at the base of the caudal fin seen in A. sophiae.
The stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
content of this fish consists mostly of freshwater crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and the relative length of the gut (RLG) suggests a carnivorous habit. The eggs have an average diameter of 1 mm and the average absolute and relative fecundity
Fecundity
Fecundity, derived from the word fecund, generally refers to the ability to reproduce. In demography, fecundity is the potential reproductive capacity of an individual or population. In biology, the definition is more equivalent to fertility, or the actual reproductive rate of an organism or...
is 415 and 110, respectively. The gonadosomatic ratio and ovary condition suggests that the reproductive season of the species is between late March and June with a peak in early April. The species is euryhaline
Euryhaline
Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the molly which can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water. The European shore crab is an example of a euryhaline invertebrate that can live in salt and brackish water...
and eurythermal and prefers neutral to basic waters. It is usually found in well oxygenated
Oxygenation (environmental)
Environmental oxygenation can be important to the sustainability of a particular ecosystem. Insufficient oxygen may occur in bodies of water such as ponds and rivers, tending to suppress the presence of aerobic organisms such as fish...
waters, but is tolerant to hypoxia
Hypoxia (environmental)
Hypoxia, or oxygen depletion, is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments as dissolved oxygen becomes reduced in concentration to a point where it becomes detrimental to aquatic organisms living in the system...
as well.