Spanish toothcarp
Encyclopedia
The Spanish toothcarp or Iberian killifish
, Aphanius iberus, is a small, endemic species
of fish in the family
Cyprinodontidae. Its risk of extinction is one of the greatest of any Iberian vertebrate
. Its limited range, coupled with the drastic population decline the species has suffered in the last two decades, has caused it to be placed on endangered species
lists, both in Spain
and internationally. Its conservation status
in the south of the Iberian peninsula
has notably worsened.
A similar fish in the peninsula's south-east has been classified as an independent species, Aphanius baeticus
. Aphanius saourensis is another similar species in Algeria
.
is underdeveloped with respect to the fish’s girth. It has large scales
, numbering 20 to 26 across the body at its widest point.
It has obvious sexual dimorphism
. The males are marked with bluish to silver-colored vertical stripes on the flanks and dark bands on the caudal fin. The females are generally greenish-brown with dark blotches distributed irregularly over their bodies; their fins are transparent and mostly unpatterned. Some populations, most notably those in Murcia
, have short, dark stripes as opposed to blotches.
of a Spanish toothcarp is short. They reach sexual maturity
at age three months. The females spawn
repeatedly each season, producing from 100 to 900 eggs. Toothcarps in the Murcia region tend to spawn between April and August, while more northerly populations, such as those in the Delta del Orbo, lay their eggs between May and August. Spawning is usually done in areas with nearby vegetation
, which shelters the eggs.
Hatchling
s emerge approximately eight days after the eggs are laid. Females that hatch in April are able to reproduce in June.
While the females spawn, adult males set up small territories that they defend from other males in ritualized combats through which they court
the females.
and algae
. Generally, toothcarps travel in small groups, staying near underwater vegetation, where they normally go unnoticed.
The biology of the Spanish toothcarp is characterized by a high growth rate, early maturity, a high reproductive rate, multiple periods of egg-laying and a short lifespan. From an evolutionary ecology
point of view, this lifestyle is highly adaptive for fish that live in unstable environments, such as estuaries
, where unpredictable conditions increase mortality. This strategy allows the toothcarp to exploit environmentally favorable conditions during the short intervals in which they occur, thereby revitalizing the population.
, and ponds. They occur in saline
and fresh
water alike, due to their ability to tolerate high levels of salinity
: they are euryhaline
. The Spanish toothcarp can tolerate temperatures of 10–32 °C (50–89.6 F), and pH
levels between 6.5 and 7.5.
Despite their adaptability, they have been displaced by invasive species
, such as both species of mosquitofish
, introduced from North America to Spain in 1921 in an attempt to control malaria
l mosquitoes. The toothcarp has retreated to high salinity areas where the mosquitofish cannot live.
to Lake Agra in Almería
. In the last two decades, the Spanish toothcarp has suffered a severe decline, due in part to destruction of suitable habitats. Only a few dozen isolated populations are known.
They have been found in the alluvial plain
of the Segura River, the Chicamo River in Abanilla, the wetlands surrounding the Mar Menor
and Valencian Community
(more specifically in the Parque Natural de El Hondo
, and in the Parque Natural de la Albufera
with its springs), the Parque Natural del Delta del Ebro in Tarragona
, and the Albufera de Adra and the Adra River.
relationships and genetic divergence
have been observed in Iberian populations of Aphanius iberus by using isozymes along with the complete genetic sequence
of chromosome
B. The results for nuclear genes were consistent with those for mitochondria, and demonstrated that the Atlantic and Mediterranean toothcarp populations derive from separate lineages. The level of genetic divergence shows that they were isolated early and that gene flow
has not occurred. The divergence between these two monophyletic clades is the same as that found between other species of pupfish
. This discovery makes it necessary to separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean populations in order to protect their diversity and genetic identities.
Molecular analysis, together with morphometric
data, has taxonomic implications. In fact, the populations of the Atlantic basin
are so different from those in Europe that they have been recognized as a separate species, Aphanius baeticus. The species name Aphanius iberus is limited to populations that live in the Mediterranean.
.
Among the threats are::
and Catalan
(the latter sometimes uses the diminutive
fartonet).
Killifish
A killifish is any of various oviparous cyprinodontiform fish . Altogether, there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species...
, Aphanius iberus, is a small, endemic species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of fish in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cyprinodontidae. Its risk of extinction is one of the greatest of any Iberian vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
. Its limited range, coupled with the drastic population decline the species has suffered in the last two decades, has caused it to be placed on endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
lists, both in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and internationally. Its conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
in the south of the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
has notably worsened.
A similar fish in the peninsula's south-east has been classified as an independent species, Aphanius baeticus
Aphanius baeticus
Aphanius baeticus is a species of fish in the Cyprinodontidae family. It is endemic to Spain. Its natural habitats are rivers, estuarine waters, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
. Aphanius saourensis is another similar species in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Morphology
This is a small fish, rarely more than 5 centimetres (2 in) in length. Females are longer than males of the same age. It has an oblong body and rounded fins. Its dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is underdeveloped with respect to the fish’s girth. It has large scales
Scale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
, numbering 20 to 26 across the body at its widest point.
It has obvious sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. The males are marked with bluish to silver-colored vertical stripes on the flanks and dark bands on the caudal fin. The females are generally greenish-brown with dark blotches distributed irregularly over their bodies; their fins are transparent and mostly unpatterned. Some populations, most notably those in Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, have short, dark stripes as opposed to blotches.
Reproduction
The lifespanLife expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
of a Spanish toothcarp is short. They reach sexual maturity
Sexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
at age three months. The females spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
repeatedly each season, producing from 100 to 900 eggs. Toothcarps in the Murcia region tend to spawn between April and August, while more northerly populations, such as those in the Delta del Orbo, lay their eggs between May and August. Spawning is usually done in areas with nearby vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
, which shelters the eggs.
Hatchling
Hatchling
In oviparous biology, a hatchling is the newborn of animals that develop and emerge from within hard-shell eggs. The offspring of birds are often hatched naked and with their eyes closed. The hatchling relies totally on its parents for feeding and warmth. Hatchlings precede nestlings in the chick's...
s emerge approximately eight days after the eggs are laid. Females that hatch in April are able to reproduce in June.
While the females spawn, adult males set up small territories that they defend from other males in ritualized combats through which they court
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
the females.
Behavior
The Spanish toothcarp is an omnivore, and eats insects, crustaceans, wormsWorm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
and algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
. Generally, toothcarps travel in small groups, staying near underwater vegetation, where they normally go unnoticed.
The biology of the Spanish toothcarp is characterized by a high growth rate, early maturity, a high reproductive rate, multiple periods of egg-laying and a short lifespan. From an evolutionary ecology
Evolutionary ecology
Evolutionary ecology lies at the intersection of ecology and evolutionary biology. It approaches the study of ecology in a way that explicitly considers the evolutionary histories of species and the interactions between them. Conversely, it can be seen as an approach to the study of evolution that...
point of view, this lifestyle is highly adaptive for fish that live in unstable environments, such as estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, where unpredictable conditions increase mortality. This strategy allows the toothcarp to exploit environmentally favorable conditions during the short intervals in which they occur, thereby revitalizing the population.
Habitat
Spanish toothcarp inhabit shallow, slow-moving bodies of water such as river-mouths, coastal lakesLake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, and ponds. They occur in saline
Saline water
Saline water is a general term for water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved salts . The concentration is usually expressed in parts per million of salt....
and fresh
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
water alike, due to their ability to tolerate high levels of salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
: they are 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...
. The Spanish toothcarp can tolerate temperatures of 10–32 °C (50–89.6 F), and pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
levels between 6.5 and 7.5.
Despite their adaptability, they have been displaced by invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, such as both species of mosquitofish
Mosquitofish
The mosquitofish is a species of freshwater fish, also commonly, if ambiguously, known by its generic name, gambusia. It is sometimes called the western mosquitofish, to distinguish it from the eastern mosquitofish . It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes...
, introduced from North America to Spain in 1921 in an attempt to control malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
l mosquitoes. The toothcarp has retreated to high salinity areas where the mosquitofish cannot live.
Distribution
The Spanish toothcarp is characteristic of the Iberian peninsula, and extends from the Aigüamolls of Alt EmpordàAlt Empordà
Alt Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of two into which Empordà was divided by the comarcal division of Catalonia in 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are as of 2001.*Agullana - pop. 668*Albanyà - pop. 99*L'Armentera - pop. 742...
to Lake Agra in Almería
Almería (province)
-History:The rich customs and Fiestas of the denizens retain links deep into the past, unto the Moors, the Romans, the Greeks, and the Phoenicians.During the taifa era, it was ruled by the Moor Banu al-Amiri from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed by Valencia , then given by Zaragoza to the Banu Sumadih...
. In the last two decades, the Spanish toothcarp has suffered a severe decline, due in part to destruction of suitable habitats. Only a few dozen isolated populations are known.
They have been found in the alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
of the Segura River, the Chicamo River in Abanilla, the wetlands surrounding the Mar Menor
Mar Menor
Mar Menor is a salty lagoon, in the south-east of the autonomous Community of Murcia, in Spain, separated from the Mediterranean sea by La Manga, a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m....
and Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
(more specifically in the Parque Natural de El Hondo
El Hondo
The Natural Park of El Fondo is located within the municipal boundaries of Elx/Elche and Crevillent both of which are within the comarca of Baix Vinalopó in the south of the Valencian Community in the east of Spain...
, and in the Parque Natural de la Albufera
Albufera
The Albufera is a saltwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain. It is the main porton of the Parc Natural de l'Albufera , with a surface area of...
with its springs), the Parque Natural del Delta del Ebro in Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
, and the Albufera de Adra and the Adra River.
Divergence between populations
PhylogeneticPhylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
relationships and genetic divergence
Genetic divergence
Genetic divergence is the process in which two or more populations of an ancestral species accumulate independent genetic changes through time, often after the populations have become reproductively isolated for some period of time...
have been observed in Iberian populations of Aphanius iberus by using isozymes along with the complete genetic sequence
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies that are used for determining the order of the nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a molecule of DNA....
of chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
B. The results for nuclear genes were consistent with those for mitochondria, and demonstrated that the Atlantic and Mediterranean toothcarp populations derive from separate lineages. The level of genetic divergence shows that they were isolated early and that gene flow
Gene flow
In population genetics, gene flow is the transfer of alleles of genes from one population to another.Migration into or out of a population may be responsible for a marked change in allele frequencies...
has not occurred. The divergence between these two monophyletic clades is the same as that found between other species of pupfish
Pupfish
Pupfish are a group of small killifish belonging to ten genera of the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish. All pupfish are especially noted for being found in extreme and isolated situations, in various parts of North America, South America, and the Caribbean region...
. This discovery makes it necessary to separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean populations in order to protect their diversity and genetic identities.
Molecular analysis, together with morphometric
Morphometrics
Morphometrics refers to the quantitative analysis of form, a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are commonly performed on organisms, and are useful in analyzing their fossil record, the impact of mutations on shape, developmental changes in form, covariances between...
data, has taxonomic implications. In fact, the populations of the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin
The Atlantic Basin is the Atlantic Ocean.Atlantic Basin may also refer to:* Atlantic Basin Iron Works, an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century...
are so different from those in Europe that they have been recognized as a separate species, Aphanius baeticus. The species name Aphanius iberus is limited to populations that live in the Mediterranean.
Conservation status
Despite being distributed over a large area on the peninsula, the Spanish toothcarp is largely found in small, threatened areas. Because of this, the Spanish Ministero de Medio Ambiente lists it as an endangered speciesEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Among the threats are::
- Water contamination by agricultural and urban wasteWasteWaste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
- Habitat destruction, primarily from development
- Introduced speciesIntroduced speciesAn introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
such as Louisiana crawfish, mosquitofish and largemouth bassLargemouth bassThe largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth... - Disappearance of channels and irrigation pondsIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
- Stream bedStream bedA stream bed is the channel bottom of a stream, river or creek; the physical confine of the normal water flow. The lateral confines or channel margins, during all but flood stage, are known as the stream banks or river banks. In fact, a flood occurs when a stream overflows its banks and flows onto...
contamination by accidental spills - Unintended consequences of combating eutrophicationEutrophicationEutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
from algaeAlgaeAlgae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, using toxic chemicals such as copper sulfate, or by covering them to prevent sunlightSunlightSunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
from reaching the water - EutrophicationEutrophicationEutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
from algae - Contamination of albuferaAlbuferaThe Albufera is a saltwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain. It is the main porton of the Parc Natural de l'Albufera , with a surface area of...
s - Keeping them as petsFishkeepingFishkeeping is a popular hobby concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a fishkeeping industry, as a branch of agriculture.-Types of fishkeeping systems:...
once increased their decline, as they were highly valued by aquarists. This interest has recently shifted to more colorful tropical fishTropical fishTropical fish include fish found in tropical environments around the world, including both freshwater and salt water species.Tropical fish are popular as aquarium fish, due to their often bright coloration...
.
Vernacular names
This fish is known as fartet or peixet de sequiol in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
(the latter sometimes uses the diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
fartonet).