Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Nothobranchiidae (African rivulines)
Etymology: Nothobranchius: Greek, nothos = false + Greek, brangchia = gill (Ref. 45335); wattersi: The species is named in dedication to B.R. Watters, who has studied Malawi Nothobranchius and their biotopes extensively, and has also made significant contributions to the further understanding of the ecology of Nothobranchius fishes (Ref. 92979).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: ephemeral pools, swamps and ditches on the floodplains of rivers associated with central and southern sections of Lake Malawi, and areas around Lake Malombe and the upper Shire River region (Ref. 92979).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 92979); 4.8 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 17; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 18; Vertebrae: 27 - 28. Diagnosis: Nothobranchius wattersi males are similar to N. kirki and differing from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: red colouration on caudal fin and part of caudal peduncle, anal fin red with a blue-green proximal portion, dorsal fin with light blue margin; pectoral, caudal and anal fins with black margin (Ref. 92979). It is readily distinguished from N. kirki by light blue colouration in scale centres, plain deep red colouration on caudal and distal portion of anal fin, vermiculated blue pattern on anal fin, dorsal fin blue-green, anal fin more rounded, dorsal-fin base shorter, prepelvic to preanal distance longer and head longer, with a more flattened to slightly concave shape on the upper head surface relative to N. kirki.
Nothobranchius wattersi occupies seasonal water pools that are briefly connected owing to seasonal flooding by summer rains and isolated later in the season before eventually desiccating; these pools are characterized by fine black or grey-coloured clay-rich soils typically comprising silt, mud and fine sand, roughly in that order of abundance, and eggs are laid in the uppermost layers of this substratum (Ref. 92979).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Ng'oma, E., S. Valdesalici, K. Reichwald and A. Cellerino, 2013. Genetic and morphological studies of Nothobranchius (Cyprinodontiformes) from Malawi with description of Nothobranchius wattersi sp. nov. J. Fish Biol. 82(1):165-188. (Ref. 92979)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00449 - 0.02680), b=2.92 (2.71 - 3.13), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
