Leptolebias marmoratus, the marbled pearlfish, annual tropical killifish or ginger pearlfish,[2] is a species of killifish in the family Rivulidae. This threatened species is found in temporary channels within dense Atlantic rainforest, in the floodplains of rivers draining into the Baía de Guanabara, near the city of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil.[3] It reaches up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in total length.[2]
| Leptolebias marmoratus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Rivulidae |
| Genus: | Leptolebias |
| Species: | L. marmoratus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptolebias marmoratus (Ladiges, 1934)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
This species may be the only member of its genus, the inclusion of several others made Leptolebias paraphyletic, according to some workers. To avoid this, some authorities moved the other species to Leptopanchax, Mucurilebias and Notholebias.[3][4][5]
Taxonomy
editLeptolebias marmoratus belongs to the family Rivulidae. It was first described by George S. Myers in 1942. The genus Leptolebias includes several species that are closely related and share similar ecological niches.[6]
Physical Description
editLeptolebias marmoratus is a small fish, with males typically more colorful than females. Males exhibit bright blue and red patterns on their bodies and fins, while females are more subdued in coloration. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males also having longer fins.[7]
Habitat and Distribution
editLeptolebias marmoratus is endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome in southeastern Brazil. It inhabits temporary pools that form during the rainy season. These pools often dry up completely, which has led to the species developing a unique life cycle adapted to these conditions.[8]
Life Cycle and Reproduction
editThe life cycle of Leptolebias marmoratus is closely tied to the wet and dry seasons. During the rainy season, adults breed in the temporary pools, and eggs are laid in the substrate. These eggs enter a state of diapause during the dry season, hatching when the pools refill with water in the next rainy season.[9]
Behaviour
editLeptolebias marmoratus exhibits interesting behaviors related to its reproductive strategy. Males engage in elaborate courtship displays to attract females. Males engage in elaborate courtship displays to attract females. The species is also known for its ability to survive in hypoxic conditions, which is common in its temporary pool habitat.[10]
Conservation Status
editLeptolebias marmoratus is considered to be at risk due to habitat loss and environmental changes. The destruction of the Atlantic Forest for agriculture and urban development poses a significant threat to the species. Conservation efforts are focused on preserving its natural habitat and studying its life history to support breeding programs.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2022). "Leptolebias marmoratus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T39297A139555968. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Leptolebias marmoratus". FishBase. November 2018 version.
- ^ a b Costa, W.J.E.M. (2016): Comparative morphology and classification of South American cynopoeciline killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheilidae), with notes on family-group names used for aplocheiloids. Vertebrate Zoology, 66 (2): 125-140.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Leptolebias". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Leptopanchax". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Lowe-McConnell, Rosemary H. (1984), The status of studies on South American freshwater food fishes, Developments in environmental biology of fishes, vol. 3, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 139–156, doi:10.1007/978-94-015-7682-6_10, ISBN 978-90-481-8524-5, retrieved 2024-07-26
- ^ MELO, GABRIEL A.R.; COSTA, MARCO ANTÔNIO (2004-06-21). "A new stingless bee species of the genus Scaura (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest, with notes on S. latitarsis (Friese)". Zootaxa. 544 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.544.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
- ^ Oliveira, AK; Apone, F; Birindelli, JLO; Garavello, JC (May 2015). "Fish assemblage structure of the Ipanema River, a small lotic environment partially protected by a Conservation Unit in southeastern Brazil". Brazilian Journal of Biology. 73 (2): 259–270. doi:10.1590/s1519-69842013000200006. ISSN 1519-6984. PMID 23917553.
- ^ Podrabsky, Jason E.; Hand, Steven C. (1999-10-01). "The bioenergetics of embryonic diapause in an annual killifish,Austrofundulus limnaeus". Journal of Experimental Biology. 202 (19): 2567–2580. doi:10.1242/jeb.202.19.2567. ISSN 0022-0949. PMID 10482717.
- ^ Reichard, Martin; Blažek, Radim; Polačik, Matej; Vrtílek, Milan (2017-04-26). "Hatching date variability in wild populations of four coexisting species of African annual fishes". Developmental Dynamics. 246 (11): 827–837. doi:10.1002/dvdy.24500. ISSN 1058-8388. PMID 28316133.
- ^ Abell, Robin (2002-09-27). "Conservation Biology for the Biodiversity Crisis: a Freshwater Follow-up". Conservation Biology. 16 (5): 1435–1437. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.01532.x. ISSN 0888-8892.
 | This Cyprinodontiformes article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |