DesDescriptioncription
Nagy, B., B.R. Watters, P.D.W. van der Merwe, F.P.D. Cotterill & D.U.
Bellstedt. 2020. Review of the Nothobranchius ugandensis species
group from the inland plateau of eastern Africa with descriptions
of six new species (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae). Ichthyol. Explor.
Freshwaters, 30 (1): 31, figs. 3-4.
The Nothobranchius ugandensis species group from the inland plateau
of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is reviewed.
Members of this group are characterized in males by the combination
of characters of a light blue body coloration
with red to red-brown scale margins; a frontal part of head red-brown;
throat light blue or red; a uniform red or
yellow caudal fin; and a light blue or yellow anal fin with red-brown
spotted pattern. Six new species are identified, to raise total species
richness to eleven. Nothobranchius albertinensis, Nagy, Watters &
Bellstedt, new species,
from the Albert Nile drainage in western and north-western Uganda, is
characterized by a yellow dorsal fin
with stripes in medial part parallel to fin rays; yellow anal fin without
markings; and anal fin positioned anterior
to dorsal fin. Nothobranchius attenboroughi Nagy, Watters & Bellstedt,
new species, from the Grumeti and other
lesser systems east of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania, is
characterized by a light blue anal fin with red-brown
dots proximally and medially, and becoming yellow distally with narrow
red-brown stripes parallel to fin rays.
Nothobranchius hoermanni Nagy, Watters & Bellstedt, new species,
from the upper Wembere drainage in central
Tanzania, is characterized by a red throat; light blue anal fin with red-
brown spots and stripes proximally and
medially, and with a broad light blue distal zone without markings;
pectoral fin hyaline with red-brown stripes
parallel to fin rays; and exposed branchiostegal membrane red-brown,
with cream distal margin. Nothobranchius
itigiensis Nagy, Watters & Bellstedt, new species, from the uppermost
Ruaha drainage and the Bahi Swamp area
in central Tanzania, is characterized by a yellow anal fin with red-brown
spots proximally, that merge medially
to a pattern parallel to fin rays and are fused distally to form a marginal
band. Nothobranchius moameensis Nagy,
Watters & Bellstedt, new species, from the Moame system south of
Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania, is characterized by a light blue anal
fin with red-brown dots proximally and medially, and with light blue or
yellow distal
zone without markings. Nothobranchius venustus Nagy, Watters &
Bellstedt, new species, from lesser systems in
south-western Lake Victoria basin in north-western Tanzania, is
characterized by a dorsal fin with a narrow light
blue subdistal band and a narrow red-brown to black distal band; a light
blue anal fin with irregular red-brown
stripes perpendicular to fin rays proximally and medially, and orange
with red-brown stripes parallel to fin rays
in distal zone. The species group on the inland plateau in eastern Africa
also includes N. derhami, N. kardashevi,
N. streltsovi, N. torgashevi and N. ugandensis; furthermore N.
nubaensis from southern Sudan and western Ethiopia
is also included. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of their
mitochondrial ND2 and COI, and nuclear Glyt,
MyH6 and SNX33 gene sequences supports the genetic distinction of
the six new species and confirms their position, together with all known
members in the N. ugandensis species group
Clasification
Genus: Nothobranchius
Subgenus: Zonothobranchius.
Group: ugandensis
Status specie: Not unanimously confirmed
Geographical Distribution
Maps
Uganda
Type locality:20 km north Pakwach, Albert Nile drainage, {northwestern}
Uganda.02°36'19" N, 31°23'04" E
Extension: known only from type area,
-20 km N. Pakwach, Uganda * [2.605 N : 31.384 E] Watters et al., 1999
| Nagy et al., 2020
Locations/codes
Pakwach (UGN 17-16
Olobodagi UG 99-23
Butiaba (UGN 17-17)
Notes
Difficult to differentiate morphologically from many populations of
ugandensis
Bibliography
Related: Wildekamp, R. H. 1994. The Nothobranchius species from Uganda,
with description of a new polymorphic species (Cyprinodontiformes:
Aplocheilidae). Ichthyological ExpIorations of Freshwaters, 5 (3): 193–206.
[taxonomy as Nothobranchius ugandensis]