Description
Nagy, B., B.R. Watters, P.D.W. van der Merwe, F.P.D. Cotterill & D.U.
Bellstedt. 2017. Nothobranchius cooperi (Teleostei:
Cyprinodontiformes): a new species of annual killifish from the
Luapula River drainage, northern Zambia. Afr. J. Aquat. Sci., 42 (3):
209, figs. 4-8.
Abstract
Nothobranchius cooperi, Nagy, Watters and Bellstedt, new species,
is described from seasonal streams and ephemeral pools
associated with the upper Mansa River system in the middle
Luapula drainage and systems draining into the low-lying area
marginal to the southwestern part of Lake Bangweulu, in the
Luapula province of northern Zambia. It belongs to the N. brieni
species group. Males of Nothobranchius cooperi are distinguished
from congeners by the following unique combination of characters:
body scales with broad orange posterior margin, forming a highly
irregular cross-barred pattern; anal fin fairly uniform orange-red
with irregular to regular, light blue-green zone close to the base;
caudal peduncle length 1.2–1.3 times its depth; prepelvic length
48.8–51.9% SL; and head depth 75–77% of head length. Genetic
divergence of the mitochondrial COI and ND2 genes and nuclear S7
gene support the distinction of the new species from its closest
known relative, N. rosenstocki and confirms its position in the N.
brieni species group.
Clasification
Genus: Nothobranchius
Subgenus: Zonothobranchius.
Group: brieni
Geographical Distribution
Maps
Type locality:20 km east of Mansa town, on road to Samfya, middle
Luapula drainage, upper Mansa river system, Luapula province, (central)
Zambia. 11.264 S : 29.043 E
Others places: - near Loshi River, 20 km Mansa-Samfya, Zambia [11.267
S : 29.067 E] Melhuish, 2002 | Valdesalici et al., 2005 (1)
- 40 km W. Samfya, 36 km E. Mansa, Zambia [11.267 S : 29.217 E]
Rosenstock, 1989 | Rosenstock, 1991 (2)
- 15 km W. Samfya, Zambia [11.333 S : 29.401 E] Zz-undet., |
Valdesalici et al., 2005 (3)
Locations/codes
Mansa ZAM 97-3
Mansa (ZAM 07-8)
Notes
Status specie: Not unanimously confirmed.
This species was first named as N. sp Mansa
Discoverer(s): Brian R. Watters, Barry J. Cooper, Otto Schmidt and
William Bishopp, March 23. 2007
Variability: Little
In captivity :Not enough data to draw a conclusion. Currently absent in
the hobby.
Bibliography
Rosenstock, J. 1991. Zambia 1989. Journal of the American Killifish Association,
24 (4–6): 213–220. [collecting as Nothobranchius sp. Mansa]
Valdesalici, S. & R. H. Wildekamp. 2005. A new species of the genus
Nothobranchius (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae) from Luapula
River basin, Zambia. Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 9 (3): 89–96.
[taxonomy as Nothobranchius rosenstocki]
Nagy, Watters & Bellstedt, 2017
Nothobranchius cooperi
