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.