DesDescriptioncription
Nothobranchius cooperi (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes) a new
species of annual killifish from the Luapula River drainage,
northern Zambia. African Journal of Aquatic Science, 42 (3):
201–218.
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
ype 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)
Extension: small, in upper Luapula river basin, northerly to a N.E.-S.W.-
trending topographic high that forms the watershed separating the Mansa
river from streams draining into low-lying Samfya area, near Lake
Bangweulu
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
Bibliography
Related: 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
