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): 53, figs. 19-20.
Abstract:
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.
* 30, rue du Mont Ussy, 77300 Fontainebleau, France. E-mail:
bela.nagy@neuf.fr (corresponding author