Aphanius vladykovi

The Zagros pupfish, "Aphanius vladykovi", is an endemic species found in a restricted area of the central Zagros Mountains of Iran and is an attractive species for keeping in aquaria. Its name in Persian is ماهی گوره‌خری (transliteration: mahi-e gour-e khari), which means zebrafish. Little information on this species beyond the original description and some brief biological observations is available.

This species is a close relative of "A. sophiae", but characterised by a higher lateral line scale counts and by its color pattern: males have darker coloration on the dorsal fin and a lighter one on the anal fin. Females lack the typical, large, lozenge-shaped spot at the base of the caudal fin seen in "A. sophiae".

The stomach content of this fish consists mostly of freshwater crustacean and the Relative Length of Gut (RLG) suggests a carnivorous habit. The eggs has an average diameter of 1 mm and the average absolute and relative fecundity is 415 and 110, respectively. The gonadosomatic ratio and ovary condition suggests that the reproductive season of the species is between late March and June with a peak in early April. The species is euryhaline and eurythermal and prefers neutral to basic waters. It is usually found in well-oxygenated waters, but is tolerant to hypoxia as well.

ource

*Coad, B.W. 1988. "Aphanius vladykovi", a new species of tooth-carps from the Zagros Mountains of Iran (Osteichthyes: Cyprinodontidae)." Environmental Biology of Fishes, 23(1-2): 115-125.

*Coad, B.W.,and Y. Keivany. 2000. "Aphanius vladykovi" Coad, 1988. Zagros pupfish, mahi-e gour-e khari. Journal of the American Killifish Association, 33(6): 195-198.

*Keivany, Y., and N.M. Soofiani. 2004. Contribution to the biology of Zagros tooth-carp, "Aphanius vladykovi" (Cyprinodontidae) in central Iran. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 71: 165–169.