Anatolichthys danfordii, the Kızılırmak toothcarp or Sultan Sazlığı toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Cyprinodontidae. It is endemic to the Kızılırmak River and the upper Seyhan River drainage systems and is now restricted to a few locations in the Sultan Sazlığı marshes. Though little data is available, the population of the fish seems to be declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "critically endangered" and fears it may become extinct in the wild if the drainage of the marshes continues.
| Anatolichthys danfordii | |
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| Anatolichthys danfordii (male right, female left) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Aphaniidae |
| Genus: | Anatolichthys |
| Species: | A. danfordii
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| Binomial name | |
| Anatolichthys danfordii (Boulenger, 1890)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Distribution edit
It is endemic to Turkey and distributes in the drainage systems of the Kızılırmak River and in the upper Seyhan River, but further investigations are needed.[3]
Description edit
The Kızılırmak toothcarp shows sexual dimorphism like all Anatolichthys species. Males have nine to twelve dark grey-black bars on the sides of the body, a dark blue-black dorsal fin and colourless to yellow caudal and anal fin with two or three black lines at the margins. Females have silver-grey body with a large number of dark grey spots. The largest spot is always centered on the base of the caudal fin. All fins are colorless.
Habitat edit
The Kızılırmak toothcarp lives in small springs, swamps, marches and still parts of the streams.
Biology edit
Anatolichthys danfordii is not a seasonal killifish and its longevity reaches up to five years. It has a long spawning period which takes place from May to the end of August. Their eggs are adhesive and are attached on aquatic plants in small patches. Its growth rate and batch-spawning reproductive strategy give A. danfordii a highly competitive ability for survival in its environment.[4]
Status edit
The Sultan Sazlığı marshes in the Develi depression in which this fish lives are drying out as water is abstracted for agricultural purposes, putting the continued survival of this fish at risk. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "critically endangered" and fears it may become extinct in the wild if drainage of the marshes continues.[1]
Species description and naming edit
Anatolichthys danfordii was described by George Boulenger as Lebias danfordii in 1890 with the type locality given as Albistan.[5] The specific name honours the Scottish artist, sportsman and ornithologist Charles George Danford (1843-1928) who collected the type.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b Freyhof, J. (2014). "Aphanius danfordii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T19483002A19848296. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T19483002A19848296.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Anatolichthys danfordii" in FishBase. April 2024 version.
- ^ Wildekamp, R., H., Küçük, F., Ünlüsayın, M., Neer, W., V., 1999, Species and Subspecies of the Genus Aphanius Nardo 1897 (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) in Turkey, Tr. J. Zool. 23 (1999) 23-44.
- ^ Yoğurtçuoğlu, B.; Ekmekçi, F.G. (2012) Life-history traits of Aphanius danfordii (Boulenger, 1890) (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae), endemic to Kızılırmak Basin (Turkey),J. Appl. Ichthyol. (2012), 1–6, 10.1111/jai.12036 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jai.12036/abstract
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Lebias danfordii". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf; Kenneth J. Lazara (8 December 2023). "Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES: Families POECILIIDAE, ANABLEPIDAE, VALENCIIDAE, APHANIIDAE and PROCATOPODIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. v. 16.0. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 12 April 2024.