Danakilia

Danakilia is a species-poor, consisting only of two species of fish species of the family of cichlids ( Cichlidae ). It comes in two lakes in East Africa before in the hot and extremely arid Danakil depression. The two lakes are the Afrerasee in the north of Ethiopia and 160 kilometers north of the Abaededsee in Eritrea. The scientific name of the genus was derived from their area of ​​distribution.

Species

  • Danakilia dinicolai Stiassny, de Marchi & Lamboj, 2010
  • Danakilia franchettii ( Vinciguerra, 1931)

Features

Danakilia species have a typical cichlid shape are stocky and are 7.4 to 9.6 cm long. Danakilia dinicolai has a longer dorsal fin, which occupies 31.1 to 38.7 % of standard length, compared with 21.7 to 30.6 % for D. franchettii. In both species the dorsal fin 13 to 15 spines and 9 to 11 soft rays is supported. The anal fin has three spines and 7-8 (up to 10 in D. franchettii ) soft rays. The swirl number is 25 - 27 On the cheek are two to three rows of scales. The Pharyngealiaknochen is in D. franchettii short, only slightly longer than wide, and occupied in adult animals in the back row with 26 to 36 large, flattened teeth. Dinicolai In D. it is longer than it is wide (30 to 32% of head length (25 to 27% in D. franchettii ) ) and in the back row with 40 to 48 teeth filled.

System

Danakilia belongs to the subfamily of Macropodusinae ( cichlids of Africa and the Middle East) to the tribe Oreochromini and is probably most closely related to Iranocichla hormuzensis from southern Iran and Tristramella from the Jordan Valley. The close relationship of Iranocichla and Tristramella could also be confirmed by the comparison of DNA sequences, the relationship with Danakilia but because there was no DNA samples were available. In the further relationship of all three genera, the genus Sarotherodon and the cichlids of the Cameroonian Barombi Mbosee heard. All cichlids from this lineage are mouth brooders.

Endangering

Danakilia franchettii is assessed by the IUCN as endangered ( Endangered ). The risk is mainly in the small distribution area, which has an area of ​​only 125 km ², and in human activities, especially for the purpose of salt production around the lake. Danakilia dinicolai is not listed by the IUCN.

Afar Triangle Lake Afrera Pharyngeal jaw Jordan River Lake Barombi Mbo Zootaxa Digital Object Identifier FishBase
214259
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