Prior to its description this species was considered a geographic variant of A. iberus but the 2002 paper revealed the pair to be genetically quite distinct and also highlighted some morphological differences. It is distinguished from A. iberus by possessing 8-9 (usually 8 ) branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. 8-9, sometimes 10), 9-11 branched anal-fin rays (vs. 8-9), a deeper, more elongate body shape, noticeably shorter snout, relatively thick (vs. thin) vertical bars in males and a flank patterning consisting of a few la…

This species has something of a confused history having been previously been considered synonymous with both A. sophiae and A. fasciatus. Another species, A. chantrei is still listed as valid by some sources but is now known to be a junior synonym of A. danfordii. This became clear during a 1999 study in which the type specimens of A. danfordii were found to be indistinguishable from the Aphanius population living in the Sultan Swamps, the type locality of A. chantrei.

You're unlikely t…

This little-known, relict species possesses some unique morphological and behavioural traits when compared with its congeners and the genus Kosswigichthys was erected for it in the original description. It has a much more elongate body profile than other Aphanius spp., almost total absence of scalation on the body and three rows of conical (as opposed to tricuspid in all other species) teeth which set it apart. Work by Franz and Villwock in the 1970s revealed it to be a member of Aphanius and showed …

A 2003 phylogenetic study by Hrbek and Meyer showed that in genetic terms specimens of A. fasciatus collected from different localities do not vary as much as with other members of the genus. The latter tend to exist in geographically separated populations and exhibit localised differentiation. While A. fasciatus does show certain disparities in appearance depending on locality it is thought that periodic migration events have restricted the development of genetic diversity within the species to…

The genus Aphanius currently contains 22 species and subspecies which are thought to have derived from a common ancestor originally distributed around the periphery of the former Tethys Sea. These can be separated into two main phylogenetic groups usually referred to as the 'eastern' and 'western' clades by scientists and aquarists because they broadly correspond to those coastlines of the Tethys. The eastern clade comprises the species now found in the Arabian Peninsula and …

The elongated, slender body profile, angular lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known subspecies have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Kosswigichthys in the past. It has also been referred to, and still is in some cases, as A. transgrediens or more often A. burdurensis/burduricus. Some of these names were erected due to the differences in scalation that can be observed among the population in Lake Burdur but studies by Villwock and others revealed that…

The modified lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known species have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Turkichthys in the past and it is still sometimes listed as a species of Lebias although that generic name has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003. You're unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it ma…

The elongated, slender body profile, angular lower jaw and reduced scalation exhibited by this little-known subspecies have seen it placed in the disused genera Anatolichthys and Kosswigichthys in the past and it's still inexplicably listed as a species of Lebias by some sources (for the record Lebias has long been considered a synonym of Cyprinodon by most authorities and an ICZN committee voted to suppress the name in favour of Aphanius as recently as 2003). You're unlikely to find i…

A. anatoliae is the most widely-distributed of the Anatolian Aphanius species although like most of its congeners is not easy to come by in the hobby. You are unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores although it may be available via specialist breeders or associations from time-to-time. While Aphanius spp. are certainly not as colourful as some of their relatives their interesting behaviour and continuous activity make them fascinating aquarium subjects and well worth a try if you possess the de…

Contrary to many reports, including a number of scientific papers, this species breeds in the same way as other cyprinodontids and does not dig pits or exhibit extended parental care.

It’s a fractional spawner with females depositing eggs on a more-or-less continuous basis when a warm temperature is maintained though ideally it should be permitted to breed on a seasonal basis in spring and late summer as it would in nature.