Sociedad Española de Killis, S.E.K.
- Inside SEK
- Information
- Member's tools
 |
 |
|
|
 |
Habitats
Killifish, with exceptions, live in marginal aquatic environments, streams, ponds, ditches along roads, areas flooded by rivers, rain, or sea permanently or not. They may live in ecosystems limit, as the case Ciprinodon Diabolis that lives only in the "Devil's Hole" karst cavity in Ash Meadows, Nevada Desert, USA.
If Lamprichthys tanganicanus is exceptionally suited to open water populated as Cichlids Tropheus , Julidochromis , Lamprologus , etc. Possessing a very quick swim and customs that protect breeding on, as this is deposited in small cracks the egg taking the shape of the crack and adapt the embryo to this deformation. In Spain, the Spanish Valencia lives in the course of which springs formerly colonized, all produced by the pressure of new competitors such as the American crab Procambarus clarkii or Gambussia afinnis holbrocki . The reclusive also protects the spring against the use of pesticides in rice fields nearby, providing some hope for our species.
They are often the only fish in these biotopes (Eg Austrolebias ), and sometimes coexist with other fish of other families, including predators Procatopus ).
Many times for untrained eye Killifish habitats could lie. So we tend to think habitats in equatorial Africa are very hot water. And in some cases is true but even on the line of Ecuador can be Killifish live in cold water, especially if they are mountain streams where they are born, they may be under a dense canopy that provides lots of shade and therefore be given the lowest temperatures. High humidity and cool further evaporation of water. This is the case Diapteron that require temperatures of 19 ° C to initiate spawning, and at other times of the year living at 15 ° C or less. We also found in areas of cold water, which was bathed in a pool of sunlight. Coincidentally it was the only place where we fish A. exiguum . In areas of abundant shade A. cameronenese cameronense . As an extreme case stands Aphanius dispar that lives in water at 42 ° C in Somalia.
Also a pond that retains a shade tree that can become the only habitat of a species. Sometimes you just cut that tree for some wood to extinguish a species that does not accept direct light.
Another case of open water are Orestias of Lake Titicaca. It has dimensions of 300 X 100 km, Killifish are often considered a good food and Nothobranchius in parts of Africa are called "Anamolugo" which means "Fried makes an excellent dish."