Edit Apricaphanius baeticus

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Name

Scientific name

Apricaphanius baeticus

Described by

Authority Doadrio, Carmona & Fernández-Delgado, Year 2002

Family

Aphaniidae

Common names

Baetican Toothcarp, Salinete

Photograph credits

All 15 credited

Summary

The Baetican toothcarp, Apricaphanius baeticus, is endemic to a small part of southern Spain, mostly in the lower Guadalquivir River basin.…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

50mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 2–30°C, pH 7–9

Hardness

10–35dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Not recorded

Community suitability

Not recorded

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Spain, de la Vega, Guadalquivir, Salado

Writing

Etymology

Apricaphanius: from the Latin adjective apricus, meaning 'sunny' (given as "shining" by the authors), in reference to the many small white spots on the flanks …

Distribution

Endemic to a small part of southern Spain, mostly within the lower Guadalquivir River basin and along the country's southern Atlantic coastline with a single l…

Habitat

One population resides in a very shallow (30 cm average depth) freshwater lagoon with a silty clay substrate and poor growth of aquatic vegetation while anothe…

Aquarium size

A pair or trio can be kept in a container with base dimensions of 60 cm x 30 cm or so but as a general rule members of this genus do better when maintained as …

Maintenance

Even for long-term maintenance a simple set-up will suffice. The most important factors are the provision of many broken lines of sight and a suitable medium i…

Water conditions

Temperature: Active over a wide temperature range of 2 – 30 °C. Artificial heating is not required in all but the coldest climates and it should be provided wi…

Diet

Apricaphanius species are basically micropredators feeding on small aquatic crustaceans, worms, insect larvae and other zooplankton although algae and other pl…

Behaviour and compatibility

Its particular water requirements and aggressive spawning behaviour make A. baeticus a poor choice for the community aquarium. Given its precarious conservatio…

Sexual dimorphism

As with all members of the genus sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Males exhibit a series of 14-17 silvery vertical bars in the rear portion of the body with us…

Reproduction

A. baeticus shows reproductive adaptations to unstable environments and fluctuating population sizes with a relatively short lifespan (<2 years in most case…

Notes

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 an…

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 large (vs. numerous, small) dark markings in females. The two species are thought to have diverged from one another around 5 million years ago, around the time of the opening of the Straits of Gibraltar.

You're unlikely to find it on sale in aquatic stores as its collection and trade is currently prohibited although it may be available via specialist breeders or associations from time-to-time. While Aphanius 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 dedication to take on a long-term maintenance project since conservation is key with all members of the genus.

It 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. None are particularly well-documented in aquarium literature although some are very beautiful and the majority are not too difficult to maintain and breed. Sadly most are on the verge of extinction for one reason or another with several existing only in remnant, highly-localised populations.

In practically all cases the root cause for this decline is the activity of humans and although some species are now protected by conservation law the mismanagement and degradation of their habitats continues at an alarming rate. A few species are still sometimes listed as members 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.

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References

3 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References