Edit Apricaphanius iberus
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Name
Scientific name
Apricaphanius iberus
Described by
Authority Valenciennes, Year 1846, Bracketed
Family
Aphaniidae
Common names
Spanish Toothcarp, Fartet
Photograph credits
All 18 credited
Summary
The Spanish toothcarp, or fartet, Apricaphanius iberus, is restricted to a few small areas of Spain's Mediterranean coast. These lie in Cat…
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
10–30dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Not recorded
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Spain
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
Now restricted to a few small areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia. It used have a more…
Habitat
Found in various habitat types although it mostly inhabits shallow coastal waters such as lagoons, salt marshes and first order streams in areas where submerge…
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. iberus a poor choice for the community aquarium. Given its precarious conservation …
Sexual dimorphism
As with all members of the genus sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Males exhibit a series of silvery vertical bars in the rear portion of the body with usually …
Reproduction
A. iberus shows reproductive adaptations to unstable environments and fluctuating population sizes with a relatively short lifespan (<2 years in most cases)…
Notes
Populations of Apricaphanius from Spain's southern, Atlantic coastline and Algeria previously considered representative of A. iberus have now been elevated to …
References
References
3 on this profile