Laimosemion

Laimosemion
Laimosemion xiphidius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Rivulidae
Genus: Laimosemion
Huber, 1999
Type species
Rivulus geayi
Vaillant, 1899
Synonyms

Owiyeye Costa, 2006

Laimosemion is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae from the Amazon basin and basins in the Guiana Shield in tropical South America. They mostly inhabit small streams, creeks, swamps and pools in lowlands, but locally occur to an altitude of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).[1]

Like their relatives, the adult Laimosemion often inhabit very small isolated waters, but they are not annual species like some other killifish. The adults can move some distance over land to find another water source. They do this by repeatedly flipping their body. They commonly complete their life cycle in the water, often laying their eggs among plant material. However, their eggs can survive several days of drought, only hatching when again covered by water.[2][3]

The largest are up to 8.5 cm (3.3 in) in total length, but most Laimosemion species only reach around half that size.[4]

  1. ^ Vermeulen, F.B.M., Suijker, W.H. & Collier, G.E. (2012): Laimosemion paryagi (Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae), a new species from the upper Mazaruni river drainage of Western Guyana. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 18 (4): 181-190.
  2. ^ Furness, A.I.; D.N. Reznick; A. Tatarenkov; J.C. Avise (2018). "The evolution of diapause in Rivulus (Laimosemion)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 184 (3): 773–790. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly021.
  3. ^ Furness, A.I. (2016). "The evolution of an annual life cycle in killifish: adaptation to ephemeral aquatic environments through embryonic diapause". Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 91 (3): 796–812. doi:10.1111/brv.12194. PMID 25969869. S2CID 33170099.
  4. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Laimosemion". FishBase. November 2018 version.