NAIROBI ― A new killifish species, scientifically known as Nothobranchius sylvaticus, has been documented in seasonal swamps of Kenya’s ancient Gongoni Forest, research shows. In a study published this month in the Zootaxa journal, scientists from Canada, France, Kenya and South Africa say the fish species’ survival is compromised by the severely restricted and declining habitat, which is part of the seasonal Mkurumudzi River in southeastern coastal Kenya. N. sylvaticus, from the Latin phrase meaning “pertaining to the forest,” is also the first known killifish to persist in a forest and was sampled from the Gongoni Forest in 2017 and 2018. Its iridescent blue scales, pronounced red markings on the head and vibrant fins set it apart from other Nothobranchius species. The killifish specimen has been deposited at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi and the comparative specimens at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. According to the study’s lead researcher, Dirk Bellstedt, professor emeritus of biochemistry at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University, in 2017, he was invited by Quentin Luke, a botanist with the National Museums of Kenya and a study co-author, to help in environmental monitoring of the Base Titanium mine in Kwale county near the coastal town of Diani Beach in Kenya. Panchax killifish in Shanghai aquarium, China. Image by Rhett A. Butler / Mongabay. “I have researched forest patch plants far down the east coast of Africa in South Africa and that is why I was particularly interested. On getting there, I noted…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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