Aplocheilus panchax ( Hamilton, 1822 )

Çiçek, Erdoğan, Fricke, Ronald, Eagderi, Soheil, Sungur, Sevil, Coad, Brian W & Hamdard, Mohammad Hamid, 2023, Fishes of Afghanistan; a revised and updated annotated checklist, Zootaxa 5305 (1), pp. 1-69 : 46-47

Aplocheilus panchax ( Hamilton, 1822)

[N]—Blue panchax

Taxonomy. Original description: Esox panchax Hamilton, 1822: 211 , 380, pl. 3, fig. 69 (ditches and ponds of Bengal; no types known).— Afghanistan synonyms: None.—Revisions: Seegers (1997: 16).—Illustration: Hamilton (1822: pl. 3, fig. 69) as Esox panchax ; Britz (2019: pl. 119).

Status in Afghanistan. First record from Afghanistan by Hora (1935); confirmed by Coad (1981: 8).—Afghanistan materials: None.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan: Chahiltran Stream, tributary of Kabul River, West Kabul City, Afghanistan.—General distribution: South Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar; introduced in Sulawesi ( Indonesia).—Habitat: This species is found in clear, shallow, and brackish waters at low altitudes, as well as in estuaries, ditches, ponds, and canals, reservoirs, and mangrove creeks. This species is a larvivorous fish, and its utility for mosquito control has been well established. This species is a perennial breeder with a spawning maximum in the monsoon months. It breeds at 8 cm and attains a length of 9 cm. Maturity is attained in four to five months. The eggs, when laid, are attached to submersibles. Freshwater, brackish.

Economic importance. Valuable for the aquarium trade.

Reasons of introduction. Ornamental fish industry.

Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan: Unknown.—IUCN: LC ( Chaudhry & Chakrabarty 2018).— Threats: COM, EUT.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.— Moderate priority for conservation action.