Poeciliidae

Neumann, Dirk, Obermaier, Henriette & Moritz, Timo, 2016, Annotated checklist for fishes of the Main Nile Basin in the Sudan and Egypt based on recent specimen records (2006 - 2015), Cybium 40 (4), pp. 287-317 : 297

Poeciliidae

Two alien species are recorded for Lake Mariut: Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard, 1853) and Poecilia latipinna sensu lato. The mosquito fish was already introduced in 1929 ( Welcomme, 1988) and has established stable populations in Egypt ( Bishai and Khalil, 1997). When the sailfin molly was released is unknown and its taxonomic status remains doubtful: it might be P. latipinna (Lesueur, 1821) , P. velifera (Regan, 1914) or a hybrid of both. The status of the autochthonous representatives of this family is unresolved: five species, Micropanchax hutereaui (Boulenger, 1913) , M. kingii (Boulenger, 1913) , M. loati ( Boulenger, 1901) , M. macrophthalmus (Meinken, 1932) and Poropanchax normani (Ahl, 1928) , are mentioned for the Nile Basin. Haplochilus schoelleri ( Boulenger, 1901) , a lampeye from Lake Menzaleh, a western satellite of Lake Mariut in Alexandria, is currently in synonymy of Micropanchax loati . Specimens collected at Taraq Island and Kosti (7A, B) might represent a new species or the currently synonymised H. schoelleri : male Taraq-specimens exhibit ctenoid scales and thus a strong sexual dimorphism. They seem closer to M. loatii than to M. kingii , but the tubular cephalo-sensoric system and slender body disagree with both species (pers. comm., J. van der Zee, 27 Feb. 2015). For the moment, we identify this population as M. cf. loati ( Fig. 7A, B ). Comparison with type material of other Micropanchax , especially H. schoelleri , is needed to evaluate the status of the Taraq-lampeyes. Same applies to the Poropanachax specimens collected in the White Nile at Kosti which disagree with P. normani (pers. comm., J. van der Zee, 27 Feb. 2015). Unless clarified, we identify the Kosti population as Poropanachax cf. normani ( Fig. 7C ). Moreover, we doubt that the ranges of M. hutereaui ( Bailey, 1994) and M. macrophthalmus expand into Nile Basin ( Lévêque et al., 1991); the reference to these two species in the White Nile and Nile should be carefully checked and might refer (in part) to the abberant Micropanchax and Poropanchax mentioned above.

Figures

Figure 7. – Males of Micropanchax species from the Nile. A-B: Micropanchax cf. or sp. aff. loati, Taraq Island, Lower Nile (9 Apr. 2008); C: Poropanchax cf. or sp. aff. normani., White Nile at Kosti (23 Jan. 2006).