Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Nothobranchiidae (African rivulines)
Etymology: Epiplatys: Greek, epi = over, in front + Greek, platys = flat (Ref. 45335); atratus: The species name, atratus, means "clothed in black", from the Latin "ater" (black), referring to adult dominant males that have an almost black appearance in ethanol (Ref. 94049).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 4.5 - 6.6. Tropical; 24°C - 30°C (Ref. 94049)
Africa: restricted to the middle Lulua River (middle Congo River basin) in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 94049).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94049)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 14. Diagnosis: Epiplatys atratus belongs to a supragroup of species, the E. multifasciatus, ansorgii and sangmelinensis species groups, characterized by the possession of a large mouth, reaching the ventral border of the eye (Ref. 94049). It is placed in the E. multifasciatus species group and distinguished from members of the E. ansorgii species group, by the absence of a dark bar under the eye, and from members of the E. sangmelinensis group, by the presence of two dark bars on the lower jaw, which are absent in the E. sangmelinensis group (Ref. 94049). Epiplatys atratus is distinguished from all other members of the E. multifasciatus species group by the possession of a dorsal fin inserted above anal fin ray 8-10 versus 10-13; in large males the lobes surrounding the supra-orbital laterosensory system almost cover the groove versus a completely open groove in large males of other species; from E. multifasciatus, E. mesogramma and E. phoeniceps it is additionaly distinguished by the absence of broad dark bars on the flanks and fins of males without markings versus all fins spotted, the anal fin provided with two or three dark blotches as extensions of the dark bars on the flanks; Epiplatys atratus shows only narrow dark bars on side, whereas the former species have broader dark bars and only sometimes narrow bars in between (Ref. 94049). It is further distinguished from E. chevalieri by the presence of narrow vertical bars in smaller males and in females versus complete absence of vertical bars (Ref. 94049).
Epiplatys atratus is found in small, rather fast flowing rivers containing acid water with temperatures ranging from 24.3-30.3°C (Ref. 94049).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Van der Zee, J.R., Mayi Munene, J.J. Mbimbi and R. Sonnenberg, 2013. Epiplatys atratus (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae), a new species of the E. multifasciatus species group from the Lulua basin (Kasaï drainage), Democratic Republic of Congo. Zootaxa 3700(3):411-422. (Ref. 94049)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
