Common names:
Rwenzori lampeye/ Semliki Lampeye
None
Taxonomic tree
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Order: Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers)
Family: Procatopodidae (African Lampeyes)
Genus: Platypanchax Ahl 1928
Species: Platypanchax modestus (Pappenheim, 1914)
Number of Occurrancies: 110
Etymology (Sharpf & Lazara 2019)
Platypanchax: platys, referring to its body, which extremely compressed laterally; Panchax (=Aplocheilus, sometimes spelled Haplocheilus), an aplocheiloid genus, often used to compose generic names of killifishes but in this case probably referring to Haplocheilus, original genus of P. modestus
modestus: modest or unassuming, possibly referring to light yellowish brown color in alcohol and/or lack of bright colors on sides and fins of males
Synonyms: click here to view synonyms
Type locality:
Stream near old Beni in the Ituri River drainage, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Reference 29° 28' E; 00° 29' N.
General notes on identification of African Lampeyes
The Procatopodidae (formerly cyprinodontidae or Poeciliidae) are a family of small fishes, often brightly colored. Both the body and head are covered by scales; mouth is protractile and directed obliquely upwards; Lateral line is absent; dorsal, anal and pelvic fins have no spine; circum-oral barbels are absent
Distinguishing characters for the genus and species
Genus Platypanchax is monotypic, being represented by only one species P. modestus. The genus is easily distinguished from closely related genera occurring in Uganda such as Lacustricola, Nothobranchius and Laciris by having a relatively deeper body (less than 3.5 times in standard length), especially in the abdominal region, which is compressed in males; more anal fin rays (19-2). The teeth appear in several irregular row, those of the outer row in both jaws enlarged and more widely spaced than the teeth in the inner series. Colour is pale yellow, the edges of the scales darker in males; fins pale.
Taxonomic notes
This species may be seen in other literature as Hypsopanchax deprimozi (now a junior synonym).
Distribution in Uganda
Streams emptying into lakes Edward and George originating in the Rwenzori or on western Rift valley slopes; also in the Semliki River
Occurence
Native
Habitat
The species is apparently confined to rivers and near-shore regions of lakes.
Feeding
Unknown
Biology
Not information
Economic importance/End use
Unknown
IUCN conservation status:click here to view IUCN status
Threats
Unknown
Main references
Greenwood PH. 1966. The fishes of Uganda. The Uganda Society, Kampala. 131 pages.
Sharpf C, Lazara J.K. 2019. Fish Name Etymology Database v1. www.etyfish.org.
