Description of Callopanchax sidibei (Nothobranchiidae: Epiplateinae), a new species of killifish from southwestern Guinea, West Africa

A new species of the annual killifish genus Callopanchax (Nothobranchiidae: Epiplateinae) is described from coastal Guinea, West Africa. It is distinguished from its congeners by morphological and colour pattern characters including up to three irregular and interrupted horizontal stripes on blue flanks in males. A preliminary DNA study indicates that it is closely related with C. occidentalis and C. toddi, which is supported by the following apomorphic characters compared to the more distantly related C. monroviae: a dark red or black postopercular blotch and an origin of the dorsal fin anterior to or above the first ray of the anal fin. The species first turned up in commercial imports of ornamental fish from Guinea. The local collectors, the Sidibe family, are acknowledged for sharing their knowledge on this species and their support to the second author during his collections by naming it Callopanchax sidibei, new species. Currently it is only known from the type locality and is endemic to Guinea.

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Copyright 2022
Richard J. Sexton