Arabian toothcarp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arabian toothcarp |
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| The fishes of the Nile, showing several toothcarps. Fish number 3 is a male and number 4 is a female Aphaniops dispar. | |
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The Arabian toothcarp (Aphaniops dispar), also known as the Arabian pupfish or mother-of-Pearl fish, is a type of small fish. It belongs to a family of fish called killifish. You can find this fish in many places. These include the shores of the Red Sea south to Ethiopia, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and along the Persian Gulf east to Pakistan and India. It also lives in the Suez Canal, near the northern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, and in one spot on the Palestinian coast.
There are two main types, or subspecies, of this fish. One is A. d. dispar, which lives in most of these areas. The other is A. d. richardsoni, which is a special type found only in the Dead Sea. This means it is endemic to that area.
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About the Arabian Toothcarp
What's in a Name?
The Arabian toothcarp got a new scientific name in 2020. Before that, it was part of a different group of fish called Aphanius. Scientists often reclassify species to better understand how they are related.
How to Spot an Arabian Toothcarp
The Aphaniops dispar is a sturdy fish. Both males and females are quite chubby and don't have any spines. But that's where most of their similarities end!
- Males: The males are larger and very colorful. They have long fins that can reach their tail. Their bodies are a shiny grayish-blue with bright silver spots. Their snout is somewhat pointed. Their fins are light yellow with thick black stripes on the tail fin. They also have spots on their top and bottom fins. Males usually live alone.
- Females: The females are smaller and brownish-silver. They have clear brown marks running down their sides. Their snout is smoother. Their fins are smaller, and their tail is shaped like a square. This fish has a pearly shine, which is why it's sometimes called the "Mother-of-Pearl fish." Females and younger males often swim together in small groups called shoals.
Males can grow to about 8 cm (3 inches) long. Females are a bit smaller, reaching about 6 cm (2.4 inches).
Where Do They Live?
The Arabian pupfish lives in many different kinds of water. It prefers water that is hard and alkaline. This fish is very euryhaline. This means it can handle a wide range of salt levels. It can live in almost pure freshwater (less than 1 part per thousand salt) or in very salty water (almost 140 parts per thousand salt). For comparison, regular seawater has about 35 parts per thousand salt.
You can find the Arabian pupfish in many water habitats:
- Coastal areas: They are common in places where the land meets the sea, like estuaries.
- Mangrove forests: Many hundreds of them hide among the roots and leaves of mangrove plants.
- Freshwater: They also live in freshwater places like oases and lakes in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman.
What Do They Eat?
This fish is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals. It feeds on things like algae, small freshwater crustaceans, and tiny insects. In freshwater areas, their favorite food is mosquito larvae. Groups of these fish also hunt smaller aquatic worms. Because they eat so many mosquito larvae, they have been used in some countries to help control mosquito populations.
Protecting the Arabian Toothcarp
The Arabian pupfish is currently listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN. This means its population was stable in 2013. However, this information is now a bit old.
In recent times, these fish have faced several threats, especially those living in freshwater.
- Pollution: Dirty water harms them.
- Lack of food: Not enough food can make their populations shrink.
- Habitat damage: When their homes are destroyed or changed, they struggle to survive.
- Invasive species: The mosquitofish, an invasive species, is a big problem. It competes with the Arabian toothcarp for food and space.
Many people believe the situation for this fish will get worse over time. There aren't enough conservation efforts to protect them right now.
