Kryptolebias marmoratus
| Mangrove rivulus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Aplocheilidae |
| Genus: | Kryptolebias |
| Species: | K. marmoratus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Kryptolebias marmoratus Poey, 1880 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Rivulus marmoratus |
|
Rivulus marmoratus
The mangrove killifish or mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus (syn. Rivulus marmoratus), is a species of fish in the Aplocheilidae family. It lives in brackish and marine waters (less frequently in fresh water) along the coasts of Florida, through the Antilles, and along the eastern and northern coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America (south to Brazil). It has a very wide tolerance of both salinity (0—68 ‰) and temperature (12–38 °C or 54–100 °F), can survive for about two months on land, and mostly breeds by self-fertilization. It is typically found in areas with red mangrove and sometimes lives in burrows of Cardisoma guanhumi crabs.
The mangrove rivulus is up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long, but most individuals are 1–3.8 cm (0.4–1.5 in).
Overall the mangrove rivulus is widespread and not threatened, but in the United States it is considered a Species of Concern by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The mangrove rivulus can spend up to 66 consecutive days out of water, which it typically spends inside fallen logs, breathing air through its skin. It enters burrows created by insects inside trees where it relaxes its territorial, aggressive behavior. During this time, it alters its gills so it can retain water and nutrients, while nitrogen waste is excreted through the skin. The change is reversed once it re-enters the water.
When jumping on land, the mangrove rivulus does a "tail flip", flipping its head over its body towards the tail end. The rivulus' jumping technique gives it an ability to direct its jumps on land and to make relatively forceful jumps. A team of scientists associated with the Society for Experimental Biology released a video in 2013 showing the jumping technique.
...
Wikipedia