''Simpsonichthys espinhacensis'' is a species of

killifish A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish (including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae and Valenciidae). All together, there are 1,270 species of killifish, the biggest famil ...

from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rivulidae The Rivulidae are a family of killifishes in the order Cyprinodontiformes. They are commonly known as rivulids, South American killifish or New World killifish. The latter names are slightly misleading, however, as they are neither restricted to ...

. It is found in the upper

Jequitinhonha River The Jequitinhonha River () flows mainly through the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its source lies near Diamantina in the Espinhaço Mountains at an elevation of , after which it flows northward and then east-northeastward across the uplands. ...

basin in

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literall ...

, eastern Brazil. The specific name refers to the

Espinhaço Mountains The Espinhaço Mountains (, ) are a mountain range in Brazil. The range runs roughly north and south through the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, extending for approximately . It forms the divide between the upper watershed of the São Francisco ...

where the known range of this species lies.

Description

Male ''Simpsonichthys espinhacensis'' can grow to a

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of and females to .

Habitat

The species is known from wetlands at elevations of above sea level These wetlands are flooded during the rainy season and reduced to small pools and intermittent channels during the dry season. Vegetation is characterized by herbaceous and grassy plants as well as ''Mauritia flexuosa'' palms.

References

Simpsonichthys, espinhacensis Fish of the Jequitinhonha River basin Endemic fauna of Brazil Taxa named by Dalton Tavares Bressane Nielsen Taxa named by Tiago C. Pessali Taxa named by Guilherme Moreira Dutra Fish described in 2017 {{Cyprinodontiformes-stub