Valencia letourneuxi (Sauvage, 1880)
Corfu toothcarp
photo by Giakoumi, S.

Family:  Valenciidae (Toothcarps)
Max. size:  8 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 3 years
Environment:  demersal; freshwater, non-migratory
Distribution:  Europe: Albania and western Greece, from Lake Butrint to Alfios drainages, and Corfu and Lefkas islands where it has been extirpated.
Diagnosis:  Anal soft rays: 11. Can be diagnosed from other species of Valenciidae, Fundulidae and Cyprinodontidae in Europe by the following characters: males bluish to greyish, possessing 1-14 darker bars narrower than or as wide as interspaces, not always distinct anteriorly, with iridescent spots; males with caudal fin hyaline to bluish, with or without dark posterior margin, and spots organized into 2-4 vertical rows; dorsal and anal fins of adult male not reaching caudal fin; 28-30 scales in midlateral series on body; anal fin usually with 11 rays; pectoral fin with 12-14 rays (Ref. 59043).
Biology:  A short-lived species. Adults inhabit swamps, lowland water courses with little current, lagoons, springs and associated wetlands (Ref. 26100). Can tolerate salinity of up to 4 ppt in the wild and 46 ppt under laboratory conditions, but prefer freshwater. They feed mainly on insects, especially chironomids (Ref. 59043). Threatened due to the introduction of other species and water abstraction (Ref. 26100). Not a seasonal killifish. Difficult to maintain in aquarium (Ref. 27139).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 31 January 2006 (A3ce; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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