Contribution to the biology of Zagros tooth-carp, Aphanius vladykovi (Cyprinodontidae) in central Iran

We studied some aspects of the biology of the Zagros tooth-carp, Aphanius vladykovi, an endemic and poorly known species from Chahar-Mahall-va-Bakhtiari province in central Iran, by regular monthly collections and direct observation in aquaria over a full year. We collected individuals from Modar-Dokhtar spring of Gandoman region; we preserved some in formalin and transferred some alive to aquaria. The stomach contents consisted mostly of freshwater crustaceans, suggesting a carnivorous habit. The eggs had an average diameter of 1mm and the average absolute and relative fecundity was 415 and 110, respectively. The gonadosomatic ratio and ovary condition suggested that the reproductive season of the species was between late March and June with a peak in early April. The species is euryhaline and eurythermal and prefers neutral to basic waters. It is usually found in well-oxygenated waters, but is tolerant of hypoxia as well.