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killifish
A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish (including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Nothobranchiidae, Profundulidae, Rivulidae and Valenciidae). Altogether, there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species.〔(List of Nominal Species of Rivulidae (Rivulines) ) ''FishBase''. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.〕 Although ''killifish'' is sometimes used as an English equivalent to Cyprinodontidae, some species belonging to that family have their own common names, such as the pupfish and the mummichog. The origin of the name is not certain, but is likely to have come from the Dutch for a kill. Because of living in ephemeral waters, the eggs of most killifish can survive periods of partial dehydration. Many of the species rely on such a diapause, since the eggs would not survive more than a few weeks if entirely submerged in water. Like seeds, the eggs can be sent by mail without water. The adults of some species, such as ''Kryptolebias marmoratus'', can additionally survive out of the water for several weeks.〔("Tropical fish can live for months out of water" ), Reuters, Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:05pm GMT〕 Most killies are small fish, from one to two inches (2.5 to 5 cm), with the largest species growing to just under six inches (15 cm).
==Range and habitat==
Killifish are found mainly in fresh or brackish waters in the Americas, as far south as Argentina and as far north as southern Ontario. There are also species in southern Europe, in much of Africa as far south as KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the Middle East and Asia (as far east as Vietnam), and on several Indian Ocean islands. Killifish are not found in Australia, Antarctica, or northern Europe.
The majority of killifish are found in permanent streams, rivers, and lakes, and live between two and three years. Such killifish are common in the Americas (''Cyprinodon'', ''Fundulus'' and ''Rivulus'') as well as in Africa and Asia (including ''Aphyosemion'', ''Aplocheilus'', ''Epiplatys'', ''Fundulopanchax'' and ''Lacustricola'') and southern Europe (''Aphanius''). Some of these habitats can be rather extreme; the only natural habitat of the Devils Hole pupfish (''Cyprinodon diabolis'') is Devils Hole: a cavern at least deep, branching out from a small opening at the surface, approximately by wide.
Some specialized forms live in temporary ponds and flood plains, and typically have a much shorter lifespan. Such species, known as "annuals", live no longer than nine months, and are used as models for studies on aging. Examples include the African genus ''Nothobranchius'' and South American genera ranging from the cold water ''Austrolebias'' of Argentina and Uruguay to the more tropical ''Gnatholebias'', ''Pterolebias'', ''Simpsonichthys'' and ''Terranatos''.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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