Sahara Killifish
CR

Sahara Killifish

Apricaphanius saourensis

Declining

Photo: Photo: (c) hotdyalmaghrib2020, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Overview

Apricaphanius saourensis, the Sahara aphanius or Sahara killifish, is a species of freshwater pupfish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Oued Saoura river basin in Algeria. The species is threatened by water pollution and water withdrawal for agricultural use.

It was last observed in the wild in 2003. Later surveys have not encountered the species, although a captive population exists; it was last evaluated by the IUCN 2021 and listed as critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild.

Apricaphanius saourensis faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water extraction in its extremely limited range within the Saharan oases of Algeria. The species is confined to a handful of spring-fed pools and shallow wetlands that are increasingly impacted by agricultural water diversion and groundwater depletion. Climate change exacerbates these pressures by reducing already scarce water sources in this arid environment, while introduced species and pollution from human settlements further compromise the remaining habitat quality.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic killifish inhabits shallow, spring-fed pools and small wetlands within the Saharan oases of the Saoura region in southwestern Algeria. The species is restricted to permanent and semi-permanent freshwater habitats with sandy or muddy substrates, typically associated with date palm oases and natural springs.

Wetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in APHANIIDAE

CR

Aphaniops ginaonis

Declining
EN

Burdur killifish

Anatolichthys sureyanus

Declining
EN

Kosswigichthys asquamatus

Declining
CR

Anatolichthys irregularis

Declining

Threatened in Algeria

Common Fire SalamanderVU

Common Fire Salamander

Salamandra salamandra

Declining
AoudadVU

Aoudad

Ammotragus lervia

Declining
Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown
Blind SnailVU

Blind Snail

Cecilioides acicula

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Sahara Killifish classified as Critically Endangered?
Sahara Killifish is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Apricaphanius saourensis faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water extraction in its extremely limited range within the Saharan oases of Algeria. The species is confined to a handful of spring-fed pools and shallow wetlands that are increasingly impacted by agricultural water diversion and groundwater depletion. Climate change exacerbates these pressures by reducing already scarce water sources in this arid environment, while introduced species and pollution from human settlements further compromise the remaining habitat quality.
Where does Sahara Killifish live?
Sahara Killifish occurs in Algeria. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Sahara Killifish?
The main threats to Sahara Killifish are 1.1, 11.2, 2.1, and 7.2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.