CRCritically Endangered

Hypsolebias rufus

Declining

Overview

Simpsonichthys rufus is a species of killifish from the family Rivulidae. It is found in the São Francisco River basin in Brazil.

Hypsolebias rufus faces severe threats from habitat destruction as its temporary pool habitats are drained for agricultural expansion and urban development. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, with pollution from agricultural runoff and cattle trampling degrading remaining breeding sites. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that are critical for the formation and persistence of the seasonal pools this killifish depends upon for reproduction.
Threat summary

Habitat

This critically endangered killifish inhabits temporary seasonal pools and shallow wetlands in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna. The species requires ephemeral water bodies that form during rainy seasons and dry completely during drought periods, allowing their drought-resistant eggs to survive in the substrate until the next flooding cycle.

Savanna· major

Other threatened species in RIVULIDAE

Flame Rivulus

Cynodonichthys uroflammeus

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Hypsolebias rufus classified as Critically Endangered?

Hypsolebias rufus 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. Hypsolebias rufus faces severe threats from habitat destruction as its temporary pool habitats are drained for agricultural expansion and urban development. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, with pollution from agricultural runoff and cattle trampling degrading remaining breeding sites. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that are critical for the formation and persistence of the seasonal pools this killifish depends upon for reproduction.

Where does Hypsolebias rufus live?

Hypsolebias rufus occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Hypsolebias rufus?

The main threats to Hypsolebias rufus are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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