Hypsolebias virgulatus
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Hypsolebias virgulatus 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 grazing further degrading water quality in remaining pools. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that are critical for maintaining the seasonal pools this killifish depends upon for reproduction.
Habitat
This critically endangered killifish inhabits temporary seasonal pools and shallow wetlands in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna. The species requires specific hydrological conditions with pools that fill during rainy seasons and gradually dry out, creating the ephemeral aquatic environments essential for its annual life cycle.