Matilebias ibicuiensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Matilebias ibicuiensis faces severe threats from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that destroy and fragment its specialized wetland habitats in the Ibicuí River basin. Water pollution from agricultural runoff and urban development further degrades the temporary pools and seasonal wetlands essential for this annual killifish's breeding cycle. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that could disrupt the delicate timing of pool formation and drying cycles critical to the species' reproductive success.
Habitat
This annual killifish inhabits temporary pools, seasonal wetlands, and shallow floodplains in the Ibicuí River basin of southern Brazil. The species depends on ephemeral water bodies that fill during rainy seasons and dry completely during drought periods, requiring specific hydroperiods for successful reproduction and egg development.