Simpsonichthys santanae
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Simpsonichthys santanae faces severe threats from habitat degradation in Brazil's Cerrado savanna, where agricultural expansion and cattle ranching have destroyed much of its seasonal wetland habitat. The species' dependence on temporary pools that fill during rainy seasons makes it particularly vulnerable to hydrological changes caused by dam construction and water diversion for irrigation. Urban development around its limited range has further fragmented remaining suitable habitat, while pollution from agricultural runoff degrades water quality in surviving pools.
Habitat
This annual killifish inhabits temporary pools and seasonal wetlands in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna, particularly in areas that flood during the rainy season and dry completely during drought periods. The species requires shallow, vegetated pools with specific water chemistry conditions that form in grassland depressions and along small tributary systems.