Genus · Killifish

Atlantirivulus

Atlantirivulus is a genus with 4 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Killifish section, recorded from Brazil. Adult sizes run from 1 in to 2.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
4
Adult sizes
1–2.5 in
IUCN assessed
4 of 4
Recorded from
Brazil

About the genus

Atlantirivulus is a genus of killifish in family Rivulidae, restricted to coastal drainages of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest - all 4 atlas species are recorded only from Brazil. Unlike the classic annual killifish that live in seasonal pools and lay drought-resistant eggs, most Atlantirivulus species are non-annual, inhabiting small permanent forest streams and surviving as free-swimming adults rather than as diapausing eggs in dried mud. They are small fish, from about 1–2.5 in, with the elongate body, dorsally flattened head, and upward-facing mouth typical of surface-feeding rivulids.

The genus is more a specialist than a mainstream aquarium fish, sought out mainly by killifish hobbyists who keep Atlantic Forest rivulids for their coloration and for the conservation interest of a genus tied to one of the most fragmented forest biomes on Earth. All four species in the atlas - A. depressus, A. jurubatibensis, A. riograndensis, and A. santensis - are currently assessed Least Concern, a comparatively favorable picture for coastal Atlantic Forest fish, though continued habitat loss along Brazil's densely populated coast makes that status worth watching rather than taking for granted.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 4

The 4 species

Every Atlantirivulus recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Costa, 1991)

2.5 in TL · LC

(Costa, 2008)

1 in SL · LC

(Costa, 2002)

1.5 in SL · LC

(Köhler, 1906)

2.5 in TL · LC

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Atlantirivulus. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/atlantirivulus/

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