This species was described in the genus Hypsolebias.

W. Costa (2006) assigned many members of the genus Simpsonichthys to the subgenus Hypsolebias (Costa 2006). Hypsolebias was subsequently elevated to a genus (Costa 2011). According to some scientists, the separation of Hypsolebias from the genus Simpsonichthys is insufficiently substantiated and, therefore, debatable.

Type locality: East of Januaria, Sao Francisco river floodplains, altitude 450 m, Municipio de Januaria, Minas Gerais state, (northeastern) Brasil.

Discoverer(s): A.L.F. Cyrino, Dalton T.B. Nielsen, J.C. Cruz and A.C. de Luca, January 27. 1996 (probably even anteriorly by D.F. Moraes et al., 1990).

Etymology: from the Sertao region (from Portuguese: sertanejo), in reference to its origin and to the scarce human occupation of the region in the past, associated with the warm and dry climate, a vast area of the savannahs of central and northeastern Brasil, derived from the Portuguese word «desertao» (big desert).

Superspeciescomponents:

H. coamazonicus, faouri, flagellatus, flavicaudatus, ghisolfii, gilbertobrasili, guanambi, heloplites, igneus, janaubensis, macaubensis, martinsi, mediopapillatus, nitens, nudiorbitatus, pterophyllus, radiseriatus, sertanejo.

Diagnosis: separated from related components by a series of minor characters, but none totally exclusive (Costa et al., 2012).

This species can be productive, and the fry is small. Immediately after hatching, the fry should be fed with freshly hatched Artemia nauplii (brine shrimp) or better Paramecium. As most annual species do, they spawn by diving entirely into the substrate. It is best to provide a container with a lid on top in which a hole is made to allow the fish access. That container will need to have enough peat in it for the fish to dive completely into it. For most Hypsolebias species, egg development is complete after 8-10 weeks. However, it is wise also to check a few weeks earlier to see if any eggs have fully developed. Do not let the peat dry too far because the Hypsolebias like it moist. The development will be slower at storage temperatures between 21 and 24 Celsius and speed up at 25-29 Celsius. Before watering the eggs, put some eggs in the water of about 18-20 degrees Celsius to see if the eggs hatch correctly. That usually happens within 2-6 hours. Then, if eggs hatched well and fry, swim correctly, bring all remaining peat in the water. You may need to re-pack the peat after pouring over the first group of fry to a larger tank.

With regular water changes and sufficient food, the young will grow quickly, and after about 5-6 weeks, they can already produce their first eggs. Since this genus has an annual life cycle, the expected life span in captivity is not much more than 10 to 12 months. Their life expectancy is limited to when their pool still has water in the wild. This period can vary from 6 to 8 months.

Remarks:

It is unfortunate that many species that were described never reached the hobbyists. This is because newly discovered species are placed in alcohol shortly after their discovery and description. Since Brazilian regulations prohibit the keeping and distribution of these species within their own country and beyond, it is impossible to take photos of these species, and only photos from the original description can be taken.

I don't know if this species is in the hobby. Please let me know if you do.

Look for detailed info on this species at: https://www.killi-data.org/ Membership is free!

Max. size male 6.0 cm. Female smaller.
Dorsal 23.0,
Anal 21.5,
D/A 2.0,
LL scale count (average) 28.0
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 12.5 %
Depth to % SL – 45.8 %
Vertebrae count 29 average.

Costa W.J.E.M., P.F. Amorim & J.L.O. Mattos. 2012. Species delimination in annual killifishes from the Brazilian Caatinga, the Hypsolebias flavicaudatus complex (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae): implications for taxonomy and conservation.

Costa, W.J.E.M., P.F. Amorim & P.H.N. Bragança. 2014. Species Limits and