This species was initially described in the genus Simpsonichthys.

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: Volta das Pedras, rio Sao Francisco basin, Bahia state, Brasil.

Etymology: The name was given after the latin prase "pictus" what means "Painted" in reference to the beauty of colors and pattern in males.The species has similarty with H. magnificus but shows dots versus lines on the unpaired fins. Besides the terra typica, there is a second known site called "Boa Vista do Lagamar," in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

Superspecieso-components: 

H. adornatus, alternatus, brunoi, caeruleus, carlettoi, delucai, fasciatus, flammeus, fulminantis, gardneri, hamadryades, harmonicus, hellneri, longignatus, lopesi, magnificus, multiradiatus, ocellatus, picturatus, shibattai, splendissimus, tocantinensis, trifasciatus.

Diagnosis: green vertical bars on males red sides, limited to anterior region (not easily separable from magnificus) (Costa, 2000 ; Costa & Nielsen, 2004).

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:

H. picturatus may sometimes need very long incubation time up to 6 to 10 months. It is wise to store the eggs not to dry and under very high temperatures up to 30 Celcius in the first month of storage. This was also the case in S. magnificus but that species can even take up to 18 months to develop all eggs.

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Max. size 5.5 cm.
Dorsal 21.0,
Anal 21.0,
D/A 0.1,
LL scale count (average)26.5
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 44.1 %
Depth to % SL – 26.0 %

Costa W.J.E.M. 2000. Descricoes de quatro novas especies de peixes annuais do genero Simpsonichthys (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) das Bacias dos Rios Sao Francisco e Parana, nordeste e centro do Brasil. Revista Aquarium, 3 (25): 12, figs. 5-6.

Costa, W.J.E.M. 2006b. Descriptive Morphology and phylogenetic Relationships among species of the Neotropical annual Killifish genera Nematolebias and Simpsonichthys (Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae). Neotropical Ichthyology (Neotrop. ichthyol.), 4 (1), 1-26, 22 figs.

Costa, W.J.E.M. 2007h. Taxonomic revision of the seasonal South American killifish genus Simpsonichthys (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae). Zootaxa, 1669: 1-134.

Costa, W.J.E.M. 2010e. Historical Biogeography of cynolebiasine annual Killifishes inferred from Dispersal-Vicariance Analysis. Journal of Biogeography (J. Biogeogr.), 37: 1995-2004.

Ponzetto, J.M., R. Britzke, D.T.B. Nielsen, P.P. Parise-Maltempi & A.L. Alves. 2016. Phylogenetic Relationships of Simpsonichthys subgenera (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae), including a Proposal for a new genus. Zoologica Scripta, 45 ( 4) (July 2016): 394-406.

Costa, W.J.E.M., P.F. Amorim & J.L.O. Mattos. 2018a. Cryptic species Diversity in the Hypsolebias magnificus complex, a Clade of endangered seasonal killifishes from the São Francisco River basin, Brazilian Caatinga (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheilidae). Zookeys, 777: 141-158, figs.