Red List of South African Species

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Critically Endangered (CR)
B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
Assessors: Albert Chakona
Facilitators: Dewidine Van Der Colff
Reviewers: Domitilla Raimondo Jörg Freyhof

Rationale

Only known from a single locality at Franskraal in the Uilkraals River System. Other rivers in the Agulhas Plain have been extensively sampled, but this lineage has only been recorded from the Uilkraals River (Chakona et al. 2013). Galaxias sp. nov. 'Slender' is known from one location and one subpopulation, where less than 10 specimens have been sampled after extensive searches, therefore it is not an abundant species. The habitat is heavily degraded due to agricultural activities and it is experiencing ongoing decline due to invasion of the  Uilkraals River by Micropterus spp. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are estimated to be less than 8 km2. This lineage is thus assessed as Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii).

Distribution

Only known from a single locality at Franskraal in the Uilkraals River System, Western Cape Province of South Africa. Other rivers in the Agulhas Plain have been extensively sampled, but this lineage has only been recorded from the Uilkraals River (Chakona et al. 2013).

Population trend

Trend

Population sizes are unknown, studies are required to generate this information. However after extensive searches in the Agulhas Plain River Systems, no other subpopulations have been found and where it has been collected only few individuals were encountered.

Threats

The main threats is the presence of invasive alien species such as Bass species (Micropterus spp) and habitat degradation due to extensive agricultural activities causing a decrease in water quality and availability.

Conservation

There are currently no conservation plans in place to protect this lineage.

References 

[@article{18475,
 author = {Skelton, P.H.},
 title = {A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
 year = {2001}
}
,@article{126219629,
 author = {Barnard KH },
 journal = {Annals of the South African Museum},
 pages = {101--263},
 title = {Revision of the indigenous freshwater fishes of the S.W. Cape Region},
 volume = {36.0},
 year = {1943}
}
,@electronic{2426,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{19890,
 author = {Chakona A, Swartz ER, Gouws G },
 journal = {PLoS ONE },
 number = {8},
 title = {Evolutionary drivers of diversification and distribution of a southern temperate stream fish assemblage: testing the role of historical isolation and spatial range expansion},
 volume = {8},
 year = {2013}
}
,@article{107625428,
 author = {Waters JM, Cambray JA },
 journal = {Journal of Fish Biology},
 pages = {1329--1338},
 title = {Intraspecific phylogeography of the Cape galaxias from South Africa: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequences},
 volume = {50},
 year = {1997}
}
,@article{107625428,
 author = {Wishart M, Hughes J, Stewart B, Impson D},
 journal = {African Journal of Aquatic Science},
 pages = {99--106},
 title = {Extreme levels of intraspecific divergence among Cape Peninsula populations of the Cape galaxias, Galaxias zebratus Castelnau 1861, reveals a possible species complex},
 volume = {31},
 year = {2006}
}
,]
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