SANBI

Rationale

Due to its wide range and tolerance of diverse habitats, it is not considered to be threatened, and is assessed as Least Concern globally and nationally in South Africa.

Distribution

In South Africa this species is widespread in the Orange River and east coast systems and it has been introduced to non-native areas of the Eastern and Western Cape and Kwazulu-Natal Provinces. It has been introduced to other parts of Africa as well as to tropical and subtropical Asia. Occasionally, it has escaped from warm water aquaculture facilities in Europe but it has not become established in that region. In the Middle East, it is native to the Asi and Jordan drainages and some coastal streams in Israel and the Azraq oasis. It has been widely introduced in southern Turkey in Ceyhan, Seyhan and Göksu rivers and most likely elsewhere along the Mediterranean coast.

This species is almost Pan-African, absent only from North Africa except Algeria, where it is native to the streams in the Tolga oasis at the northern margin of the Sahara, as well as gueltas on the northern slopes of the Tassili n’ Ajjer. It is also known from the Tibesti and Ennedi massives in Chad. It is in the Nile but absent from the upper and lower Guinea regions and the Cape Province and probably also Nogal province.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

This species is widespread and locally abundant within its distribution area. It has been introduced outside of its natural range in South Africa (particularly in the Western Cape), as well as to other parts of Africa, tropical and subtropical Asia, and there it is considered an invasive species.

Threats

No past, ongoing, or future threats exist to this species.

Uses and trade

This species is of major economic importance all over its range and it is an important aquaculture species.

Conservation

Some taxonomic research is recommended to better understand conservation units in this widespread species.

References

[@article{18475,
 author = {Skelton, P.H.},
 title = {A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
 year = {2001}
}
,@article{181729,
 author = {Seegers, L., De Vos, L. and Okeyo, D.O},
 journal = {Journal of East African Natural History},
 number = {1},
 pages = {11--47},
 title = {Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Kenya (excluding the lacustrine haplochromines from Lake Victoria)},
 volume = {92},
 year = {2003}
}
,@article{166023,
 author = {Copley, H.},
 title = {A short account to the freshwater fishes of Kenya},
 year = {1941}
}
,@electronic{166023,
 address = {http:// research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalogfishcatmain.asp},
 author = {Eschmeyer, W.N. (ed.)},
 publisher = {California Academy of Sciences},
 title = {Catalog of Fishes. Updated 10 March 2014},
 year = {2014}
}
,]

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Red List of South African Species