This species has a wide distribution, with no known major widespread threats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. It has also been assessed regionally as Least Concern for central, eastern, north eastern and southern Africa. The species used to be known (and caught) from Luxor and the Aswan region of Egypt in the Nile. The impacts of the Aswan High Dam and pollution are thought to have caused this extirpation, and it is now assessed as Regionally Extinct within north Africa. In South Africa this species has an extent of occurrence of 235,754 km2 and an area of occupancy of 754 km2. As it is widespread in its global distribution and there are no major threats, it is not threatened with extinction at present and it is assessed as Least Concern nationally.
Distribution
This is a widespread species, found from Sudan to South Africa, and westerly as far as east Nigeria.
Central Africa:Micralestes acutidens is known from throughout the Congo River basin, including Lakes Kariba and Tanganyika. In Lower Guinea it is found in the Cross and Sanaga Rivers.
Eastern Africa: It is present in the Lower Shire (Tweddle and Willoughby 1979) and Rovuma Rivers.
Northern Africa: It used in to be found and caught from Luxor and Aswan in Egyptian Nile, but is now extirpated from the region.
Northeast Africa: This species is present in the Ghazal el Jebel systems, White Nile.
Southern Africa: It is known from Congo and Zambezi systems, including the Cunene and Okavango, and east coast rivers south to the Phongolo (Skelton 2001) and recently a range extension into the Mofolozi System (Lake St Lucia). This species is the only characin found in the northern tributaries of the upper Zambezi system in Zambia (Tweddleet al. 2004).
Numerous in suitable habitats, however, limited information is available.
Threats
In certain areas of its global range it is over-fished with small meshed gears, however this is not the case in South Africa and overall it is not threatened.
Uses and trade
This species is used as bait for tigerfish.
Conservation
The species has some protection in numerous reserves in southern Africa.
[@article{18475,
author = {Skelton, P.H.},
title = {A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
year = {2001}
}
,@book{63287,
address = {Grahamstown},
author = {Marshall, B. },
publisher = {South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity},
title = {The fishes of Zimbabwe and their biology},
year = {2011}
}
,@article{182803,
author = {Tweddle, D., Skelton, P.H., van der Waal, B.C.W., Bills, I.R., Chilala, A. and Lekoko, O.T.},
title = {Aquatic biodiversity survey for the “Four Corners” Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area. Final Report – July 2004},
year = {2004}
}
,@article{182167,
author = {Tweddle, D and Willoughby, N.G.},
title = {An annonated checklist of the fish fauna of the River Shire south of Kapachira falls. Unpublished report},
year = {1979}
}
,@electronic{181744,
address = {http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp},
author = {Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. and Van der Laan, R. (eds)},
publisher = {California Academy of Sciences},
title = {Catalog of Fishes: genera, species, references. Updated 2 August 2016},
year = {2016}
}
,]
