SANBI

Rationale

Recent surveys indicate that the southern population of Goldie Barb (Enteromius pallidus) still persists in at least ten river systems in the Eastern Cape Province (the Krom, Gamtoos, Baakens, Coega, Swartkops, Sundays, Boesmans, Kariega, Kowie and Great Fish). The species is affected by multiple impacts including hydrological modifications through interbasin water transfers and excessive water abstraction, pollution, habitat degradation through agricultural activities and widespread invasion of the rivers by non-native species, however the extent of their impact is unknown. Further the geographic extent of the northern population is uncertain, but current records indicate that this species has been collected from a number of river systems in the Free State, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces including tributaries of the Orange-Vaal, Tugela, Mfolozi, Pongolo, Incomati and Limpopo river systems. Chakona et al. (2015) concluded that the northern lineage may represent an undescribed species or it may belong to a different, but known species or species complex not associated with ‘true’ Goldie Barb. The species is assessed as Least Concern, until further investigation of its taxonomic status.

Distribution

Goldie Barb's distribution is divided into a northern and southern population, with the northern population found in tributaries of the Orange–Vaal, Tugela, Mfolozi, Pongolo, Incomati and Limpopo river systems (which requires taxonomic review). Whereas the southern population occurs in southern coastal river systems in the Eastern Cape Province from the Krom River in the west to the Great Fish River to the east (Skelton 2001).

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

The species is widely distributed and occurs in at least ten river systems in the Eastern Cape Province. No information is available about the population sizes, but the remaining populations are patchily distributed due to multiple impacts including hydrological modifications, pollution, habitat degradation and invasion of several of the rivers by non-native species including the African Sharptooth Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and Bass species (Micropterus spp). The status and distribution of the northern population is unknown.

Threats

The main threats to this species in the coastal rivers and streams of the Eastern Cape Province include widespread invasion of the river systems by non-native species particularly the piscivorous African Sharptooth Catfish and Bass spp. Other threats are hydrological modification through interbasin water transfer schemes, pollution from urban areas, excessive water abstraction and habitat degradation from agricultural activities. Impacts on the northern population are unknown.

Conservation

The species has little protection at present although it occurs in some protected areas such as the Groendal and Baviaanskloof Nature Reserves, however, no conservation action is particular aimed at the species.

References

[@article{18475,
 author = {Skelton, P.H.},
 title = {A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
 year = {2001}
}
,@article{63269,
 author = {Yang, L., Sado, T., Hirt, M.V., Pasco-Viel, E., Arunachalam, M., Li, J., Wang, X., Freyhof, J., Saitoh, K., Simons, A.M., Miya, M., He, S. and Mayden, R.L.},
 journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {97--116},
 title = {Phylogeny and polyploidy: resolving the classification of cyprinine fishes (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)},
 volume = {85.0},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{63269,
 author = {Barnard K.H. },
 journal = {Journal of Natural History Series},
 number = {2},
 pages = {80--88},
 title = {Notes on the species of Barbus from the Cape Province, with descriptions of new species},
 volume = {11.0},
 year = {1938}
}
,@article{63269,
 author = {Barnard. K.H. },
 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}
}
,@article{63269,
 author = {Chakona A, Malherbe WS, Gouws G, Swartz ER},
 journal = {African Zoology},
 number = {5-10},
 title = {Deep genetic divergence between geographically isolated populations of the goldie barb (Barbus pallidus) in South Africa: potential taxonomic and conservation implications},
 volume = {50.0},
 year = {2015}
}
,@electronic{63269,
 address = {http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catelog/fishcatmain.asp},
 author = {Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. and Van der Laan, R. (eds.)},
 title = {Catalog of Fishes: genera, species, references. Updated 02 March 2018},
 year = {2018}
}
,]

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