SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Although reductions have occurred within the Limpopo River System in Zimbabwe it is widespread and fairly common throughout the remainder of its range.

Distribution

This species ranges from the Save River in Zimbabwe south to the Pongolo River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. There are no recent records in Zimbabwe and it is possibly extinct there.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

During the 1980/90s numbers assessed in Mpumalanga were very low. A significant increase in population numbers has occurred during the last decade. In recent surveys in Swaziland it was abundant in suitable swift flowing habitats.

Threats

Flow regulation and water pollution in parts of the Limpopo River have significantly reduced the species' range. In Zimbabwe, regulation of flows by dams, sedimentation of habitats, pollution from agriculture and alien fishes (Micropterus spp.) have probably affected its decline.

Conservation

River health programmes and in-stream flow requirement assessments are in operation in most areas in South Africa.

References

[@article{18475,
 author = {Skelton, P.H.},
 title = {A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
 year = {2001}
}
,@article{63287,
 author = {Bills, I.R., Boycott, R.C., Fakudze, M., Khumalo, N., Msibi, J., Scott, L.E.P., Terry, S. and Tweddle, D.},
 title = {Fish and Fisheries of Swaziland (2002-2003). Final report: July 2004},
 year = {2004}
}
,@book{63287,
 author = {Bell-Cross, G. and Minshull, J.L.},
 publisher = {National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe},
 title = {The fishes of Zimbabwe},
 year = {1988}
}
,@book{2426,
 address = {Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK},
 author = {Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B.},
 publisher = {International Union for Conservation of Nature},
 title = {1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals},
 year = {1996}
}
,@electronic{2426,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3},
 year = {2017}
}
,]

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Red List of South African Species