Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Johan Engelbrecht Roger Bills Jim Cambray Francios Roux Andre Hoffman
Facilitators: Dewidine Van Der Colff
Reviewers: Domitilla Raimondo Olaf Weyl

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Widely distributed in headwater tributaries of the Incomati and Pongolo systems in South Africa and Swaziland. Although many subpopulations are isolated it does not qualify for any of the threatened categories. In certain tributaries it is abundant and it seems to be able to tolerate some levels of water contamination, it is therefore listed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Known from the upper catchments of the Blyde, Crocodile, Elands, Komati, Lomati, Hlelo, Ngwempisi, Ngwavuma, Mpuluzi and Pongola rivers in Mpumalanga (South Africa) and Swaziland. Historically recorded from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. There are some isolated subpopulations such as the subpopulation in the Blyde River in Mpumalanga.

Population trend

Trend

This headwaters species is often found in very high abundances. Historically present in the KwaZulu- Natal section of Pongola systems but surveys since 2005 have not recorded this species in this area. The cause for this species no longer occurring here is not known.

Threats

Slow ongoing habitat decline is caused by sedimentation from forestry plantations, the construction of river crossings in plantations that prevent migration, predation by invasive alien fish such as trout and bass, effluent spills from paper mills, and water extractions. Despite these threats, the species continues to thrive even in heavily impacted systems, for example it is still present in large numbers in the Elands River at Ngodwana which has experienced chemical spills from the paper mill over the past 20 years.

Conservation

Improved forestry industry and farming practices through conservancies and law enforcement is needed. Improved water and substrate quality is needed for spawning beds.

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}
}
,@electronic{2426,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{2560,
 author = {Yang L, Sado T, Hirt MV, Pasco-Viel E, Arunachalam M, Li J, Wang X, Freyhof J, Saitoh K, Simons AM, Miya M, He S and Mayden, RL},
 journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {97--116},
 title = {Phylogeny and polyploidy: Resolving the classification of cyprinine fishes (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)},
 volume = {85},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{63255,
 author = {Jubb, R.A.},
 journal = {Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums },
 pages = {5--39},
 title = {A Revised List of the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa},
 volume = {3},
 year = {1963}
}
,]
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