Alestes macrophthalmus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CHARACIFORMES	ALESTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Alestes macrophthalmus

Species Authority:

Günther, 1867

Common Name/s:

English	–	Torpedo Robber
French	–	Ablette

Synonym/s:

Alestes macrophthalmus Hoedeman, 1951

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Moelants, T. & Hanssens, M.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J., Tweddle, D., Getahun, A., Lalèyè, P., Paugy, D., Zaiss, R., Fishar, M.R.A & Brooks, E.
Justification: 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, east and west Africa.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is widespread in lakes and rivers throughout eastern, central and western Africa: Central Africa: Alestes macrophthalmus is known essentially from whole the Congo River basin, including some coastal basins of Cameroon, Ogowe River in Gabon, and Lake Tanganyika and effluents (Paugy 1984), but not in the Lower Congo. Eastern Africa: Within eastern Africa this species is found in Lake Tanganyika and its affluent rivers and streams, including Malagarasi. Western Africa: It also inhabits the Cross Rivers (Nigeria).
Countries:	Native: Angola; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Nigeria; Rwanda; Tanzania, United Republic of; Zambia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	No information is available on the population of this species, although in eastern Africa it is never abundant in fisheries catches.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Alestes macrophthalmus is a pelagic species. It occurring in rivers and lake's inshore waters generally in the reach of a river delta. It feeds on insects, mostly of chironomid larvae. This species has been reported to be potentially dominant in local fish fauna, particularly in the Lake Chad region. Lateral migration for floodplain spawning.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Little information is reported on threats to this species. In central Africa, it has commercial importance. In eastern Africa it is reportedly threatened by water turbidity and siltation as a consequence of erosion and farming extension on the watersheds.

Major Threat(s):

Little information is reported on threats to this species. In central Africa, it has commercial importance. In eastern Africa it is reportedly threatened by water turbidity and siltation as a consequence of erosion and farming extension on the watersheds.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Little information on conservation measures is available for this species, though the population trend should be monitored. Within western Africa, part of the range is included within the Ramsar sites at Malagarasi and the Lake Chad Basin.

Conservation Actions:

Little information on conservation measures is available for this species, though the population trend should be monitored. Within western Africa, part of the range is included within the Ramsar sites at Malagarasi and the Lake Chad Basin.

Citation:	Moelants, T. & Hanssens, M. 2010. Alestes macrophthalmus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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