Oreochromis placidus ssp. placidus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
ACTINOPTERYGII |
PERCIFORMES |
CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Oreochromis placidus ssp. placidus |
| Infra-specific Authority: |
(Trewavas, 1941) |
|
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Least Concern
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2010 |
| Assessor/s: |
Bills, R., Cambray, J., Engelbrecht, J., Hanssens, M., Marshall, B. & Snoeks, J. |
| Reviewer/s: |
Snoeks, J., Tweddle, D., Getahun, A., Lalèyè, P., Paugy, D., Zaiss, R., Fishar, M.R.A & Brooks, E. |
Justification:
This subspecies has a wide distribution within southern Africa, with no known major widespread threats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. It has also been assessed regionally as Least Concern for southern Africa. In east Africa, this subspecies has been assessed as Vulnerable regionally.
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Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This subspecies is found on the coastal plain rivers of the east African coast from Mozambique to South Africa.
Eastern Africa: It occurs in the Lower Shire River, Malawi.
Southern Africa: This subspecies is known from the Mkuze River in KwaZulu-Natal to the central plains of Mozambique. In Zimbabwe it occurs in the lower Save-Runde system and lower sections of some Zambezian tributaries, such as the Mazowe (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988).
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| Countries: |
Native:
Malawi; Mozambique; South Africa
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| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
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Population
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| Population: |
This subspecies is widespread and abundant in areas surveyed within the Niassa Reserve.
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| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
This subspecies occurs in vegetated sheltered habitats along the margins of main streams as well as floodplain lagoons. Large specimens prefer the main river channel. In the Lower Shire it is caught in insufficient quantities to be considered economically important. In the lower Zambezi it was collected in slow flowing sections of main channel habitats and not marginal lagoons. It has been reported only from freshwaters and low altitudes and so its salinity tolerances are probably narrower than O. mossambicus.
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| Systems: |
Freshwater |
| Major Threat(s): |
This subspecies is fished for consumption, as well as sport. The spread of O. niloticus is a potential threat although interbreeding between the two species has not yet been reported.
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Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
Maintenance of pure stocks in refuge areas may be needed to protect this species, as well as the control of the spread of O. niloticus. Population trends should be monitored.
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