Boulengerochromis microlepis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	CICHLIDAE

Scientific Name:

Boulengerochromis microlepis

Species Authority:

(Boulenger, 1899)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Giant Cichlid

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2006
Assessor/s:	Bigirimana, C.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme)
Justification: Widespread and abundant with no apparent major widespread threats.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Lake Tanganyika. B. microlepis is a prominent species, well known to the lake shore people on account of its large size and desirability as food.
Countries:	Native: Burundi; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Tanzania, United Republic of; Zambia
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Unknown, but the species is thought to be common throughout its habitat.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A large predatory species that appears to live in small schools, probably only a few hundred strong, that roam the coastal areas down to depths of 100 m or more. Adults reproduce in the littoral zone. Maturity is reached usually around 400 mm length or 2.5 years. Juveniles are omnivorous and adults mainly piscivorous. This species is one of this most powerful and ubiquitous piscivore in the sublittoral and littoral zones.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

A large predatory species that appears to live in small schools, probably only a few hundred strong, that roam the coastal areas down to depths of 100 m or more. Adults reproduce in the littoral zone. Maturity is reached usually around 400 mm length or 2.5 years. Juveniles are omnivorous and adults mainly piscivorous. This species is one of this most powerful and ubiquitous piscivore in the sublittoral and littoral zones.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Sedimentation and potential Over-fishing.

Major Threat(s):

Sedimentation and potential Over-fishing.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None.

Conservation Actions:

None.

Bibliography [top]

	Brichard, P. 1989. Pierre Brichard's Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Tanganyika. THF Publications Inc., Neptune, United States. Daget, J., Gosse, J.P., Teugels, G.G. and Thys van den Audenaerde, D.F.E. (eds). 1991. Check-list of the Freshwater Fishes of Africa (CLOFFA IV) ISNB, Brussels and MRAC, Tervuren, Belgium, and ORSTOM, Paris, France. IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006. Poll, M. 1956. Poissons Cichlidae. In: Exploration Hydrobiologique du Lac Tanganika (1946–1947). Résultats scientifiques. 3(5B): 390–394. Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium.

Brichard, P. 1989. Pierre Brichard's Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Tanganyika. THF Publications Inc., Neptune, United States.

Daget, J., Gosse, J.P., Teugels, G.G. and Thys van den Audenaerde, D.F.E. (eds). 1991. Check-list of the Freshwater Fishes of Africa (CLOFFA IV) ISNB, Brussels and MRAC, Tervuren, Belgium, and ORSTOM, Paris, France.

IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.

Poll, M. 1956. Poissons Cichlidae. In: Exploration Hydrobiologique du Lac Tanganika (1946–1947). Résultats scientifiques. 3(5B): 390–394. Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium.

Citation:	Bigirimana, C. 2006. Boulengerochromis microlepis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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