| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | ACTINOPTERYGII | PERCIFORMES | CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Haplochromis guiarti |
| Species Authority: | (Pellegrin, 1904) |
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Critically Endangered C2a(ii) ver 3.1 | |||||||||
| Year Assessed: | 2010 | |||||||||
| Assessor/s: | Witte, F. & de Zeeuw, M.P. | |||||||||
| Reviewer/s: | Darwall, W. & Smith, K. | |||||||||
|
Justification: This species was known to occur in Lake Victoria in the past, but it has not been confirmed since the 1980s despite surveys in the area. The main threat to this species which was responsible for its dramatic decline in the early 1980s was the introduction of the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) to Lake Victoria. Whilst many Haplochromis species suffered dramatic population crashes, many have shown signs of recovery in the last few years, however this species has not been seen since the 1980s. If it is still present it is likely to be extremely rare with very few individuals, and it is now Possibly Extinct. Should positive identifications be made this assessment should be revised. |
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| History: |
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| Range Description: | This species is endemic to Lake Victoria. It has been recorded in surveys carried out in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (Greenwood 1981). |
| Countries: |
Possibly extinct:
Kenya; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda
|
| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
|
| Population: | This species has declined in numbers dramatically since 1980. Frequency of occurrence data per 5 minute trawl across shallow sand in Mwanza Gulf (Witte et al. 1992) show a decrease from 81% in 1979-82, to 0% in 1987/88 and 1993/95. |
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
| Habitat and Ecology: | This species is restricted to areas in the littoral zone where the substrate is firm (sand, rock). It is classified as a piscivore (sensu stricto). |
| Systems: | Freshwater |
| Major Threat(s): | The main threat to this species is hybridization due to decreased water transparency (on account of eutrophication and erosion leading to increased sedimentation and runoff) interfering with mate recognition visual cues (Mrosso et al. 2003). An additional threat is capture as bait for long line fishery. |
| Conservation Actions: | None known, but the population trend of this species should continue to be monitored. |
| Citation: | Witte, F. & de Zeeuw, M.P. 2010. Haplochromis guiarti. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012. |
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