| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | ACTINOPTERYGII | PERCIFORMES | CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Haplochromis howesi | |||
| Species Authority: | van Oijen, 1992 | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Synonym/s: |
Haplochromis "smoke" Barel, 1985
Prognathochromis howesi ssp. complex van Oijen, 1992
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| Red List Category & Criteria: | Vulnerable D2 ver 3.1 | |||||||||
| Year Assessed: | 2010 | |||||||||
| Assessor/s: | Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E. | |||||||||
| Reviewer/s: | Darwall, W. & Smith, K. | |||||||||
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Justification: The population density of this species was known in the past. The current population density is not known, and the species has declined since the 1970s but has been confirmed to still occur in Lake Victoria in low numbers. The threat responsible for its dramatic decline in the early 1980s was the introduction of the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) to Lake Victoria. However the biggest current threat to the species is increased hybridisation as a result of decreased water transparency. It is not known to what extent this is affecting different areas of the lake, but its current distribution is likely restricted to only a few locations, and it is therefore assessed as Vulnerable. |
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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 Tanzania. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Tanzania, United Republic of
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| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
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| Population: | Although the frequency of occurrence of this species was recorded as 10-50% within the Mwanza Gulf in 1978/79, it dropped to 0% within Mwanze Gulf and Speke Gulf in 1990 (Witte et al. 1992). It was however still reported at 3/22 catch localities in the Mwanze and Speke Gulf between 2004-2006, so is still present in the Lake (Mizoiri et al. 2008). |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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| Habitat and Ecology: | The species is restricted to rocky shores in the littoral zone. H. howesi is the only species in the lake known to feed regularly on crabs. |
| 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. & Brooks, E. 2010. Haplochromis howesi. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012. |
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