Haplochromis howesi

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:

Haplochromis howesi

Species Authority:

van Oijen, 1992

Common Name/s:

English

–

Smok

Synonym/s:

Haplochromis "smoke" Barel, 1985

Prognathochromis howesi ssp. complex van Oijen, 1992

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable D2 ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E.

Reviewer/s:

Darwall, W. & Smith, K.

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.

History:

2006	–	Critically Endangered (IUCN 2006)
1996	–	Endangered
1996	–	Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

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
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

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

Habitat and Ecology [top]

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

Threats [top]

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.

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 [top]

Conservation Actions:	None known, but the population trend of this species should continue to be monitored.

Conservation Actions:

None known, but the population trend of this species should continue to be monitored.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.3). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 2 September 2010). Mizoiri, S., Aibara, M., Takahashi, K., Sato, T., Nikaido, M., Watanabe, M., Seehausen, O., Witte, F., Van Oijen, M.J.P., Bwathondi, P.O., Ngatunga, B.P., Katunzi, E.F.B., Mrosso, H.D.J., Mzighani, S.I., Nakashio, M. and Okada, N. 2008. Live Cichlids in the Southern Lake Victoria — On-going Speciation. Tokyo Institut of Technology Press. van Oijen, M.J.P. 1992. Haplochromis howesi spec. nov., a crab and fish eating cichlid from Lake Victoria. Zoologische Mededelingen 66(40): 561-579. Witte, F., Goldschmidt, T., Wanink, J., van Oijen, M., Goudswaard, K., Witte-Maas, E. and Bouton, N. 1992. The destruction of endermic species flock: quantitative data on the decline of the haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria. Environmental Biology of Fishes 34: 1-28.

IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.3). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 2 September 2010).

Mizoiri, S., Aibara, M., Takahashi, K., Sato, T., Nikaido, M., Watanabe, M., Seehausen, O., Witte, F., Van Oijen, M.J.P., Bwathondi, P.O., Ngatunga, B.P., Katunzi, E.F.B., Mrosso, H.D.J., Mzighani, S.I., Nakashio, M. and Okada, N. 2008. Live Cichlids in the Southern Lake Victoria — On-going Speciation. Tokyo Institut of Technology Press.

van Oijen, M.J.P. 1992. Haplochromis howesi spec. nov., a crab and fish eating cichlid from Lake Victoria. Zoologische Mededelingen 66(40): 561-579.

Witte, F., Goldschmidt, T., Wanink, J., van Oijen, M., Goudswaard, K., Witte-Maas, E. and Bouton, N. 1992. The destruction of endermic species flock: quantitative data on the decline of the haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria. Environmental Biology of Fishes 34: 1-28.

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 23 May 2012.
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