Haplochromis flavus

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 flavus
Species Authority:	Seehausen, Zwennes & Lippitsch, 1998
Synonym/s:	Haplochromis (Paralabidochromis) "yellow rockpicker" Seehausen, 1996 Paralabidochromis "yellow rockpicker" Seehausen & Bouton, 1998

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2010

Assessor/s:

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

Reviewer/s:

Darwall, W. & Smith, K.

Justification:
This species was common in the past, and whilst some sub-populations have shown evidence of decline, others are clearly thriving. The main threat (hybridisation due to decreased water transparency) appears to have a quite localised effect. Given the many locations within Lake Victoria that this species is known from, it is assessed as Least Concern

History:

2006

–

Endangered (IUCN 2006)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is widely distributed in clear water areas of south eastern Lake Victoria. The most widely distributed species of the 'rockpicker' lineage. Abundance is very variable between localities. At most places this is a rare species but at the geographically isolated island complexes Mabibi Islands and Vesi Archipelago it is abundant or even one of the numerically dominant species in appropriate habitats (Seehausen et al. 1998).
Countries:	Native: Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	No information available.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species is restricted to rocky substrates in the littoral zone. It feeds on a diet consisting of benthic invertebrates, periphyton and macrophytes.
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. Mrosso, H.J.D., Msuku, B.S. and Seehausen, O. 2003. Relationships between water transparency and species richness of surviving haplochromines encountered in selected habitats in Mwanza gulf- Lake Victoria (In press). Tanzania Journal of Science. Seehausen, O. 1996. Lake Victoria Rock Cichlids: taxonomy, ecology and distribution. Verduijn Cichlids, Zevenhuizen, Netherlands. Seehausen, O. and Bouton, N. 1998. The community of rock dwelling cichlids in Lake Victoria. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 47: 301-311. Seehausen, O., Bouton, N., Witte, F. and van Alphen, J.J.M. 1996. Komplexe Fischgesellschaften des Viktoriasees. Ti-Magazin 28: 59-63. Seehausen, O., Lippitsch, E., Bouton, N., Zwennes, H. 1998. Mbipi, the rock-dwelling cichlids of Lake Victoria: description of three new genera and fifteen new species (Teleostei). Ichtyological exploration of Freshwaters 9: 129-228. Seehausen, O., Witte, F., Katunzi, E.F., Smits, J. and Bouton, N. 1997. Patterns of the remnant cichlid fauna in southern Lake Victoria. Conservation Biology 11: 890-904.

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.

Mrosso, H.J.D., Msuku, B.S. and Seehausen, O. 2003. Relationships between water transparency and species richness of surviving haplochromines encountered in selected habitats in Mwanza gulf- Lake Victoria (In press). Tanzania Journal of Science.

Seehausen, O. 1996. Lake Victoria Rock Cichlids: taxonomy, ecology and distribution. Verduijn Cichlids, Zevenhuizen, Netherlands.

Seehausen, O. and Bouton, N. 1998. The community of rock dwelling cichlids in Lake Victoria. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 47: 301-311.

Seehausen, O., Bouton, N., Witte, F. and van Alphen, J.J.M. 1996. Komplexe Fischgesellschaften des Viktoriasees. Ti-Magazin 28: 59-63.

Seehausen, O., Lippitsch, E., Bouton, N., Zwennes, H. 1998. Mbipi, the rock-dwelling cichlids of Lake Victoria: description of three new genera and fifteen new species (Teleostei). Ichtyological exploration of Freshwaters 9: 129-228.

Seehausen, O., Witte, F., Katunzi, E.F., Smits, J. and Bouton, N. 1997. Patterns of the remnant cichlid fauna in southern Lake Victoria. Conservation Biology 11: 890-904.

Citation:	Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E. 2010. Haplochromis flavus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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