| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | ACTINOPTERYGII | PERCIFORMES | CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Haplochromis chromogynos |
| Species Authority: | Greenwood, 1959 |
| Synonym/s: |
Paralabidochromis chromogynos (Greenwood, 1959)
|
| 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. | |||||||||
|
Justification: The population density of this species was known in the past. The current population density 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. It appears that the population trend is starting to increase, however the biggest threat to this species now 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 Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (Greenwood 1981). |
| Countries: |
Native:
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 63% in 1979-82, to 0% in 1987/88 and 1993/95. The figures for 2006/08 are still being sorted, but the population size is expected to have increased due to recent range extensions, as the species is adapting to new conditions in the lake. |
| Population Trend: |
Increasing
|
| Habitat and Ecology: | This species is restricted to areas in the littoral zone where the substrate is firm (sand, rock). It is classified as an insectivore. |
| 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 predation by Nile Perch (a potentially reversible threat). This species is fished, although not targeted specifically. |
| Conservation Actions: | Many fish species within Lake Victoria have suffered severe and dramatic declines since the introduction of the Nile Perch. Although numbers of the perch have now decreased, the degradation of the water quality is also thought to be having a significant impact on some fish species. More research is needed to monitor this species and how it is affected by these threats, as well as establishing the extent of its range within the lake. Policy based action is needed to decrease the degradation of the lake, as well as to prevent over fishing. Protected areas should also be established. |
| Citation: | Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E. 2010. Haplochromis chromogynos. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 February 2012. |
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