Haplochromis aelocephalus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
ACTINOPTERYGII |
PERCIFORMES |
CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Haplochromis aelocephalus |
| Species Authority: |
Greenwood, 1959 |
| Synonym/s: |
Psammochromis aelocephalus Greenwood, 1959
|
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Critically Endangered
C2a(ii)
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2010 |
| Assessor/s: |
Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E. |
| Reviewer/s: |
Darwall, W. & Smith, K. |
Justification:
The species was rare in the past and the population has declined since the 1970s due to the introduction of the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) . 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 1985 despite repeated surveys within its known range. If it is still present it is likely to be extremely rare with very few individuals, but it may now be Extinct.
|
| History: |
| 2006 |
– |
Vulnerable
(IUCN 2006)
|
| 1996 |
– |
Vulnerable
|
| 1996 |
– |
Vulnerable
|
|
Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This species is endemic to Lake Victoria. It has been recorded in surveys carried out in Tanzania and Uganda (Greenwood 1981).
|
| Countries: |
Possibly extinct:
Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda
|
| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|
Population
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| Population: |
No data are available, however the species appears to have declined since the 1970s, and has not been reported since 1985.
|
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
This species is restricted to areas in the littoral and sub-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 predation by Nile Perch (a potentially reversible threat). It is also potentially threatened by 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).
|
Conservation Actions
[top]
| Conservation Actions: |
This species has not been reported since the 1980s. More studies are needed to establish if it is still extant.
|
Bibliography
[top]
|
Greenwood, P.H. 1959. A revision of the Lake Victoria Haplochromis species (Pisces, Cichlidae), Part III. Bulletin British Museum of Natural History (Zoology) 5: 179-218.
IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.3). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 2 September 2010).
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