Haplochromis pyrrhocephalus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
ACTINOPTERYGII |
PERCIFORMES |
CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Haplochromis pyrrhocephalus |
| Species Authority: |
Witte & Witte-Maas, 1987 |
| Synonym/s: |
Yssichromis pyrrhocephalus (Witte & Witte-Maas, 1987)
|
Assessment Information
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| 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:
Population density surveys carried out over the last thirty years shows that this species is increasing in numbers significantly. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern.
|
| History: |
| 2006 |
– |
Vulnerable
(IUCN 2006)
|
| 1996 |
– |
Vulnerable
(Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
|
| 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.
|
| Countries: |
Native:
Tanzania, United Republic of
|
| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
|
Population
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| Population: |
This species appears to be increasing in abundance. The results from a small trawl transect in the Mwanza Gulf (based on 60 catches from Feb-Jan) show the mean number caught per 10 minutes dropped from 30 in 1979/80 to 0 for 1987/88, but then increased again to 20 in 1993/95 and more than 200 for 2006/08. A large trawl transect carried out in northern Mwanza Gulf (based on 7 catches in 1978, and 69 in 1987) showed a decrease from a mean of 16,000 caught per hour in 1978 to 0.6 in 1987. However, between 1999 - 2008, although exact figures are not given, it was reported to be an abundant species.
|
| Population Trend: |
Increasing
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
This is a pelagic species from the sub-littoral and off shore zone. The species has mainly been found over mud substrate. It is classified as a zooplanktivore.
|
| 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
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| Conservation Actions: |
None known, but the population trend of this species should continue to be monitored.
|
