Haplochromis heusinkveldi

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 heusinkveldi
Species Authority:	Witte & Witte-Maas, 1987
Synonym/s:	Haplochromis "heusinkveldi" Barel, 1983

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered C2a(ii) 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 in the Northern part of the Mwanza Gulf suffered a significant decline of over 90% in the 1980s, due to the introduction of the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus). The Nile Perch density has declined since 1990s. 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

–

Critically Endangered (IUCN 2006)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to Lake Victoria. It has been recorded in surveys carried out in Tanzania.
Countries:	Possibly extinct: Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species has declined in numbers dramatically since 1980. 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 27 in 1979/80 to 0 for 1987/88, 1993/95 and 2006/08. A large trawl transect carried out in northern Mwanza Gulf (based on 7 catches in 1978, and 69 in 1987) showed a drop from a mean of 218,000 caught per hour in 1978 to 0.1 in 1987. Between 1999 - 2008, no specimens were collected by the large trawl.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

This species has declined in numbers dramatically since 1980. 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 27 in 1979/80 to 0 for 1987/88, 1993/95 and 2006/08. A large trawl transect carried out in northern Mwanza Gulf (based on 7 catches in 1978, and 69 in 1987) showed a drop from a mean of 218,000 caught per hour in 1978 to 0.1 in 1987. Between 1999 - 2008, no specimens were collected by the large trawl.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This is a pelagic species from the littoral and sub-littoral zone. The species has mainly been found over mud substrate. It is classified as a zooplanktivore.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

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).

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 1985. More studies are needed to establish if it is still extant.

Conservation Actions:

This species has not been reported since 1985. More studies are needed to establish if it is still extant.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.3). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 2 September 2010). Witte, F. and Witte-Maas, E.L.M. 1987. Implications for taxonomy and functional morphology of intraspecific variation in haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria. With descriptions of five zooplanktivorous species. In: F. Witte (ed.), From form to fishery, pp. 1-83. PhD thesis, Leiden University. Witte, F., Msuku, B.S., Wanink, J.H., Seehausen, O., Katunzi, E.F.B., Goudswaard, P.C. and Goldschmidt, T. 2000. Recovery of cichlid species in Lake Victoria: an examination of factors leading to differntial extinction. Reviews in Fish Biology & Fisheries 10: 233-241.

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

Witte, F. and Witte-Maas, E.L.M. 1987. Implications for taxonomy and functional morphology of intraspecific variation in haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria. With descriptions of five zooplanktivorous species. In: F. Witte (ed.), From form to fishery, pp. 1-83. PhD thesis, Leiden University.

Witte, F., Msuku, B.S., Wanink, J.H., Seehausen, O., Katunzi, E.F.B., Goudswaard, P.C. and Goldschmidt, T. 2000. Recovery of cichlid species in Lake Victoria: an examination of factors leading to differntial extinction. Reviews in Fish Biology & Fisheries 10: 233-241.

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