Brycinus lateralis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CHARACIFORMES	ALESTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Brycinus lateralis

Species Authority:

(Boulenger, 1900)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Striped Robber, Striped robber (FB), Stripe-tailed robber, Stripped robber

Synonym/s:

Alestes langi Fowler, 1935

Alestes lateralis Boulenger, 1900

Alestes natalensis Boulenger, 1904

Alestes thamalakanensis Fowler, 1935

Myletes lateralis (Boulenger, 1900)

Petersius maunensis (non Fowler, 1935)

Rhabdalestes maunensis (non Fowler, 1935)

Taxonomic Notes:

This species varies over its range and the taxonomic status of different populations, e.g. several isolated populations in east coast rivers, needs to be investigated.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

Bills, R., Cambray, J., Kazembe, J.,Marshall, B. & Moelants, T.

Reviewer/s:

Snoeks, J., Tweddle, D., Getahun, A., Lalèyè, P., Paugy, D., Zaiss, R., Fishar, M.R.A & Brooks, E.

Justification:
This species has a wide distribution, with no known major widespread threats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. It has also been assessed regionally as Least Concern for central and southern Africa. In the east Africa regional assessment it has been categorised as Vulnerable (VU D2) as it only occurs in the Lower Shire River in Malawi where the threats to habitat due to increased sedimentation has the potential to impact on the spawning success of the whole population.

History:

2006

–

Least Concern (IUCN 2006)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Brycinus lateralis is widely distributed from Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, to South Africa. Central Africa: This species is present in the Kasai system and the upper reaches of the upper Congo River basin, as well as Cubango and Luapula River (Congo system) (Skelton 2001) Eastern Africa: It is found in the Lower Shire River, Malawi. Southern Africa: This species occurs in the Zambezi system, Okavango, Cunene and Kafue Rivers, also lower Buzi in Mozambique and the St Lucia catchment in Kwazulu-Natal. It is apparently absent from northern tributaries of the upper Zambezi in northern Zambia, but was found in the headwaters of the Kafue system (Tweddle et al. 2004).
Countries:	Native: Angola; Botswana; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; South Africa; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Thought to be abundant in suitable habitats throughout its range. It was once the most numerous inshore species in Lake Kariba (Balon 1971) although numbers decreased after the introduction of Limnothrissa miodon from Lake Tanganyika (Huddart 1994).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Brycinus lateralis is a pelagic, potamodromous species. It inhabits shallow, sandy or marshy areas (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Shoals are formed in clear, slow-flowing or quiet, well-vegetated waters. It is most commonly found in the main stream of rivers but moves onto floodplains during flood periods (Tweddle et al. 2004). Brycinus lateralis is often found together with the dashtail and the threespot barb and the close similarity of these species suggests mimicry between them. It feeds on small aquatic and terrestrial organisms and is preyed upon by tigerfish and observed to be eaten by a small crocodile during an upriver migration (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Brycinus lateralis moves upstream during rains, possibly to breed. Ovarian egg counts from a large ripe female reach up to 12,000 eggs (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Used as bait for tigerfish and largemouth bream (Skelton 1993).
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Brycinus lateralis is a pelagic, potamodromous species. It inhabits shallow, sandy or marshy areas (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Shoals are formed in clear, slow-flowing or quiet, well-vegetated waters. It is most commonly found in the main stream of rivers but moves onto floodplains during flood periods (Tweddle et al. 2004). Brycinus lateralis is often found together with the dashtail and the threespot barb and the close similarity of these species suggests mimicry between them. It feeds on small aquatic and terrestrial organisms and is preyed upon by tigerfish and observed to be eaten by a small crocodile during an upriver migration (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Brycinus lateralis moves upstream during rains, possibly to breed. Ovarian egg counts from a large ripe female reach up to 12,000 eggs (Bell-Cross and Minshull 1988). Used as bait for tigerfish and largemouth bream (Skelton 1993).

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	For the majority of its distribution there are no known threats to this species, however sedimentation in rivers poses a threat to populations in Lower Shire River in Malawi.

Major Threat(s):

For the majority of its distribution there are no known threats to this species, however sedimentation in rivers poses a threat to populations in Lower Shire River in Malawi.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None known. Taxonomic revision is required.

Conservation Actions:

None known. Taxonomic revision is required.

Citation:	Bills, R., Cambray, J., Kazembe, J.,Marshall, B. & Moelants, T. 2010. Brycinus lateralis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2012.
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