Labeo mesops

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	CYPRINIFORMES	CYPRINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Labeo mesops

Species Authority:

Günther, 1868

Common Name/s:

English

–

Tana Labeo

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Endangered A2bd ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2006
Assessor/s:	Kazembe, J., Magombo, Z., Khawa, D. & Kaunda, E.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme)
Justification: Endemic to Lake Malawi and the Shire River. A significant population reduction suspected from observation although quantitative data are lacking. Causes of decline include overfishing and habitat degradation and these have not ceased. Population reduction estimated at not less than 50% over 10 years.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Lake Malawi and the Shire river and its streams.
Countries:	Native: Malawi
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Declined by at least 50% over the past 20 years.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A benthic species, which lives in shoals over sandy bottoms in relatively sheltered shallow waters. In some area (e.g., off Nkotakota) large shoals were reported to be seen a mile or more offshore). It feeds from the sediment and biocover on the sand. The species migrates upstream in rivers to spawn with the first flood, and after spawning returns quickly to the lake. This species breeds only once when the rivers are in full spate and very turbid. Both the adults and juveniles spend an extremely short time in the rivers where spawning occurs. The young fish can survive being carried downstream at an early age.A maximum size of about 40 cm is reported from Lake Malawi for this species. This species was formerly very abundant in Malawi, but now rare.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

A benthic species, which lives in shoals over sandy bottoms in relatively sheltered shallow waters. In some area (e.g., off Nkotakota) large shoals were reported to be seen a mile or more offshore). It feeds from the sediment and biocover on the sand. The species migrates upstream in rivers to spawn with the first flood, and after spawning returns quickly to the lake. This species breeds only once when the rivers are in full spate and very turbid. Both the adults and juveniles spend an extremely short time in the rivers where spawning occurs. The young fish can survive being carried downstream at an early age.A maximum size of about 40 cm is reported from Lake Malawi for this species. This species was formerly very abundant in Malawi, but now rare.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Over-exploitation: in the past decades, L. mesops was abundant in Lake Malawi, however due to over-fishing of adults, a population decline occurred. It was formerly one of the most important commercial species in Lake Malawi but is now rarely caught. Basket traps, fish weirs, seine nets and gill nets are used to catch this fish. The fishery collapsed despite mesh size regulations for gill nets. Fish poisoning in some of the rivers is also a threat.

Major Threat(s):

Over-exploitation: in the past decades, L. mesops was abundant in Lake Malawi, however due to over-fishing of adults, a population decline occurred. It was formerly one of the most important commercial species in Lake Malawi but is now rarely caught. Basket traps, fish weirs, seine nets and gill nets are used to catch this fish. The fishery collapsed despite mesh size regulations for gill nets. Fish poisoning in some of the rivers is also a threat.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None.

Conservation Actions:

None.

Citation:	Kazembe, J., Magombo, Z., Khawa, D. & Kaunda, E. 2006. Labeo mesops. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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