Mormyrus lacerda

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	OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES	MORMYRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Mormyrus lacerda

Species Authority:

Castelnaui, 1861

Common Name/s:

English

–

Western Bottlenose

Synonym/s:

Mormyrus anchietae Guimarães, 1884

Mormyrus ellenbergeri Pellegrin, 1914

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2007
Assessor/s:	Tweddle, D. & Marshall, B.E.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit)
Justification: The habitat of this species is healthy. The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy is large and there is unlikely to be a decline in population.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Mormyrus lacerda occurs in the Upper Zambezi River system and also in the Kafue system.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Botswana; Namibia; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	The populations are healthy, although the species is not as abundant as the other smaller mormyrids in the same area.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Prefers quiet stretches of river channels and deep pools and floodplain lagoons with aquatic vegetation (Skelton 2001). In the Upper Zambezi, Tweddle et al. (2004) found it to be restricted to the main river channel and larger tributaries and backwaters, in deeper water than other mormyrids. Feeds on insect larvae, other small invertebrates and small fish. Spawns in summer during the rainy season.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Prefers quiet stretches of river channels and deep pools and floodplain lagoons with aquatic vegetation (Skelton 2001). In the Upper Zambezi, Tweddle et al. (2004) found it to be restricted to the main river channel and larger tributaries and backwaters, in deeper water than other mormyrids.

Feeds on insect larvae, other small invertebrates and small fish. Spawns in summer during the rainy season.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species has no immediate threats, although it is specifically targeted by fishermen using hook and line.

Major Threat(s):

The species has no immediate threats, although it is specifically targeted by fishermen using hook and line.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species is protected in reserves such as Kafue National Park on the Kafue River.

Conservation Actions:

The species is protected in reserves such as Kafue National Park on the Kafue River.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 12th September 2007). Skelton, P.H. 2001. A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Tweddle, D., Skelton, P.H., van der Waal, B.C.W., Bills, I.R., Chilala, A. and Lekoko, O.T. 2004. Aquatic biodiversity survey for the “Four Corners” Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area. Final Report – July 2004. SAIAB Investigational Reports, African Wildlife Foundation.

IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 12th September 2007).

Skelton, P.H. 2001. A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa.

Tweddle, D., Skelton, P.H., van der Waal, B.C.W., Bills, I.R., Chilala, A. and Lekoko, O.T. 2004. Aquatic biodiversity survey for the “Four Corners” Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area. Final Report – July 2004. SAIAB Investigational Reports, African Wildlife Foundation.

Citation:	Tweddle, D. & Marshall, B.E. 2007. Mormyrus lacerda. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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