Petrocephalus wesselsi

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:

Petrocephalus wesselsi

Species Authority:

Kramer & van der Bank 2000

Common Name/s:

English

–

Southern Churchill

Taxonomic Notes:

The status of central and southern Petrocephalus complexes is under investigation by Kramer et al. It is likely that further splitting of the currently recognised species will occur.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2007
Assessor/s:	Engelbrecht, J., Bills, R., Marshall, B.E. & Cambray, J.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit)
Justification: Widely distributed in South Africa, lower catchments in Swaziland and on the southern Mozambique coastal plain.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Limpopo River south to the Phongolo River.
Countries:	Native: Mozambique; South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga); Swaziland; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Unknown

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Margins of major rivers. A nocturnal species which takes refuge in root stocks, aquatic vegetation and rocky crevices during the day.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In South Africa, eastern flowing rivers are generally threatened by over-extraction of water, sedimentation and pollution from varied agricultural and industrial sources.

Major Threat(s):

In South Africa, eastern flowing rivers are generally threatened by over-extraction of water, sedimentation and pollution from varied agricultural and industrial sources.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Various river health/rehabilitation schemes are in place.

Conservation Actions:

Various river health/rehabilitation schemes are in place.

Bibliography [top]

	Bills, I.R., Boycott, R.C., Fakudze, M., Khumalo, N., Msibi, J., Scott, L.E.P., Terry, S. and Tweddle, D. 2004. Fish and Fisheries of Swaziland (2002-2003). Final report: July 2004. SAIAB Investigational Report. SAIAB, Grahamstown. IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 12th September 2007). Kramer, B. and van der Bank, F.H. 2000. The southern churchill, Petrocephalus wesselsi, a new species of mormyrid from South Africa defined by electric organ discharge, genetics and morphology.. Environmental Biology of Fishes 59(4): 393-413. Skelton, P.H. 2001. A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa.

Bills, I.R., Boycott, R.C., Fakudze, M., Khumalo, N., Msibi, J., Scott, L.E.P., Terry, S. and Tweddle, D. 2004. Fish and Fisheries of Swaziland (2002-2003). Final report: July 2004. SAIAB Investigational Report. SAIAB, Grahamstown.

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

Kramer, B. and van der Bank, F.H. 2000. The southern churchill, Petrocephalus wesselsi, a new species of mormyrid from South Africa defined by electric organ discharge, genetics and morphology.. Environmental Biology of Fishes 59(4): 393-413.

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

Citation:	Engelbrecht, J., Bills, R., Marshall, B.E. & Cambray, J. 2007. Petrocephalus wesselsi. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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