Barbus afrohamiltoni
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | ACTINOPTERYGII | CYPRINIFORMES | CYPRINIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Barbus afrohamiltoni | |||
| Species Authority: | Crass, 1960 | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Synonym/s: |
Barbus hamiltoni Gilchrist & Thompson, 1913
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| Taxonomic Notes: | Described from the Sabi River, South Africa. Populations may extend up into the Kafue, upper Zambezi and Cunene rivers, however the taxonomic status of these populations needs to be determined. The genus Barbus (Cyprinidae) is restricted to a small number of species mainly inhabiting the European ichthyographic region including Northeast Africa. Most of the African species which are currently included in the genus, taxonomically do not appear to be closely related to the genus Barbus sensu strictu. However, no attempts have yet been made at an adequate nomenclature of the African forms. We therefore follow Berrebi et al. (1996) and use in this assessment the term ‘Barbus’ for the cyprinid fish species which were previously considered as Barbus (Seegers et al. 2003). |
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Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Least Concern ver 3.1 | |||
| Year Assessed: | 2010 | |||
| Assessor/s: | Bills, R., Cambray, J., Engelbrecht, J., Kazembe, J., Marshall, B., Moelants, T. & Vreven, E. | |||
| Reviewer/s: | Snoeks, J., Tweddle, D., Getahun, A., Lalèyè, P., Paugy, D., Zaiss, R., Fishar, M.R.A & Brooks, E. | |||
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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 southern Africa. Within eastern Africa it is restricted to the Shire River system which is considered a single location, and is therefore listed as Vulnerable. If the species does occur in the Bangweulu system, it is estimated that less than 5 % of the species is found in the Congo River basin. Therefore, the species is listed as Not Applicable for central Africa. |
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| History: |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: |
Barbus afrohamiltoni is known from lowveld reaches of tropical southeast coast rivers from the lower Zambezi to the Phongolo, and possibly into the Congo. Central Africa: There are unconfirmed records from the upper Zambezi, Kafue, Nata and Zambian Congo (Lake Bangweulu) systems (Skelton 2001). Eastern Africa: In Malawi, this species occurs in the Lower Shire river and its tributaries (Ruo and Thangadzi rivers). Also reported to occur in pools in the Thangadzi river (Lower Shire tributary - this river flows during the rains for a few days therefore this species may have ascended the river during this time) (Tweddle and Willoughby 1979). Southern Africa: Known from low-veld reaches of the larger east-coast rivers, from the Zambezi south to the Phongolo. Unverified records are known from several This species is known from upper Zambezi regions e.g. lower Kafue. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Botswana; Malawi; Mozambique; South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga); Swaziland; Zambia; Zimbabwe
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| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
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Population [top]
| Population: | For the majority of this species range, no information is available on population trends. In eastern Africa, it appears to be numerous in certain areas for reasons not yet known (Bell-Cross 1976). |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | Barbus afrohamiltoni is a benthopelagic species. It is usually collected in still, vegetated waters associated with main river channels of large rivers, and favours marginal pools and lagoons which may be isolated from the main channel. Barbus afrohamiltoni feeds on insects. (Skelton 1993, 2001). This species is reported to be common in gill net catches in the Ruo and Shire rivers (Tweddle and Willoughby, 1979). |
| Systems: | Freshwater |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | In central and eastern Africa, no major threats are known. In southern Africa, poisoning and netting of isolated pools is practised in some regions. |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: | In Zambia, part of this species distribution falls within Kasanka National Park around Lake Bangweulu. Research into this species biology and ecology, and potential threats are needed, as well as monitoring of the populations. Environmental education of rural people and enforcement of laws is needed in certain areas, as well as maintenance of habitat. |
Bibliography [top]
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Pan-Africa freshwater assessment references. Currently, full citations for references used in the Pan-Africa biodiversity assessments are unavailable on the Red List web site. These will be added to the site in 2011. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes. IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.3). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 2 September 2010). |
| Citation: | Bills, R., Cambray, J., Engelbrecht, J., Kazembe, J., Marshall, B., Moelants, T. & Vreven, E. 2010. Barbus afrohamiltoni. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012. |
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