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Mbipia lutea

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA ACTINOPTERYGII PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE

Scientific Name: Mbipia lutea
Species Authority: Seehausen & Bouton, 1998
Synonym/s:
Haplochromis "carp" Seehausen, 1994
Haplochromis (Xystichromis) "carp" Seehausen, 1996
Xystichromis "carp" Seehausen & Bouton, 1998
Taxonomic Notes: Seehausen et al. 1998: Large haplochromines with a relatively steep, straight dorsal head profile, many tooth rows, and bright male nupital coloration. Male M. lutea are distinguished from males of M. mbipi by smaller eyes, a usually shallower body, a usually longer snout, by bright yellow male coloration with distinct vertical bars (vs. Coppery black or dark greenish yellow without distinct bars), by less ctenoid scales on the rostral part of the body, by small cycloid scales in the anal/ genital region (vs. A mixture of small cycloid and larger ctenoid scales), and a scaleless dorsal fin (vs. Cycloid scales on the spiny part).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Vulnerable D2 ver 3.1
Year Published: 2010
Assessor/s: Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E.
Reviewer/s: Darwall, W. & Smith, K.
Contributor/s:
Justification:
The species was rare in the past and is still rare. It is unknown whether the population has declined or not. The biggest threat to this species now is increased hybridisation as a result of decreased water transparency. It is not known to what extent this is affecting different areas of the lake, but its current distribution is likely restricted to only a few locations, and it is therefore assessed as Vulnerable.
History:
2006 – Endangered (IUCN 2006)
2006 – Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: This species is known only from the western Speke Gulf and the Sengerema region of Lake Victoria (Seehausen et al. 1998).
Countries:
Native:
Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population: Usually rare; collected at six localities in the western Speke Gulf and the Sengerema region (Seehausen et al. 1998), but then only 1/22 catch localities within the Mwanze and Speke Gulfs between 2004-2006 (Mizoiri et al. 2008).
Population Trend: Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: The species is restricted to rocky shores. It inhabits exclusively the shallow waters (0-2 m, littoral zone) of gently sloping small rock boulder shores, in particular somewhat surf protected habitats like small bays. The species is an epilithic algae grazer.
Systems: Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): The main threat to this species is hybridization due to decreased water transparency (on account of eutrophication and erosion leading to increased sedimentation and runoff) interfering with mate recognition visual cues (Mrosso et al. 2003). An additional threat is capture as bait for long line fishery.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: None known, but the population trend of this species should continue to be monitored. Habitat restoration is required to protect the species from further degradation.
Citation: Witte, F., de Zeeuw, M.P. & Brooks, E. 2010. Mbipia lutea. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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