Clarias cavernicola

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	SILURIFORMES	CLARIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Clarias cavernicola

Species Authority:

Trewavas, 1936

Common Name/s:

English

–

Cave Catfish

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2007

Assessor/s:

Bills, R.

Reviewer/s:

Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Occurs in a single location (Aigamas Cave, Namibia). There is a threat to the cave's water source and thus to the species environment from ground water extraction. The potential threat of illegal collectors for the aquarium trade also exists. Given that the area of the lake is 18 m X 2.5 m and that the water level has been steadily dropping due to water extraction the species qualifies as Critically Endangered under criterion B due to restricted range, single location and ongoing decline in the extent of available habitat.

History:

1996	–	Critically Endangered
1994	–	Endangered (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Endangered (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Known only from the type locality: Aigamas Cave, Otavi, Namibia. The pool is 18 m by 2.5 m in area, and 30 to 52 m deep (Proudlove 2006).
Countries:	Native: Namibia
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:	Subterranean waters of the Aigamas cave system. Rocky substrates. Water temperature is around 25°C and the species appears to live over shelves of shallow water up to 15 m in depth (Proudlove 2006).
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Depletion of ground water; the cave lake has been used as a water supply in an otherwise very dry area (Proudlove 2006). Pumping of water has reduced the depth of the lake from 70 m to 50 m since 1921 (Skelton 1990, Bruton 1995). Potentially exploitation from aquarists.

Major Threat(s):

Depletion of ground water; the cave lake has been used as a water supply in an otherwise very dry area (Proudlove 2006). Pumping of water has reduced the depth of the lake from 70 m to 50 m since 1921 (Skelton 1990, Bruton 1995). Potentially exploitation from aquarists.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Control of water extraction. Collections of fishes regulated by permits.

Conservation Actions:

Control of water extraction. Collections of fishes regulated by permits.

Citation:	Bills, R. 2007. Clarias cavernicola. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 May 2013.
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