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Haplochromis desfontainii
– Endangered
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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ACTINOPTERYGII
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Order:
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PERCIFORMES
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Family:
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CICHLIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Haplochromis desfontainii
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Species Authority:
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(Lacepède, 1802)
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2006
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Assessor/s:
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Schraml, E.
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Evaluator/s:
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Smith, K. & Darwall, W. (IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme)
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Justification:
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H. desfontainii has been recorded from five locations; Gafsa, Tozeur, an oasis near Nefta, oasis En Nehmlet near Tozeur and an unspecified site(s) in Algeria (possibly Biskra).
However a 2006 survey by Schraml, found the species to be extirpated from Gafsa and almost extirpated from Tozeur where it was only found in an irrigation channel which was highly threatened due to water abstraction for date plantations. Schraml also could not find the species in potential sites near Nefta or south of Chott el Jerid, many of which were heavily impacted by water abstraction and canalisation.
Based on the available information H. desfontainii is assessed as Endangered as it is currently found in less than five locations, with a combined area of occupancy of less than 500 km², it is severely threatened by water abstraction for irrigating date plantations which is leading to a continuing decline in the number of locations, extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, quality of habitat and mature individuals.
More survey work is required to see if the species is still extant in its previously recorded sites and present in potential new sites, especially south of Chott el Jerid and Algeria.
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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The type locality of H. desfontainii is Gafsa in central Tunisia north of Chott El Jerid. In Gafsa it has been recorded from the interconnected ground water fed ponds used to irrigate nearby palm plantations (10 in 1953 (Kirchshofer 1953) and 3 in 1964, the rest had been converted to concrete wells (Weish 1964)), and a Roman swimming pool. In 1979 the species was only found in one small irrigation channel and the Roman swimming pool (Eggers 1980) and in the 1980s the species could only be found here after exhaustive surveys (Schmidt 1982). However, Van der Zee and Vonk (1992) stated the species was very common in Gafsa. A survey in 2006 in Gafsa found the Roman pools to be totally devoid of any fish and the remaining natural ponds and irrigation channels could not be found (possibly drained) (Schraml pers. comm).
H. desfontainii has also been recorded from other sites around Chott El Jerid; near Tozeur (Van der Zee and Vonk 1992, Schöpfel 1997, Schraml pers. com.) and Nefta oasis (Schmidt 1982), at the oasis En Nemlet (Eggers 1980) and from Algeria (Paulo 1983). Unfortunately the specific details of the sites in Algeria were not identified but Fishbase lists Biskra. In 2006 in Tozeur, where Schraml previously recorded the species in 1996, the water channels/creeks had been concreted and most were drained. Schraml found H. desfontainii in one of these channels, which had very low levels of water (1 or 2 cm), very little suitable substrate and high levels of waste. At one location in this channel, the only individuals of the species that could be seen were almost paralysed by the low temperatures due to the low levels of water and cool air temperature, which made them easy prey for herons and cats. Schraml's 2006 survey also covered many potential sites including near Nefta, El Hamma, le Nefzaoua, Douz, El Faouar, Nouil and Blidet and no H. desfontainii were found.
There are also museum collections of H. desfontainii from Lalla (south of Gafsa), El Hamma and a questionable record from the coastal town of Sfax (Schraml pers. comm.) (Froese and Pauly 2005).
More survey work is required as not all of the previously recorded sites or potential sites (e.g., Algeria or South of Chott el Jerid) for H. desfontainii were fully surveyed by Schraml in his 2006 survey.
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Range Map:
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 (click for detailed map)
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Countries:
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Native:
Algeria; Tunisia
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Population
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Population:
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No data.
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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It is a small size fish (<200 mm total length).
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System:
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Freshwater
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List of Habitats:
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| 5.9 | Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases |
| 15.7 | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) |
| 15.9 | Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches |
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Threats
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Threats:
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1. Water abstraction for date plantations.
2. Channelisation of natural and artificial water courses.
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List of Threats:
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| 1.3.6 | Habitat Loss/Degradation - Extraction - Groundwater extraction (ongoing) |
| 7.1 | Natural disasters - Drought (ongoing) |
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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There are no conservation measures in place for H. desfontainii.
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List of Conservation Actions:
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| 1.2.1.1 | Policy-based actions - Legislation - Development - International level (needed) |
| 1.2.2.1 | Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - International level (needed) |
| 3.1 | Research actions - Taxonomy (in place) |
| 3.2 | Research actions - Population numbers and range (needed) |
| 3.3 | Research actions - Biology and Ecology (needed) |
| 3.4 | Research actions - Habitat status (needed) |
| 3.5 | Research actions - Threats (needed) |
| 3.8 | Research actions - Conservation measures (needed) |
| 3.9 | Research actions - Trends/Monitoring (needed) |
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Bibliography
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Bibliography:
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Eggers, G. 1980. Es gibt ihn noch, den Blaulippen-Maulbrüter. Das Aquar. 132(6): 282–285. Kirchshofer, R. 1953. Aktionssystem des Maulbrüters Haplochromis desfontainii. Z. Tierpsych. 10: 297–318. Kirchshofer, R. 1953. Aus der Biologischen Station Wilheminenberg, Wien: Haplochromis desfontainii, ein neu importierter Maulbrüter aus Nordafrika. DATZ 7(5): 116 Kraiem, M.M. 1983. Les poissons d'eau douce de Tunisie: inventaire commenté et répartition géographique. Bull. Inst. Natn. Scient. Tech. Océanogr. Pêche Salammbo 10: 107–124. Paulo, J. 1983. Astatotilapia desfontainii Pellegrin 1904. DCG-Info. 14(1): A-Z. Schmidt, F. 1982. Astatotilapia desfontainii. Het Aquarium 52(10): 272–275. Schöpfel, H. 1997. Wir suchten den Blaulippen-Buntbarsch Astatotilapia desfontainesi. und fanden ihn in der OaseTouzer in Tunesien. Aq. Heute 15(3): 618. Weish, E. 1964. Fang und Zucht des Blaulippenmaulbrüters Haplochromis desfontainesi. DATZ 17(8): 227. van der Zee, J. and Vonk, R. 1991. Fischexpeditionen in den Mahgreb 2. Auf der Suche nach Fundulus hispanicus. DATZ 44(10): 667–670. van der Zee, J. and Vonk, R. 1991. Fischexpeditionen in den Mahgreb. DATZ 44(4): 255. van der Zee, J. and Vonk, R. 1992. Fischexpeditionen in den Mahgreb. DATZ 45(2): 124–127.
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