Chiloglanis swierstrai

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	MOCHOKIDAE

Scientific Name:

Chiloglanis swierstrai

Species Authority:

Van Der Horst, 1931

Common Name/s:

English

–

Lowveld Suckermouth, Rock Catlet

Synonym/s:

Chiloglanis engiops Crass, 1960

Taxonomic Notes:

As with the other southern Chiloglanis species with wide geographical ranges this species exibits a degree of colour pattern and morphological variation across its range. This is being studied by Matlatla et al.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2007

Assessor/s

Bills, R., Engelbrecht, J., Marshall, B.E. & Cambray, J.

Evaluator/s:

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

Justification:
Widespread and common in suitable habitats within much of its southern range in Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal. Although populations in northern parts of its range in the Limpopo River appear to have declined it does not qualify for any of the endangered criteria.

History:

1996	–	Lower Risk/least concern
1994	–	Insufficiently Known (IUCN)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Phongolo River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa north to the Limpopo in southern Zimbabwe.
Countries:	Native: Mozambique; South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga); Swaziland; Zimbabwe

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Unknown

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Found in sandy habitats in larger streams and rivers. The species buries itself in the sand substrate and forages on drift invertebrates and those in the substrate.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat degradation. Sedimentation of habitats from varied forestry and agricultural activities affect this and all other Chiloglanis species. Chemical pollution from industries, large towns and agriculture also locally affect Chiloglanis. Require permanent flows and have disappeared from the Letaba River.

Major Threat(s):

Habitat degradation. Sedimentation of habitats from varied forestry and agricultural activities affect this and all other Chiloglanis species. Chemical pollution from industries, large towns and agriculture also locally affect Chiloglanis. Require permanent flows and have disappeared from the Letaba River.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	River health programmes aimed at improving the conservation of aquatic habitats should be supported. Widespread establishment of conservancies may also help in conserving aquatic habitats.

Conservation Actions:

River health programmes aimed at improving the conservation of aquatic habitats should be supported. Widespread establishment of conservancies may also help in conserving aquatic habitats.

Citation:	Bills, R., Engelbrecht, J., Marshall, B.E. & Cambray, J. 2007. Chiloglanis swierstrai. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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