Haplochromis chilotes

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	PERCIFORMES	CICHLIDAE

Scientific Name:	Haplochromis chilotes
Species Authority:	Boulenger, 1911
Synonym/s:	Paralabidochromis chilotes ssp. complex
Taxonomic Notes:	Characterized by a long, pointed snout, narrow tooth arcades with rather stout unicuspid outer teeth that are somewhat recurved, two to five inner tooth raws, lips that are usually produced into small to very big lobes (Seehausen 1996).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2006

Assessor/s

Bayona, J.D.R.

Evaluator/s:

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

Justification:
The species is restricted to Lake Victoria, with an extent of occurrence of less than 2,000 km² and the population is reported to be declining in response to lake-wide impacts of Nile Perch Lates niloticus predation and water pollution.

History:

1996	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Lake Victoria. Distributed in four locations in the Mwanza gulf, namely: Python Island, Igombe Island, Makobe Island, and Ruti Island (Mrosso et al. in press). Also known from several places in northern Lake Victoria (Greenwood 1959).
Countries:	Native: Kenya; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda

Population [top]

Population:	The population is declining.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Distributed along gently sloping rocky shores and is abundant at places with small rock boulders at depths of between 8 to 14 m. The species was also reported over sand substrate (Seehausen 1996). It is capable of occupying both off-shore exposed places and inshore bays and gulfs (Greenwood 1959). It is insectivore, mainly feeding on insect larvae associated with epilithic aufwuchs such as mayfly larvae, chironomid larvae, and filamentous blue-green algae. Its mouth (lobed lips) is specialised for gripping and scraping.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Distributed along gently sloping rocky shores and is abundant at places with small rock boulders at depths of between 8 to 14 m. The species was also reported over sand substrate (Seehausen 1996). It is capable of occupying both off-shore exposed places and inshore bays and gulfs (Greenwood 1959). It is insectivore, mainly feeding on insect larvae associated with epilithic aufwuchs such as mayfly larvae, chironomid larvae, and filamentous blue-green algae. Its mouth (lobed lips) is specialised for gripping and scraping.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Predation by Nile perch and others. Turbidity/silting and pollution.

Major Threat(s):

Predation by Nile perch and others. Turbidity/silting and pollution.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No information available.

Conservation Actions:

No information available.

Citation:	Bayona, J.D.R. 2006. Haplochromis chilotes. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2010.
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