Labeobarbus polylepis
| Labeobarbus polylepis | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Labeobarbus polylepis | ||||||||||||
| ( Boulenger , 1907) |
Labeobarbus polylepis , engl. Smallscale Yellowfish, in Afrikaans also known as Kleinskub-Geelvis, in German “small-scaled yellow fish”, is a carp fish species that is endemic only in South Africa.
description
The fish species grows to 58 centimeters long and weighs up to six kilograms. The heaviest individual caught on a line to date weighed 6.18 kilograms and came from the Crocodile River on the border with Kruger National Park . Females reach greater body lengths than males. The mouth is below , with two barbels on each side .
Way of life
Labeobarbus polylepis feeds mainly on algae in the winter months and on mussels, snails, small animals, crabs and small fish all year round. The exact eating habits are still little researched. The spawning season takes place from spring to summer. Females become sexually mature from a length of 30 centimeters, males from 17 centimeters.
Occurrence
Labeobarbus polylepis occurs in cold rivers with a stony bottom, such as the upper reaches of the Limpopo , Incomati and Pongolo in South Africa , Swaziland and Mozambique . The species prefers cool, oxygen-rich water and lives in mountain rivers above 600 meters. Labeobarbus polylepis lives in deep pools, reservoirs or running water stretches of non- periodic rivers and streams with permanent water flow.
Economical meaning
Labeobarbus polylepis is an edible and sport fish for fly fishermen.
Hazardous situation
The risk situation is different for geographically isolated populations. Fishing stocking measures have led to a mixing and homogenization of these previously geographically separated populations. The result was hybridization with other Labeobarbus species, such as Labeobarbus aeneus , which is also kept in aquacultures . In some rivers such as the Mpumalanga, gillnet fishing is a major threat to the population. Conservationists are demanding the construction of fish ladders when building dams. In some cases, introduced species such as rainbow trout as spawning predators also decimate the population of Labeobarbus polylepis .
The current occurrence of the long-lived species Labeobarbus polylepis is used as an indicator for the ecological balance of certain South African rivers and is very suitable for long-term studies. For example, the heavy metal accumulation in the tissue of Labeobarbus polylepis was examined in connection with its specific eating habits in the Phongola, Assegaai, Elands and Komati rivers.
Web links
- Gordon O'Brien: Aspects of the Ecology and Population Management of the Bushveld Smallscale Yellowfish (Labeobarbus polylepis). ( Online ; PDF; 2.2 MB)
- PFS Mulder, D. Engelbrecht, JS Engelbrecht and F Roux: Biochemical genetic variation between four populations of Labeobarbus polylepis from three river systems in South Africa. In: African Journal of Aquatic Science, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2004. doi : 10.2989 / 16085910409503797
- Francois Roux: Reproduction strategy of the smallscale yellowfish (labeobarbus polylepis) and breeding behavior in the Blyde and Spekboom Rivers. University of Johannesburg ( Online )
Notes and individual references
- ↑ a b c d e Labeobarbus polylepis on Fishbase.org (English)
- ↑ Fishing Records - Labeobarbus polylepis ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Barbus polylepis Boulenge In: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1907, Issue 2, p. 308 ( online )
- ^ A b Andrew Husted: Aspects of the biology of the bushveld smallscale yellowfish (Labeobarbus polylepis): feeding biology and metal bioaccumulation in five populations. ( Online ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. )
- ↑ a b c d Labeobarbus polylepis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.1. Posted by: J. Engelbrecht, R. Bills, J. Cambray, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
