Labeobarbus kimberleyensis
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Labeobarbus kimberleyensis |
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| Labeobarbus kimberleyensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Gilchrist & Thompson , 1913) |
Labeobarbus kimberleyensis , in English called Largemouth Yellowfish or Vaal-Orange Largemouth Yellowfish , or in Afrikaans Grootbek-Geelvis , is a large species of barbel that is only found in South Africa.
description
The fish are up to 120 centimeters long and 22 kilograms in weight, which was documented by a specimen caught on a fishing rod from the Vaal reservoir . A commercially caught Largemouth Yellowfish even weighed 52 kilograms.
distribution and habitat
Labeobarbus kimberleyensis is endemic to the subtropical Oranje - Vaal river system and its tributaries such as the Riet River in Lesotho , Namibia and South Africa and is one of the largest indigenous fish species there between 24 ° and 30 ° latitude south longitude. In South Africa, the Largemouth Yellowfish is found in the provinces of Eastern Cape , Free State , Gauteng , Mpumalanga , Northwest and North Cape . Adult specimens prefer flowing stretches of water, pools over two meters deep behind rapids , but they also find a suitable habitat in the slow-flowing water of the reservoirs in front of weirs and dams such as the Sterkfontein dam. A rich aquatic vegetation, densely overgrown bank areas and surface-covering aquatic plants are of great importance for the survival of their species.
Way of life
The Largemouth Yellowfish is a top predator and is at the top of the food chain in its habitat . While the juvenile fish of Labeobarbus kimberleyensis still feed on crustaceans and aquatic insects, from a length of 30 centimeters they become predominantly piscivorous predatory fish. In summer, from December to January, they spawn in an oxygen-rich current on gravel beds. Large females can lay up to 60,000 fish eggs. Largemouth Yellowfish are slow-growing, only reach a length of 30 centimeters at the age of five, in exceptional cases they can live up to 12 years.
Systematics and genetics
Labeobarbus kimberleyensis belongs to the group of carp fish . For a long time L. kimberleyensis was grouped in the genus of the Barbus until they were later classified in the independent genus Labeobarbus . Labeobarbus kimberleyensis probably has a hexaploid set of chromosomes . It has a similar haplotype of the mitochondrial DNA as Labeobarbus aeneus , but differs morphologically. This is typical of species that have experienced divergence or hybrid introgression in their recent tribal history, or of morphs that have been incorrectly described as different species. The latter is unlikely in the case of these two species, since they do not only differ in size. The molecular genetic similarities between the two species have not yet been explored.
use
Labeobarbus kimberleyensis is an edible fish, fillets of Largemouth Yellowfish are partly exported from South Africa for the North American market. Overfishing can bring local stocks to the verge of extinction and it is also believed that the Largemouth Yellowfish, as a top predator, accumulates larger amounts of pollutants in its meat. Compared to other South African freshwater fish species, the population of Labeobarbus kimberleyensis , especially in the lower reaches of the Orange River, is not currently considered to be threatened. Due to the increasing degradation and pollution caused by wastewater discharge in their habitats, this situation could change in the future. Since the Largemouth Yellowfish takes on the role of the top predator in its ecosystem , it is believed that its population is not very rich in individuals. As a sport fish, the Largemouth Yellowfish is popular with anglers, with catch and release being practiced to a large extent in South Africa . In the Augrabie and Richtersveld national parks , fishermen have stock-conserving regulations when catching these fish.
Web links
- Labeobarbus kimberleyensis on Fishbase.org (English)
- Pictures of caught Largemouth Yellowfishes [1]
Individual evidence
- ^ Fishing World Records
- ↑ http://www.namibian.org/travel/freshwater-fish/largemouth-yellowfish.html
- ↑ a b c d e Labeobarbus kimberleyensis on Fishbase.org (English)
- ↑ D. Impson & EF Swartz: Labeobarbus kimberleyensis , IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2007 at https://apiv3.iucnredlist.org/api/v3/taxonredirect/63292
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from February 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
