Family / Scientific name - Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania

REMP Technical Report 44: Biodiversity Summary
7 Fish
Table 3 and Table 4 below list fish species known from Rufiji District. It must be noted that limited
fish diversity research has been undetaken in Rufiji District, and research that has been carried out
focuses on species of economic importance rather than biodiversity.
7.1 Freshwater Fish
Table 3 below lists 46 species from at least 15 families from Rufiji freshwater habitats including
lakes. It should be noted that the species recorded by Cavalier require confirmation. The sources
used to compile Table 3 are as follows :
�� Cavalier, M., 2003. Fisheries assessment in the lower Rufiji River floodplain, Tanzania.
REMP-report. 93 pp.
�� Howell, K., Msuya, C. & Kihaule, P. 2000 A Preliminary Biodiversity (Fauna) Assessment of
The Rufiji Floodplain and Delta. REMP Technical Report 9.
�� Richmond, M. 2002. An Analysis of smallholder opportunities in fisheries, coastal and related
enterprises in the floodplain and delta areas of the Rufiji River, Tanzania. REMP Technical
Report 25.
Table 3: Freshwater Fish in Rufiji District
Classification Common Name Kiswahili
Name
PROTOPTERIDAE Lungfish
Protopterus aethiopicus African Lungfish Kamongo
MORMYRIDAE Elephant-snouts
Rufiji River
Eccles in Howell
2000
Mormyrus longirostris p
Cavalier
(unconfirmed
identification)
Mormyrus hasselquisti X
Petrocephalus steindachneri p
Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma X
CYPRINIDAE
Barbus macrolepis p X
Barbus radiatus p
Labeo ulangensis p
Labeo cylindricus X
Opsaridium loveridgei p
DISTICHODONTIDAE
Distichodus petersii Tungu,
Mbapale,
Tungwi
p
Distichodus rufigiensis p
Nannaethiops sp. p
CHARACIDAE African Tetras X
Alestes affinis
Alestes imberi p
Alestes jacksoni ?
Alestes stuhlmanni Kasa, Ngacha p
Hemigrammopetersius barnardi p X
Hydrocynus vittatus Tiger Fish p
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