| Issue |
Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.
Number 424, 2023
Anthropogenic impact on freshwater habitats, communities and ecosystem functioning
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 3 | |
| Number of page(s) | 10 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2022026 | |
| Published online | 07 February 2023 | |
Research Paper
The past and current distribution of native and non-native fish in the Kowie River catchment, Makhanda, Eastern Cape
1
Savanna Node, Scientific Services, Private Bag x 402, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
2
Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
3
DSI/NRF Research Chair inland Fisheries and Freshwater Ecology, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag 1015, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
4
Centre for Invasion Biology, SAIAB, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
5
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag 1015, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
6
School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
7
Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
8
Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
* Corresponding author: Dumisani.khosa@sanparks.org
Received:
12
February
2022
Accepted:
6
December
2022
Freshwater ecosystems show substantial loss of biodiversity as a result of anthropogenic induced stressors. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of freshwater fishes in the Kowie River catchment using historic fish distribution records supplemented by field survey data. Fishes were collected using a multi-method approach: seine nets, fyke nets and gill nets. Historic fish distribution data showed that 22 freshwater fishes from 11 families historically occurred, while in this study, we recorded a total of 16 freshwater fish species from 9 families. Overall, a decrease in the number of native species was recorded with a total of five species absent and two new non-native species recorded during the current survey. Coptodon rendalli constituted a new record in the Kowie River catchment while Clarias gariepinus was recorded for the first time in the mainstem of the Kowie River. The presence of these two non-native species in the Kowie River catchment may have implications for the conservation and management of the freshwater diversity in the catchment.
Key words: Distribution patterns / non-native fishes / Redbreast Tilapia / Sharptooth Catfish / freshwater
© D. Khosa et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY-ND (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
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