Original Research

Freshwater fishes of Bontebok National Park

I.A. Russell
Koedoe | Vol 44, No 2 | a176 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v44i2.176 | © 2001 I.A. Russell | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 30 June 2001 | Published: 01 July 2001

About the author(s)

I.A. Russell, South African National Parks, South Africa

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Abstract

Fish assemblages were sampled at six sites in the Breede River in the Bontebok National Park during 1999 and 2000. A total of 380 fish from 12 species was recorded. Indigenous fish collected included one freshwater species (Barbus andrewi), two catodromous species (Anguilla mossambica, Myxus capensis). and three estuarine species (Gilchris- tella aestuaria, Monodactylusfalciformis, Mugil cephalus). Four of the species recorded were aliens (Tinea tinea, Lepomis macrochirus, Micropterus salmoides, Micropterus dolomieu) and two species translocated from other South African rivers (Tilapia sparrmanii, Clarias gariepinus). A further two indigenous species (Sandelia capensis, Pseudobarbus biirchelli) could potentially occur within the park, though the high abundance of alien predators means that there is little chance for recolonisation from tributaries higher in the Breede River system. There is little opportunity to meaningfully conserve most indigenous freshwater fish in Bontebok National Park.

Keywords

freshwater fish, diversity, alien fishes, Bontebok National Park.

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Crossref Citations

1. Conservation status and distribution of freshwater fishes in South African national parks
I. A. Russell
African Zoology  vol: 46  issue: 1  first page: 117  year: 2011  
doi: 10.1080/15627020.2011.11407485