Orange River mudfish

Orange River mudfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Genus:	Labeo
Species:	L. capensis
Binomial name
Labeo capensis (A. Smith, 1841)
Synonyms
Abrostomus capensis A. Smith, 1841 Labeo tenuirostris Steindachner, 1894

Orange River mudfish (Labeo capensis) is a species of fish in genus Labeo. It inhabits the Orange River system of southern Africa.

Size

L. capensis reaches a maximum length of 500 mm (20 in)[2] and the SA angling record is 3.83 kg (8 lb 7 oz).[3]

Biology and ecology

L. capensis from the Fish River in Namibia

Occurs in a variety of habitats: quiet well vegetated backwaters, standing open waters, flowing open waters, sandy-rocky stretches and rocky rapids. Their preferred habitat is flowing rocky channels. Bottom feeder which grazes algae and organic detritus.[3]

Breeds in summer, gathering in large numbers in shallow rocky rapids where eggs are laid. Larvae hatch after 3 or 4 days. May live up to 8 or 9 years.[2]

Range

Africa: within the drainage basin of the Orange-Vaal River system to which it is possibly restricted.[2] Introduced to the Fish River system in Eastern Cape, and the Crocodile River (West).[4]

Uses

Occasional angling species, also used in physiological and ecological research and is a potential commercial species.[3]

References

1. Barkhuizen, L.M; Swartz, E.R. & Impson, D. (2017). "Labeo capensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T63280A100161272. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T63280A100161272.en. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Labeo capensis". FishBase.
3. Skelton, Paul H (1993). A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Southern book publishers. pp. 178–179. ISBN 1-86812-493-2.
4. JH Erasmus; W Malherbe; R Gerber; OLF Weyl; B Sures; V Wepener & NJ Smit (14 Jan 2019). "First record of Labeo capensis (Smith, 1841) in the Crocodile River (West) system: another successful non-native freshwater fish introduction in South Africa". African Journal of Aquatic Science. 44 (2): 177–181. Bibcode:2019AfJAS..44..177E. doi:10.2989/16085914.2019.1616529.

• Orange River mudfish on FishBase