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The non-Haplochromis fish fauna in Uganda: an update on the distribution and a review of data gaps

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Abstract

Freshwater fishes are the second most threatened group of vertebrates after amphibians. In most developing countries, the conservation of freshwater fishes is largely hampered by limited information and data. The Red List assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provide a benchmark for monitoring and mitigating species extinction risk, but these assessments require, inter alia, quantitative information on the species range in the wild. This information is largely missing for many species that face extinction threats. Here, we combine species occurrence data, expert knowledge, and literature to (i) review and update the distribution of non-Haplochromis fish species native to Uganda and (ii) determine the national geographical range of these fish species relative to their global range. For the latter, we use the IUCN’s standard protocol for mapping distribution of freshwater species from which we derive both the national and global extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). We show that at least 110 non-Haplochromis species occur in Uganda, with the majority species having a wide distribution outside the national boundaries. However, substantial gaps exist in data on presence of the species in their native range, where more than 60% of the species are designated as “possibly extant.” We elaborate on fish species previously believed to occur in Uganda, e.g., Amphilius kivuensis Pellegrin, 1933; Bagrus degeni Boulenger, 1906; Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters, 1852); Petrocephalus catostoma (Günther, 1866); and Lacustricola pumilus (Boulenger, 1906), but where recent studies suggest they lack a native distribution within the country. In addition, we highlight fishes with occurrence records that site them in areas beyond their previously known range, requiring further investigations to ascertain their present status. This work has potential to (i) trigger evidence-driven policies aimed at site-based conservation and rethinking of extent of protected areas, (ii) stimulate data collection, especially in areas where fishes are designated as “possibly extant” and “presence uncertain,” and (iii) aid the IUCN Red List assessments, for which conservation status of the majority non-Haplochromis species is outdated and many others remain unevaluated due to lack of quantitative information on their range.

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Availability of data and materials

All data used here are freely available at GBIF.org https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.48xwy3 and Freshwater Biodiversity Data for Uganda: https://freshwaterbiodiversity.go.ug/. A cleaned dataset is available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Catherine Sayer and Caroline Pollock of the IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit for their extensive assistance with the use of the Freshwater Mapping Application (FWMA) tool. This work was done with funding from the JRS Biodiversity Foundation as part of the M.Sc. scholarship to the first author. We also thank the GBIF for additional funding for data mobilization projects at NaFIRRI.

Funding

This project was funded by JRS Biodiversity Foundation through a grant to the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI): Grant Number OPP201806.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Dorothy Akoth, Jackson Efitre & Fredrick Jones Muyodi

  2. Busitema University Maritime Institute, Namasagali Campus, Kamuli, Uganda

    Vianny Natugonza

  3. National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), Jinja, Uganda

    Laban Musinguzi

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  1. Dorothy Akoth
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  2. Vianny Natugonza
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Contributions

Dorothy Akoth: data mobilization, investigation, formal analysis (maps and distribution modeling), writing original draft. Vianny Natugonza: conceptualization, funding acquisition, study design and methodology, data validation, project administration, writing original draft and review. Jackson Efitre and Fredrick Johns Muyodi: project supervision, writing original draft and review. Laban Musinguzi: conceptualization, funding acquisition, study design and methodology, formal analysis (maps and distribution modeling), supervision.

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Correspondence to Vianny Natugonza.

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Akoth, D., Natugonza, V., Efitre, J. et al. The non-Haplochromis fish fauna in Uganda: an update on the distribution and a review of data gaps. Environ Monit Assess 195, 412 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11014-1

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