Description
The fishes of Lake Tanganyika documented between April 2022 - May 2022 in South Kivu Province, DRC.
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 132 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Mushagalusa D, Moore F, Lehman A (2022): Fisheries of Lake Tanganyika. v1.0. Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic. Dataset/Occurrence. https://cloud.gbif.org/africa/resource?r=fishesoftanganyika&v=1.0
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: edbaf6ba-fce1-4d37-a526-67cd1a0bcc1e. Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Participant Node Managers Committee.
Keywords
Occurrence; Lake Tanganyika; DRC
Contacts
- Metadata Provider
- Project Manager
- Consultant
Geographic Coverage
Northern Lake Tanganyika within the boundaries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [-5.085, 29.026], North East [-3.892, 29.432] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
All fish were identified to genus or species.
| Genus | Callochromis, Mastacembelus, Petrochromis, Simochromis, Trematocara, Xenotilapia |
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| Species | Auchenoglanis occidentalis, Bagrus docmak, Bathybates elongatus, Bathybates fasciatus, Bathybates graueri, Bathybates minor, Benthochromis tricoti, Boulengerochromis microlepis, Callochromis melanostigma, Cardiopharynx shoutedeni, Chrysichthys graueri, Chrysichthys sianenna, Ctenochromis horei, Cyathopharynx furcifer, Cyphotilapia frontosa, Cyprichromis microlepidotus, Gnathochromis pfefferi, Grammatotria lemairii, Haplochromis burtoni, Hemibates stenosoma, Lamprichthys tanganicanus, Lamprologus callipterus, Lates microlepis, Lates stappersii, Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus, Lepidiolamprologus cunningtoni, Lepidiolamprologus elongatus, Lepidiolamprologus marlieri, Limnochromis auritus, Limnothrissa miodon, Limnotilapia dardennii, Lobochilotes labiatus, Malapterurus electricus, Mastacembelus plagiostomus, Neolamprologus brichardi, Oreochromis leucostictus, Oreochromis tanganicae, Perissodus microlepis, Simochromis diagramma, Stolothrissa tanganicae, Telmatochromis dhonti, Trematocara variabile, Tylochromis polylepis, Xenotilapia sima |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2022-03-23 / 2022-05-10 |
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Project Data
Key biodiversity sampling of fish populations around the Ubwari peninsula on the western shores of Lake Tanganyika.
| Title | Critical Biodiversity Surveys in the Lake Tanganyika & Ruzizi River Basins |
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| Identifier | LTFHC-2022 |
| Funding | JRS Biodiversity Foundation - P.O. Box 4541, Arlington VA 22204 Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation - 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 USA |
| Study Area Description | Northern Lake Tanganyika, with the boundaries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Areas included sites off the Ubwari peninsula and to the South of the Ubwari Peninsula. |
| Design Description | Fish sampling was carried out from local commercial caches by fishermen using various fishing gears and techniques (e.g., gillnet, seine, liftnet and handlines) when landing in eight nearshore villages visited at the study area and analysed at the laboratory of Biology at the Centre for Research on Hydrobiology (DR Congo). |
The personnel involved in the project:
- Principal Investigator
Sampling Methods
Collections of fish samples were performed once or twice per site from March to May 2022 using complementary methods in each selected station. Individuals fish species were collected in different habitats within the selected sites from local commercial catches of fishermen using their different fishing gears: gillnets of different mesh sizes and widths, beach seines and liftnets with mixed mesh sizes, gillnets with various techniques (i.e., monofilament, dormant, encircling and deep gillnets, …) and illegal mosquito nets of smaller mesh-sizes (02-03 mm). These various gears were surveyed in each sampling day and site according to the fishing habitat (lake substratum) and lake site (inshore vs. offshore). We recorded the features of each net directly at the sampling site such as the length, width (near 1.00 m) and mesh-size (near 1.00 mm) using a measuring tape or decametre. We noted the fishing depth, the duration as well as the effort (e.g., number of nets per active fishing unit, number of fisherman and net hauls) for each gear. The presence of each gear at a site allowed assessing the rate of fishing activity and fish distribution within the sampling habitats. The type of fishery and net, the numbers of fishermen involved per trip and per fishing unit were recorded and are discussed in relation to the type of gear used. After each fishing trial, fresh weight (in kg) of each sample was measured per fishing gear and number (net hauls per trip) recorded whenever possible. For each type of fishing, fish samples with a selection of species were usually bought from fishermen, and preliminary sorted at sampling sites (as fishermen did not deliver their entire fish capture) by species and after being weighed. The fish samples (handful) were collected and killed and preserved into ethanol (75%) and then fixed in formaldehyde (10%) to slow decomposition of organs. All fish species captured were identified, weighed and counted following the fishing habitat and effort. The samples were separated into smaller bags by type of fishing-gear, site and other parameters of the fishing-effort and environment and kept in 10% formaldehyde for subsequent analysis in the laboratory.
| Study Extent | The field area was located at the northwestern part of Lake Tanganyika along the Congolese shores in Ubwari area (from Nguma to Mizimu point) and Baraka City (Mwandiga and Mwemezi sites) in the territory of Fizi (4°18′4″S, 28°56′39″E). Due to logistic constraints and field accessibility (human activities disruption or not, fishing effort) and safety, the sampling and survey sites consisted of at least 8 main villages established along the coastline in these areas including 2 in Baraka (Mwemezi and Mwandiga) and 6 in Ubwari (Nguma, Kazimia, Buma, Kihimino, Mwayenga, and Dine/Mizimu). This region has a tropical humid climate characterized by an alternation of wet and dry seasons and is currently subject to physical factors at different scales. All those beach fishing sites were easily accessible from each one by boat and have fishing activities as main occupation. Whenever necessary, each main site was split up into different small sub-sites according to the type of littoral habitat of the lake, i.e., sandy, rocky, mixed, and the type of fishing practices. The critical habitat of a fish species is defined as a geographic or physical area essential to the realization of the life cycle (Lévêque 1995). However, the knowledge of local communities and advices of experienced local fishermen were considered during the fish sampling in each site. At the field of investigation, some localities of high human influences are undergoing alterations (water pollution and sedimentation, fishing with unsuitable fishing gears and techniques and deforestation) with some fish species exposed to human pressures or extinction in the future. |
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| Quality Control | Quality control was implemented through the steps and process outlined for all staff at the Center for Research on Hydrobiology. In addition, there was internal quality control measures that were put in place such as routine monitoring and evaluation of project progress. |
Method step description:
- At the laboratory of Biology at the Centre de Recherche en Hydrobiologie (CRH, Uvira, DR Congo) each sample was re-sorted into species by fishing gear and habitat or fishing effort and each species identified following available books and/or keys (Fryer and Iles 1972; Axelrod et al 1977; Poll 1956, 1986; Brichard 1978, 1989; Eccles 1992; Konings 2015; Fermon et al 2007) Then, specimens were sorted by species, counted and the total, standard lengths (TL and SL) and the body height (BH) were measured (nearest 0.1 mm). These measurements and measuring techniques of fish were executed according to Barel et al. (1977), Eccles (1992), Snoeks (1994), Snoeks et al (1994), Snoeks et al (1997), Snoeks (2000) and Hanssens and Snoeks (2003). Sex was determined by exanimating the genital papillae and other external body feature such as coloration patterns (Snoeks 2000). For details in the sex, fish were dissected to determine the maturity stages of gonads following De Kimpe (1964), Micha (1973), Plisnier (1990). Each fish was then weighed (using various scales following species and individual sizes), the viscera and the gonads removed, and weighed (nearest 0.001g) and the body re-weighed to calculate the gonado-somatic index (GSI).
Bibliographic Citations
- Lévêque C. 1995. L'habitat : être au bon endroit au bon moment? Bull. Fr. Pêche Pisci. 337/338/339: 9-20
- Fryer, G. and Iles, T. D., 1972. The Cichlid fishes of the Great Lakes of Africa. Their Biology and Evolution. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburg. T. F. H. Publications. 641p.
- Axelrod, H. R. and Burgess, W. E., 1977. African Cichlids of Lake Malawi and Tanganyika. T. F. H. Publications, New Jersey, Sixth edition.
- Poll M., 1956. Poisson cichlidae. Result. Scient. Explor. Hydrobiol. Lac Tanganika (1946-1947), 3, Fasc. 5b, 1-619
- Poll, M., 1986. Classification des Cichlidae du Lac Tanganyika, Tribus, Genres et espèces. Mém. Cl. Sci., Acad. r. de Belgique, 8◦ (2) 45(2), 1–163.
- Brichard, P., 1978. Fishes of Lake Tanganyika. T. F. H. Publication, Inc. 442p.
- Brichard, P., 1989. Pierre Brichard’s book of cichlids and all the other fishes of Lake Tanganyika. T. F. H. Publications Inc., Nepture City, N. J., USA.
- Eccles, D. H., 1992. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Tanzania. The United Nations Development Programme, Project URT/87/016, Rome, FAO. 1992. p. 145.
- Konings A (2015) Tanganyika cichlids in their natural habitat. 3rd Edition, Cichlid Press, El Paso.
- Fermon, Y., 2007. Etude de l’état des lieux de la partie nord du lac Tanganyika dans le cadre du Programme Pêche d’Action Contre la Faim en R. D. Congo. Action Against Hunger-USA.
- Snoeks, J., 1994. The haplochromine fishes (Teleostei, Cichlidae) of Lake Kivu, East Africa: a taxonomic revision with notes on their ecology. Annales du Musee Royal de l’Afrique Centrale (Sciences Zoologiques) 270, 1–221.
- Snoeks J, L. De Vos and D. T. van den Audenaerde, 1997. The ichthyogeography of Lake Kivu. South Africa J. Science, vol. 93
- Snoeks, J., 2000. How well known is the ichthyodiversity of the large East African lakes? Advances in Ecological Research, 31, 17–38.
- Plisnier P.D., 1990. Ecologie comparée et exploitation rationnelle de 2 population d’Happlochromis spp (Teléostei, Cichlidae) des lacs Ihema et Muhazi (Rwanda). Thèse de doctorat, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, 300pp.
Additional Metadata
| Purpose | The purpose of creating this data set is to allow open-access to vital conservation data. |
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| Maintenance Description | Data will be maintained as needed or requested. |
| Alternative Identifiers | https://cloud.gbif.org/africa/resource?r=fishesoftanganyika |