IAR Journal of Agriculture Research and Life Sciences ISSN Print : 2708-5090 | ISSN Online : 2708-5104 Frequency : Monthly Language : English Origin : Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/iarjals Research Article

Freshwater from around Kosti White ,

Article History Abstract: A list of the freshwater fishes from around Kosti, Sudan is presented based on intermittent collection from 2002 to 2019. It Received: 11.09. 2020 included 64 species, falling into 37 genera and 20 families. Alestediae, Accepted: 05. 10 .2020 Clariidae, , and Characidae, were represented by Revision: 08. 10. 2020 Published: 15. 10. 2020 10, 7, 6, 6 and 5 species, respectively. Almost 40 species were found throughout the study period. The habitat and the biota of the study area Author Details were briefly outlined. Species records from the study area were compared Zuheir N. Mahmoud1, Mohamed M. and its richness in species was discussed. The study concluded that there Hamid1, El Sadig A. Hagar2 and is a need to update locality records through long-term systematic surveys 3 Mohammed A. Abd-Alla using traditional gears, dip nets and electro-fishing methods in the Nile Authors Affiliations and its tributaries. 1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Keywords: Fish, Species, Kosti, White Nile, Sudan. University of Khartoum, Sudan INTRODUCTION 2Department of Fisheries, College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Bahri Diversity of the freshwater fishes of Sudan is related to University, Sudan diversification of the aquatic habitats which ranges from slow to fast flowing, and from muddy, sandy to rocky banks with varying densities of 3Fisheries Research Centre, Kosti, Sudan hydrophytes. In some instances this diversity is due to deliberate Corresponding Author* introduction of exogenous species such as Oreochromis macrochir Zuheir N. Mahmoud (Family: Cichlidae); Ctenopharyngodon idella (Family: Cyprinidae); How to Cite the Article: Oncorhychnus mykiss (Family: Salmonidae) into parts of the Nile system Zuheir N. Mahmoud, Mohamed M. Hamid, or introduction of Gambusia affins (Family: Poeciliidae) and Cyprinus El Sadig A. Hagar and Mohammed A. Abd- carpio (Family: Cyprinidae) in the canalization system (Mahmoud et al., Alla (2020); Freshwater Fishes from around 2019). Identification guides for freshwater fishes of Sudan were made by Kosti White Nile, Sudan. IAR J Agri Res Life Sandon, 1950; Abu Gideiri, 1984; Bailey, 1994. Neumann et al. (2016) Sci, 1(5) 143-147. published an annotated checklist for fishes of the Nile in Sudan and Copyright @ 2020: This is an open-access article . They gave a scholarly detailed account on species distribution in distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license which permits the Nile and its tributaries. They rigorously discussed and summarised the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction conservation status of fish species with respect to regionally extirpated or in any medium for non commercial use threatened at type locality, deficient and/or not evaluated data. Specific (NonCommercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the studies on their distribution on the White Nile from the vicinity of Jebel original author and source are credited. Aulia Dam were due to Adam (1986), Hamza (1981) and Abdel-Rahman (2003); at Jelhack area by Mosa et al. (2009) and Moritz et al. (2019) from Aba Island (13° 15’N) through Kosti to Makhaleif (12° 5’N).

The objective of this work was to document freshwater fish species collected during eight field trips from 2002 to 2019 from Kosti area, White Nile.

MATERIAL AND METHODS The study area According to Neumann et al. (2016) the White Nile at the study area (Kosti) is slowly flowing, and is 1.5-2km wide with hard substrates on the riverbed and rocky outcrops north of Kosti. The area is relatively rich in hydrophytes such as Water lily (lotus), papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) with aggregations of the invasive common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The water hyacinth was incriminated for changing the composition of the fish fauna. Their sporadic dense stands make it difficult for fishers to sail their canoes from or to the landing sites (Figs. 1 and 2). Some fishers claimed that it wraps around propellers and poles, provides a hiding place for snakes and crocodiles. Nile oyster were abundant, turtles (Trionyx triunguis) and small Nile monitors (Varanus niloticus) were rarely seen in the catch but their remains were seen in fish camps on Aba Island

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Fig. 1. Fish canoes.

Fig, 2. Fish landing site note hydrophytes Fish collection Fish specimens were collected from commercial fishers operating around Kosti to supply the major fish landing sites and the fish market at Kosti. Experimental fishing was infrequently made around Kosti (along the main White Nile course and southern extremities of Abba Island) using gill nets, cast nets and fish cages to supplement the data. Identification of collected specimens was based on Abu Gideiri (1984) and Bailey (1994). Nomenclature followed those accepted as valid names by Froese and Pauly (2019).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The freshwater fish species identified from collection made around Kosti during eight field studies over 15 years were given in Table 1. Table 1. Freshwater fishes from around Kosti. Scientific name April Jan. March Jan. Nov. Dec. Dec May 2002 2007 2008 2010 2014 2017 2018 2019 Family: Protopteridae Protopterus aethiopicus *# + + + + + + + + Protopterus annectens *# + + + + + + + + Family: Polypteridae Polypterus bichir *# + + + + + + - + Polypterus senegalus* + + - - + + + - Family: Arapaimidae Heterotis niloticus + + + + + + + + Family: Gymnarchidae Gymnarchus niloticus # + + + + + + + + Family: Mormyridae Hyperpisus bebe + + + + + + + + 144

Zuheir N. Mahmoud et al., IAR J Agri Res Life Sci; Vol-1, Iss-5 (Oct -2020):143-147

Moromyrops anguilloides + + + + + + + + caschive + + + + + + + + Mormyrus kannume * + + + + + + + + Mormyrus hasselquistii ------+ - Mormyrus niloticus ------+ - Pterocephalus bane *# + + + + + + + + Marcusenius cyprinoides ------+ - Brevimyrus niger ------+ - Pollimyrus isidori ------+ - Family: Cyprinidae Labeobarbusbynni # + + + + + + + + Labeo coubie * + + + + + + - + Labeo horie + + + + + + + + Labeo niloticus + + + + + + + + Family: Distichodonidae Distichodus niloticus * + - + - - + + + Distichodus rostratus # + + + - - - - - Ichthyborus besse - - - - + + + + Family: Citharinidae Citharinus citharinus # + - + - - + + + Citharinuslatus*# - - - - - + + - Family: Alestiidae baremoze + + + + + + + + Alestes dentex # + + + + + + + + Brycinus macrolepidotus *# - - - + + + + + Brycinus nurse + + + + + + + + Hydrocynus forskalii + + + + + + + + Hydrocynus vittatus * - - - + + + + + Hydrocynus brevis + + + + + + + + Family: Bagridae Bagrus bajad + + + + + + + + Bagrus docmak # + + + + + + + + Family: Clarotidae Auchenoglanis biscutatus * + + + + + + + + Auchenoglanis occidentalis + + + + + + + + Chrysichthys auratus # + + + + + + + + Clarotes laticeps # - - - + - - + + Family: Schilbeidae Schilbe intermedius # + + + + + + + + Schilbe mystus + + + + + + - + Schilbe uranoscopus + + + + + + + + Family: Clariidae Clarias anguillaris # + + + + + + - - Clariasgariepinus + + + + + + + + Clarias engelseni - - - - - + - + Clarias werneri * - - - - - + - + Heterobranchus longifilis *# - + - - - - - + Heterobranchus bidorsalis *# + + + + + - + + Family: Mochokidae batensoda*# + + + - - - + - Synodontis nigrita + + + + + + - + Synodontis serratus + + + + + + + + Synodontis schall + + + + + + + + Synodontis sorex*# + - + + + - - - Mochus niloticus*# + - - + + - + - Family: Malapteruridae Malapterurus electricus # + + - - + + + + Family: Latidae Lates niloticus + + + + + + + + Family: Anabantidae

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Ctenopoma muriei # + + + + - - - + Ctenopoma petherici # - + + - - - - - Family: Channidae Parachanna obscura # + + + + + + - + Family: Cichlidae Oreochromis niloticus + + + + + + + + Oreochromis aureus * ------+ + Sarotherodon galilaeus + + + + + + + + Coptodon zilli + + + + + + + + Hemichromis fasciatus - - - - - + + + Family: Tetraodontidae Tetraodon lineatus # + + + + + + + + *not encountered by Neumann et al. (2016). #not encountered by Khalid and Elawad (2018).

The table showed the presence of 64 species, distichodontid Paradistichodus dimidiatus (Pellegrin falling into 37 genera and 20 families. Thirty five fish 1904) was reported from Kosti by Blažek et al. (2016). species belonging to 16 families were collected Its presence in the same area together with the cyprinid throughout the study. Four species showed 88% Enteromius macrops (Boulenger 1911) were reported as occurrence, while five Mormyrids species were only first record for the Main Nile Basin by Moritz et al. encountered during December 2018. Neumann et al. (2019). Moritz et al. (2019) during a survey from Aba (2016) recorded from the White Nile at Kosti 57 Island to Makhaleif added and confirmed11 species to species, 36 genera and 20 families. Khalid and Elawad the White Nile. These were Petrocephalus keatingii, (2018) in their unpublished technical report on fish Pollimyrus petherici, Neolebias unifasciatus, species of Musran Island recorded 38 species belonging Enteromius werneri, E. stigmatopygus, E. perince, to 27 genera and 14 families. Cyphomyrus petherici, Mochokus brevis and Clarias engelseni. They also mentioned an apparently According to Abu Gediri (1984) M. undescribed Haplochromis sp. and Sarotherodon sp. anguilloides, H. bidorsalis and S. batensoda occurs in Out of these, only B. niger and C. engelseni were the White Nile in the vicinity of Khartoum; C. encountered during this study. Combining the findings citharinus and C. latus inhibits the main Nile and Baher of the present study (64 species), with those of el Gabel and H. longifilis occurs in the main Nile north Neumann et al. (2016) not reported in this study (13 of Khartoum. The occurrence of all these species in species) and those of Moritzet al. (2019) not reported in Kosti area was confirmed during this study indicating. this study (11 species) yielded 88 fish species in Kosti One family Protopteridae and 20 species encountered in area which constituted 91% of the 97 fish species this study were not reported by Neumann et al. (2016). recorded from the whole stretch of the White Nile by On the other hand, families Nothobranchiidae and Abu Gideiri (1984) and Bailey (1994). The richness of Eleotridae, and 13 species recorded by Neumann et al. Kosti area in fish species is probably due to (2016) were not encountered during this study. These diversification of its habitat. were Polypterus endlicherii, Chelaethiops bibie, Leptocypris niloticus, Distichodus nefasch, Micrelestes CONCLUSIONS elongates, Siluranodon auritus, Synodontis cuadovittatus, Synodontis frontosus, Synodontis It follows from the above that there is a need to khartoumensis, Epiplatys bifasciatus, Epip latys update the locality records through long-term spilargyreius, Kribia nana and Hemichromis systematic surveys using traditional gears, dip nets and letourneuxi. The fish species which are in common with electro-fishing methods. Comparison of the fish species Neumann et al. (2016) were 41(Table 1). Mouso et al. in Sudan with those found in freshwater masses in (2009) reported from Jelhak (400 Km south of Kosti) adjacent countries, to work out their phylogenic 56 species, 35 genera and 20 families. Moromyrops relationships is also an area of research that should be cyprnoides. Synodontis filamentosus, Synodontis given due attention. frontosus, Synodontis eupterus, Synodontis vittatus and Synodontis khartoumensis recorded by Khalid and Ethical Issues Elawad (2018) were not found during this study. The Ethical issues pertaining to approval and 25 fish species not reported by Khalid and Elawad consent to participate, human and rights, consent (2018) were marked as [#] in Table 1. for publication, availability of data and materials are Not Applicable. The authors declared no conflict of The combined White Nile fish species interest financial or otherwise. recorded by Abu Gideiri (1984) and Bailey (1994) fall into 97 species, 45 genera and 23 families. Labeo Funding latebra was reported as a new species to science from The Ministry of Higher Education and Kosti, Sudan by Moritz and Neumann (2017). The Scientific Research partially funded this work.

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