Check List 10(4): 900–912, 2014 © 2014 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution PECIES S Kouilou, Noumbi and smaller coastal basin systems, OF RepublicA collection of theof fishes Congo, from Lower tributaries Guinea, ofwest-central the lower Africa ISTS L Gina Walsh 1*, Michiel N. Jonker 1 and Victor Mamonekene 2 1 Ecotone Freshwater Consultants, P.O Box 84, Florida, Johannesburg, 1709, Gauteng, South Africa. 2 Ecole Nationale Suprieure d’Agronomie et de Foresterie, Université Marien Ngouabi, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: Noumbi River, and a series of independent coastal catchments near Madingo-Kayes in the Kouilou Province of the Republic A list of fishes is reported from right bank tributaries of the lower Kouilou River, left bank tributaries of the species distributed in 29 families were collected, three of which represent putatively undescribed species. The most diverse familiesof Congo. in Thirty-two the study sitesregion were were sampled the Cichlidae in a variety and ofthe aquatic Mormyridae. habitats This in the paper wet andprovides dry seasons a comparison of 2012. and Fifty-five update fish to earlier species lists reported for the general area and offers a baseline that may be used as a point of departure for future ichthyological assessments. DOI: 10.15560/10.4.900 Introduction to document the fauna of the lower Kouilou catchment The study region (Figure 1) is located northwest of and 103 species, of which 68 were considered as primary Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo and forms part of freshwater species, were reported. Here we report data for the Ogooue-Nyanga-Kouilou-Niari Freshwater ecoregion sites from a variety of habitat types that include collections in the Lower Guinean ichthyofaunal province (FEOW 2012; made in tributaries of the Kouilou, Noumbi and various Stiassny et al. 2007). More locally, the survey encompasses independent coastal basins as a temporal comparison to an area draining southeast to the Kouilou River, northwest previous collections in the area. to the Noumbi River and southwest into a series of smaller independent coastal basins. Materials and Methods Sites and habitat types The list of species reported in this paper is based on secondRivers in inApril, the regionwith little experience or no rain a bimodal falling between flood regime, June collections made in 2012 during wet (May) and dry (July/ andwhere August. the first The flood largest period river occurs draining in November the region and is the August) season surveys. Sampling sites were distributed Kouilou which becomes a low gradient system below over a variety of lentic and lotic habitat types, namely: Sounda Gorge, meandering through dense forest before forest streams (sites 1–11), coastal savannah streams emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The aquatic ecosystems (sites 12–14), rivers (sites 15–16), swamp forests (sites 17 of this ecoregion are considered to be notably rich in –18), savannah wetlands (sites 19–20), lakes (sites 21–30), freshwater species that show high levels of endemicity and estuaries (site 31) and mangroves (site 32) (Figure 1 and considerable habitat heterogeneity, encompassing a wide Table 1). Photographs, written descriptions and geospatial range of lentic and lotic habitats (Brooks et al. 2011). data were collected for each site. For the purpose of this Many systems in the ecoregion remain to be sampled, study, ichthyological survey results are presented per and this is particularly the case for the small coastal basins aquatic habitat type (Table 2) where general habitat types (Daget and Stauch 1968; Teugels et al. 1991; Mamonekene are divided based on the characteristics below (Figure 2). and Teugels 1993; FEOW 2012). Additionally, very little A comparison of the current data per basin, to data from information is available on the life history, distribution the following sources is provided in Table 3: Daget and and ecology of freshwater species in this entire region Stauch (1968), Teugels et al. (1991) and Stiassny et al. (Mamonekene and Stiassny, 2012). Whilst ichthyological (2007). information for the Republic of Congo is generally Forest streams refer to streams in the central and fragmented and sparse, collections in the lower Kouilou northern section of the study area which do not exhibit River were made in the early 1960’s (Daget 1961) and a clear distinction between riparian vegetation and were later reported by Daget and Stauch (1968). That surrounding forest vegetation (Figure 2A). Forest streams study reported 61 species from Sounda Gorge to the are generally characterised by steep gradients and partially Kouilou estuary some 75 km downstream (Figure 1). A open to closed canopies. The streams are shallow (< 1 m), more recent study was undertaken by Teugels et al. (1991) relatively narrow (1–10 m) with substrates dominated 900 Walsh et al. | Fishes from Lower Guinea ichthyofaunal province, Congo. by woody debris, sand, aquatic and marginal vegetation. The fringing forest consists of the dominant tree species They have an open canopy and are dominated by grasses, Dacryodes pubescens, Daniella soyauxii, Irvingia grandifolia sedgesby slow andflowing, forbs. shallow Savannah waters wetlands without cover woody a vegetation.large area and Caesalpiniaceae sp. Coastal savannah streams occur in the southern section active channels (1–5 m). of the study area in the savannah region and drain coastal withLakes disperse are standingflows (> 100water m), bodies but have located relatively throughout narrow catchments (Figure 2B). These streams have a distinct the landscape with a large variability in the surrounding channel and riparian fringe, moderate depth (< 2 m) and vegetation (e.g., Figure 2F). They are relatively deep (3–8 width (1–10 m), and a reduced gradient. Coastal savannah m) and have a water surface width of 100 m or more with streams have partially open to open canopies and are clear waters and open canopies. Estuaries (Figure 2G) and mostly sandy with marginal vegetation as dominant cover. mangrove (Figure 2H) sites were situated in the sublittoral The sites were fringed by a forest-wetland-grassland zone. The latter contained saline woodland elements in mosaic. their adjacent aquatic zones. Rivers are major drainages consisting of an open Sampling and Collection zone (Figure 2C). They are deep (> 2 m) and wide (> 10 m)canopy, with a moderatedefined channelwater velocity. and an Sampled undefined river riparian sites in habitat type and accessibility. Several sampling techniques wereFish employed, sampling including efforts were cast netssite specific(Figure 3A),and basedfyke nets on suchthis study as Kigelia consisted africana, of affluents Entada mannii, of the Kouilou Mucuna River flagellipes with andseasonally Raphia floodedhookeri. riparianIncreased forest inundation characterised during thespecies wet (Figure 3F),3B), hook monofilament and line (Figure gill nests 3G) and(Figure observation 3C), seine of nets (Figure 3D), electrofishing (FigureFishes were3E), collecteddip nets species such as the stilt rooted Xylopia rubescens, Aman trobilaceaseason creates and Ctenolophonflooded forests englerianus in the region. comprised of (AFS/AIFRB/ASIHlocal fishermen’s catch 2003). (Figure Taxonomic 3H). nomenclature follows Swamp forests are low energy systems where the Eschmeyeraccording to (2010). the guidelines Some speciesfor the use were of fishesobserved in research in the water table is near to or at the surface (Figure 2D). They field but not collected, and were only reported if a strong Swampare characterised forests have by undefineda low gradient channels, with closed water canopies surface Departmentpositive identification of the American could be Museum made ofof theNatural specimen History in widthand slow ranging flowing from water 1–10 running m and througha macro-channel dense vegetation. width of (AMNH)the field. inAll Newvouchers York, were USA. deposited Data are inaccessible the Ichthyology online > 100 m. Leaf litter and debris are the dominant substrate at the AMNH vertebrate zoology database http://sci- in these systems. Similar to swamp forests, savannah web-001.amnh.org/db/emuwebamnh/. Tissue samples wetlands are low energy systems where the water table is for DNA analysis were taken for vouchers. shallow (Figure 2E). Savannah wetlands are characterised collected and exported with permission of the Congolese All fishes were Figure 1. Location of study sites in the Kouilou, Noumbi and independent coastal basins, Lower Guinea ichthyofaunal province, Republic of the Congo. 901 Walsh et al. | Fishes from Lower Guinea ichthyofaunal province, Congo. Table 1. Site data showing habitat type and dominant cover type. S = Sand; C = Cobbles; LL = Leaf Litter; M = Mud; MV = Marginal Vegetation; AV = Aquatic Vegetation; PM = Peat Mats. SITES Y X HABITAT TYPE CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION COVER VEGETATION 1 -4.03363 11.69338 Forest Stream Noumbi Dongo River S, C, MV Forest 2 -4.04931 11.71534 Forest Stream Noumbi Tributary of Bondo River S, MV Degraded forest 3 -4.11511 11.68185 Forest Stream Noumbi Louvandji River S, MV Forest 4 -4.09574 11.66641 Forest Stream Noumbi Tributary Bondo River S, LL Forest 5 -4.12930 11.71724 Forest Stream Kouilou Headwaters of Bilondou River S, M, LL Degraded forest 6 -4.14549 11.71325 Forest Stream Kouilou Headwaters of Mbosso River M, LL Degraded forest 7 -4.18616 11.66600 Forest Stream