Cape whitefish (Barbus andrewi)

Scientific name: Barbus andrewi Barnard, 1937

The Cape whitefish (Barbus andrewi) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. Native range: Africa, Berg and Bre? systems, south-western Cape Province, South Africa.

Biology

Prefers deep, rocky pools of larger tributaries and mainstreams and does well in dams such as Vo?lvlei and Brandvlei. Feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and algae. Breeds in summer, congregating at the head of large, stony pools or at the base of rapids. Eggs are laid in gravel in flowing water and hatch after about 5 days. Has been artificially bred and restocked by conservation authorities.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Barbus andrewi
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
60.0
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Africa: Berg and Bre? systems, south-western Cape Province, South Africa.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Endangered (EN) (B2ab(iii,v))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated