| Alestes baremoze | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Alestidae |
| Genus: | Alestes |
| Species: | A. baremoze |
| Binomial name | |
| Alestes baremoze (de Joannis, 1835) [2] | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Alestes baremoze, the pebbly fish or silversides, is a species of characin fish from the freshwater systems of northern and western Africa. It has some importance as a commercially exploited food fish.
Alestes baremoze is a silver-coloured fish with a bluish-grey dorsum and a white belly, the fins are greyish with an orange coloured lower lobe of the caudal fin. [4] The maximum published length is 43 cm and the maximum published weight is 500g, although sexual maturity is reached at about 20 cm. [2] It belongs to order Characiformes, family Alestidae, and genus Alestes . Histomorphological observations and stomach content analysis suggested that A. baremoze has morphological adaptations for omnivory [5]
In eastern Africa it is found within Lake Albert, the White Nile and Lake Turkana. In Northern Africa Alestes baremoze was formerly distributed along the whole of the River Nile in Egypt, including the Nile Delta lakes, Rosetta Branch and Lower Nile, but it has now been confined to the upper Nile after the construction of the Aswan High Dam, and no longer occurs in northern Egypt. Alestes baremoze occurs in the Bahr el Ghazal River and Bahr el Jebel systems; the White and Blue Niles in Sudan, north to Lake Nasser. It has also been recorded in Ethiopia's Baro River. It is widespread in West Africa in the basins of Chad, Niger, Volta, Comoé, Bandama, Sassandra, Geba, Gambia and Senegal. [1]
Alestes baremoze is mainly diurnal and is mainly found in the inshore zones of lakes, but is also shows potamodromous and benthopelagic behaviour. It is a rather generalist feeder with considerable flexibility in its diet, shifting from zooplankton to zoobenthos, detritus and macrophytes as the density of plankton declines. When breeding both sexes occur in sheltered bays on lake shores. Non breeding adults migrate upriver from lacustrine environments when the rivers are in flood, where they gather in shoals and feed. [1] [2]
Alestes baremoze commonly known as Angara in Uganda is highly marketable and valued fish in Northern Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many consumers, especially in the West Nile region appreciate the taste, special flavour and texture characteristics of this fish. Salting is not only a method to prolong shelf life, but a method to produce fish products that meet demand of consumers. The crude protein values of A. baremoze according to different sizes were reported to be in the range of (17-18%) and zinc was the most abundant micro element while potassium was found to be the macro-mineral with highest concentration. [6]
In Lake Chad spawning takes place from in the late afternoon and evening, between 16:30-20:00 h. The eggs are shed in a single batch which represents 15% of the weight of female. When spawning the mature females are dispersed and do not form groups. [2]
Alestes baremoze is caught and salted in the Nile, especially in Egypt. [1] On Lake Chad it is caught in seine nets and gill nets at different season. [2]
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer. Of the world's major rivers, the Nile is one of the smallest, as measured by annual flow in cubic metres of water. About 6,650 km (4,130 mi) long, its drainage basin covers eleven countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt. In particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Additionally, the Nile is an important economic river, supporting agriculture and fishing.
The White Nile is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color.
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The bayad, is a species of bagrid catfish from Africa.
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Synodontis frontosus, known as the Sudan squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is widely distributed throughout northern and central Africa. It has been reported in Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. It was first described by French zoologist Léon Vaillant in 1895, from specimens collected in the White Nile in Sudan. The species name frontosus is Latin, and means "broad head".
Labeobarbus bynni, the Niger barb, is an African species of cyprinid freshwater fish. It has often been placed in the genus Barbus, but is now usually placed in Labeobarbus. This is a relatively large barb, up to 82 cm (32 in) in total length. It is caught as a food fish, but catches can vary greatly from year to year.
The Nile Basin is the part of Africa drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.
The Congo-Nile Divide is the continental divide that separates the drainage basins of the Nile and Congo rivers. It is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long.
There are two major sources of fish in Uganda; one is from aquaculture, the other from fishing in rivers and lakes. Different types of fish flourish in different water sources. The waters of Uganda contain an impressive array of fish species—over 90 in all. This count does not include the Haplochromis complex, which itself is made up of more than 200 species.
The redbelly tilapia, also known as the Zille's redbreast tilapia or St. Peter's fish, is a species of fish in the cichlid family. This fish is found widely in fresh and brackish waters in the northern half of Africa and the Middle East. Elsewhere in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America, it has been introduced as a food fish or as a control of aquatic vegetation. Where introduced, it sometimes becomes invasive, threatening the local ecology and species. The redbelly tilapia is an important food fish and sometimes aquacultured.
Hydrocynus forskahlii, the elongate tigerfish, is a species of predatory characin from the family Alestidae which is found in northern and western Africa.
Alestes dentex is a species of freshwater fish in the family Alestidae. It is found in Africa.
