The Eastern Cape redfin (''Pseudobarbus afer'') is an African freshwater fish

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family, including the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives the barbs and barbels, among others. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family, and t ...

, this appears to be a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

rather than a single species. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Sundays The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in Bristol. The band's lineup consisted of lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler, guitarist David Gavurin, bassist Paul Brindley, and drummer Patrick Hannan. Percussionist Lindsay Jamieson was ...

Swartkops Swartkops is a village in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The location is on the Swartkops River, 11 km north of Port Elizabeth and 1,6 km from the Indian Ocean. ''Swartkops'' means "black hills" in Afrikaans, an ...

and Baakens river systems of the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, the fish in other rivers in the region have been suggested to belong to different species with four different lineages recognised, a forest lineage which appears to be more closely related to '' Pseudobarbus phlegethon'' of the Olifants River than the other lineages traditionally classified within ''P. afer'', the other lineages are the "St Francis" lineage which occurs in the rivers flowing into

St Francis Bay St Francis Bay () is a holiday town in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, roughly one hour’s drive from Gqeberha. History Early History The town's earliest European history of the area can be trac ...

and has been given the name '' Pseudobarbus swartzi'', the Krom lineage '' Pseudobarbus senticeps'' from the

Krom River Krom River or Kromme River () is a river in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The river flows into the Indian Ocean through an estuary on the north side of Kouga Local Municipality, St Francis Bay, west of Port Elizabeth. The Krom river ...

system and the "Mandela" lineage ''Pseudobarbus afer'' ''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...

''. All of these populations are becoming rare due to

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and the impact of

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

especially exotic bass of the genus ''

Micropterus ''Micropterus'' is a genus of North American freshwater fish collectively known as the black bass, which belong to the sunfish family (biology), family Centrarchidae of order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. They are sometimes erroneously cal ...

''. ''Pseudobarbus afer'' prefers clear rocky pools in the rivers it inhabits. The fry and juveniles form large shoals, the adults form smaller groups. It was formerly common and widely distributed, but ''Pseudobarbus afer'' ''

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'' has undergone steep declines in both abundance and range, a primary cause being the introduction of exotic fish species which compete with these fish and also predate them. Other threats include deterioration of water quality and the degradation of habitat. These fish are omnivorous, bottom feeders which eat algae and prey on small invertebrates. They breed during the summer, laying their eggs in riffles above pools.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3235243 Eastern Cape redfin Eastern Cape Freshwater fish of South Africa Endemic fish of South Africa Eastern Cape redfin Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Taxonomy articles created by Polbot