Moggel (''Labeo umbratus'') is a freshwater

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n fish in genus

Labeo ''Labeo'' is a genus of carps in the family Cyprinidae. They are found in freshwater habitats in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. It contains the typical labeos in the subfamily Labeoninae, which may not be a valid group, howeve ...

. It occurs within the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...

. The species has been recorded in the

Vaal River The Vaal River ( ; Khoemana: ) is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about north of Ermelo and only about from the Indian Oce ...

, Olifants River in

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares bor ...

and

Limpopo Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...

, introduced there by anglers. This species is similar to '' L. capensis'' in colour and in its pronounced anterior

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprini ...

s. It can withstand temperatures below and is mainly found in stagnant water, muddy dams and in large impoundments. Juveniles of the species prey on invertebrates while adults subsist on detritus and mud. It is an important food source and is considered a useful species in wastewater

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

when combined with other aquatic organisms.

Size

Length: . Weight:

Distribution

Africa: within the drainage basin of the Orange river and in southern watersheds of the Cape region. There are records of ''Labeo umbratus'' from the Olifant's river (Limpopo system) where it has been introduced by anglers. Has also been translocated in the Olifants-Limpopo system.

Behavior

Found mainly in standing waters, shallow dams and muddy shallow areas such as in large impoundments. Juveniles feed on small invertebrates while adults feed on detritus and mud soft sediments.

Breeding

The Moggel breed after rains in summer, migrating upstream to suitable spawning sites, usually over flooded grassy banks of rivers with shallow rocky sections. Female lays about 250,000 small sticky eggs which attach to grass and rocks, they hatch within 40 hours thereafter the newly hatched larvae repeatedly swim to the surface and get carried away by the current to deeper water.

Uses

Valued as an important, nutritious food source and is recommended for use in wastewater aquaculture in combination with other aquatic organisms. Occasionally caught by anglers using bait or flies whilst targeting other species, is known for its strong fighting ability. It is often regarded as an 'easter egg' fish when caught as they are nearly impossible to target specifically, catches are usually by chance. Important in commercial and subsistence fisheries and also used in aquaculture and physiological research.

References

Labeo Freshwater fish of South Africa Fish described in 1841 Taxa named by Andrew Smith (zoologist) {{Labeoninae-stub