Checklist of the Fishes of the Kundelungu National Park (Upper Congo Basin, DR Congo): Species Diversity and Endemicity of a Poorly Known Ichthyofauna
Emmanuel Abwe,
Jos Snoeks,
Bauchet Katemo Manda,
Pacifique Kiwele Mutambala,
Lewis Ngoy Kalumba,
Pedro H. N. Bragança,
Kamwanya Kipanga,
Christian Mukweze Mulelenu,
Micheline Kasongo Ilunga Kayaba,
Auguste Chocha Manda,
Emmanuel J. W. M. N. Vreven
Affiliations
Emmanuel Abwe
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jos Snoeks
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Section of Vertebrates, Ichthyology, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium
Bauchet Katemo Manda
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pacifique Kiwele Mutambala
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lewis Ngoy Kalumba
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pedro H. N. Bragança
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
Kamwanya Kipanga
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Christian Mukweze Mulelenu
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Micheline Kasongo Ilunga Kayaba
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Auguste Chocha Manda
Unité de Recherche en Biodiversité et Exploitation durable des Zones Humides, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi BP 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Emmanuel J. W. M. N. Vreven
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Section of Vertebrates, Ichthyology, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium
The fish diversity of the Kundelungu National Park (KNP), one of the seven national parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has never been thoroughly studied. This first checklist is presented based on a literature compilation and the study of historical (1939–1969) and recent collections (2012–2017). A total of 96 taxa are reported, including 64 native described species, one introduced species (Poecilia reticulata), 13 new species that await formal description and 18 possibly new species that require further investigation to verify their status. These taxa represent 39 genera and 17 families from the KNP including its Buffer Zone (BZ). Only six taxa, including five endemics, are known from the Core Zone on the Kundelungu Plateau (1300–1700 m alt.). At lower altitudes (800–1100 m), in the Annex Zone, 71 taxa, including 17 endemics, were found. Finally, 50 taxa, including 13 endemics and one introduced species, are known from its BZ. The fish fauna of the KNP is threatened by overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and habitat degradation due to mining pollution, and deforestation for agriculture on the river banks. The present study provides the much needed baseline data for the protection and conservation planning of this fish fauna, for which conservation suggestions are formulated.