Diversity, distribution and extinction risk of native freshwater fishes of South Africa

Extinction risk for 101 valid species and 18 unique genetic lineages of native freshwater fishes of South Africa was assessed in 2016 following the IUCN Red List criteria. An additional five species (three new species that were described and two species that were revalidated subsequent to the 2016 assessments) were assessed in the present study. A synthesis of the outcome of the assessments of the 106 valid species and 18 genetic lineages indicates that 45 (36%) of South Africa's freshwater fish taxa are threatened (7 Critically Endangered, 25 Endangered, 13 Vulnerable). Of the remaining taxa, 17 (14%) are listed as Near Threatened, 57 (46%) are Least Concern and five (4%) are Data Deficient. More than 60% of the endemic taxa are threatened. The Cape Fold Ecoregion has the highest proportion of threatened taxa (67%) due to the existence of a unique assemblage of narrow-range endemic species. Galaxias and Pseudobarbus have the highest number of highly threatened taxa as most of the species and lineages in these genera are classified as either CR or EN. Major threats to the native freshwater fishes of the country are invasive fish species, deterioration of water quality, impoundments and excessive water abstraction, land use changes and modification of riverine habitats. Immediate conservation efforts should focus on securing remnant populations of highly threatened taxa and preventing deterioration in threat status, because recovery is rare. Accurate delimitation of species boundaries, mapping their distribution ranges, improved knowledge of pressures and long-term monitoring of population trends need to be prioritised to generate credible data for the 2026 IUCN threat status assessments and designation of important fish areas as part of the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) initiative.