Fish species observations from a monitoring survey of two Lake Victoria affluent rivers (Rivers Kagera and Sio)

Study Extent

The datasets cover rivers Kagera and Sio, affluent rivers of Lake Victoria. The fishing expedition was conducted in April – May 2020.

Sampling

Fish sampling in rivers Sio and Kagera was done using an electrofisher (HALLTECH HT- 2000 Battery Backpack). Fishing was supplemented with experimental monofilament nets (0.5 to 2 inches) and multifilament gillnets of mesh sizes 1 to 8 inches. Before electrofishing, the electrofisher was set at 80Hz, 350V and 2kW of maximum power. The monofilament and multifilament nets were set in the evening and left to fish passively overnight. Upon retrieval, all the catch was identified to species level according to Greenwood (1966). The fish species were counted and weighed.

Quality Control

Appropriate fish identification guides were used. Species names were validated in FishBase (Froese & Pauly, 2021).

Method steps

1. Taxonomic identification of the fish was made using according to Greenwood (1966).

Fish species were identified to genus or species

1. Brycinus jacksonii
   rank: species
2. Brycinus sadleri
   rank: species
3. Clarias alluaudi
   rank: species
4. Clarias gariepinus
   rank: species
5. Enteromius apluerogramma
   rank: species
6. Enteromius jacksoni
   rank: species
7. Enteromius kerstenii
   rank: species
8. Enteromius paludinosus
   rank: species
9. Labeo victorianus
   rank: species
10. Lates niloticus
    rank: species
11. Mastacembelus frenatus
    rank: species
12. Oreochromis leucostictus
    rank: species
13. Oreochromis niloticus
    rank: species
14. Protopterus aethiopicus
    rank: species
15. Schilbe intermedius
    rank: species
16. Synodontis afrofischeri
    rank: species
17. Synodontis victoriae
    rank: species
18. Haplochromis
    rank: genus
19. Lacustricola
    rank: genus

River Kagera; River Sio