Abstract:

The complex geology and hydrological evolution of Africa has resulted in a landscape characterised by some of the world's largest freshwater lakes and rivers. These freshwater habitats contain diverse fish fauna from which commercial inland fisheries support millions of people in Africa and other parts of the world through fish exports. Despite the extreme importance of African fisheries, versus increased threats that have led to their stagnation and decline, fisheries conservation and management based on genetic knowledge of stock structure has remained poorly studied and understood in Africa. It is clear though, that biogeography of fish fauna will often follow patterns of stock structure along gradients of interconnected, or fragmented habitats. Understanding the genetic structure and diversity of commercial fish species along these gradients in Africa is vital in identifying management units (MUs) for sustainable management and potential aquaculture development of aquatic species. The widely distributed bagrid catfishes (Bagrus docmak. and B. bayad) and the Nile perch, Lates niloticus, have been identified as model species that could be used to not only understand the biogeography of the African aquatic fauna, but are also important commercial fisheries and candidate species for aquaculture development. These fish species are indigenous to Africa and valued for food, as well as important components of recreational-based fisheries. These three species have been overexploited in their natural environments, with the Nile perch also in decline within environments where it has been translocated.