Synopsis
The distribution of Sarotherodon mossambicus in south east African estuaries is reviewed. It occurs commonly in closed estuaries and coastal lakes but is absent from open tidal estuaries. When a closed estuary opens to the sea the species usually retreats to the upper reaches. It is euryhaline and eurythermal and can feed on a wide variety of foods but experiments indicate that S. mossambicus avoids areas where current speeds exceed 370 m h−1. It is concluded that the distribution of S. mossambicus in estuarine systems is governed by an interplay of the following factors: salinity stability, water currents, suitable breeding sites, presence of marginal vegetation, marine competitors and marine piscivorous fish.
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Whitfield, A.K., Blaber, S.J.M. The distribution of the freshwater cichlid Sarotherodon mossambicus in estuarine systems. Environ Biol Fish 4, 77–81 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005931
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005931