Annotated Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of Kenya (excluding the lacustrine haplochromines from Lake Victoria)

Abstract

A checklist of the freshwater fishes of Kenya is presented. Pending more accurate information on their status, the lacustrine Lake Victoria haplochromines have been omitted from the list. Currently 206 species belonging to 38 families are known from Kenyan fresh waters. With at least 50 species, Cyprinidae are by far the largest fish family in the country followed by Cichlidae, Mochokidae, Mormyridae and Characidae, respectively represented by 28, 15, 15 and 12 species. At least 18 fish species were introduced, deliberately or after escaping from fish farms or breeding stations. The list includes the distribution of each species in Kenya, common English names and local names in various African indigenous languages as well as annotations referring to introductions, distribution, taxonomic status of the species and older records from literature.