Democratic Republic of the Congo
Checklist of Endemic Freshwater Fish Species
This list of freshwater fish species found exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.
FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.
The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.
OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range ( these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)
Alestes bimaculatus OC (Alestiidae)
Alestes carmesinus (Alestiidae)
Alestes comptus (Alestiidae)
Alestopetersius brichardi (Alestiidae)
Alestopetersius caudalis OC (Alestiidae) Yellowtail Congo Tetra
Alestopetersius compressus (Alestiidae)
Alestopetersius leopoldianus OC (Alestiidae)
Alestopetersius nigropterus (Alestiidae)
Bathyaethiops breuseghemi (Alestiidae) African Moon Characin
Brachypetersius cadwaladeri (Alestiidae)
Brachypetersius pseudonummifer (Alestiidae)
Brycinus fwaensis (Alestiidae)
Clupeocharax schoutedeni (Alestiidae)
Duboisialestes bifasciatus OC (Alestiidae)
Micralestes ambiguus (Alestiidae)
Micralestes congicus (Alestiidae)
Micralestes fodori (Alestiidae)
Micralestes holargyreus OC (Alestiidae)
Micralestes lualabae OC (Alestiidae)
Phenacogrammus altus OC (Alestiidae) Blackspot Congo Tetra
Phenacogrammus aurantiacus OC (Alestiidae) Golden Congo Tetra
Phenacogrammus bleheri (Alestiidae)
Phenacogrammus deheyni (Alestiidae)
Phenacogrammus interruptus OC (Alestiidae) Congo Tetra
Phenacogrammus polli (Alestiidae)
Amphilius maesii OC (Amphiliidae)
Amphilius notatus (Amphiliidae)
Amphilius opisthophthalmus (Amphiliidae)
Amphilius zairensis (Amphiliidae)
Belonoglanis brieni OC (Amphiliidae)
Leptoglanis bouilloni (Amphiliidae)
Leptoglanis brieni (Amphiliidae)
Leptoglanis flavomaculatus OC (Amphiliidae)
Leptoglanis mandevillei (Amphiliidae)
Phractura fasciata OC (Amphiliidae)
Trachyglanis ineac (Amphiliidae)
Zaireichthys zonatus (Amphiliidae)
Ctenopoma ashbysmithi (Anabantidae)
Ctenopoma davidae (Anabantidae)
Ctenopoma weeksii OC (Anabantidae) Mottled Ctenopoma
Microctenopoma milleri (Anabantidae)
Microctenopoma nigricans (Anabantidae)
Microctenopoma ocellifer (Anabantidae)
Microctenopoma uelense (Anabantidae)
Aphyosemion congicum (Aplocheilidae) Blacktail Killifish
Aphyosemion ferranti (Aplocheilidae) Kasai Killifish
Aphyosemion labarrei (Aplocheilidae) Red-streaked Killifish
Aphyosemion lujae OC (Aplocheilidae) Spot-line Killifish
Aphyosemion margaretae (Aplocheilidae)
Aphyosemion polli (Aplocheilidae)
Nothobranchius brieni OC (Aplocheilidae) Shaba Nothobranch
Nothobranchius malaissei (Aplocheilidae) Luanza Nothobranch
Amarginops platus (Bagridae)
Bagrus caeruleus OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys brevibarbis OC (Bagridae) Short-Barbeled Bagrid
Chrysichthys cranchii OC (Bagridae) Kokuni
Chrysichthys duttoni OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys habereri OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys helicophagus (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys longibarbis OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys longipinnis OC (Bagridae) Aluminum Catfish
Chrysichthys ornatus OC (Bagridae) Ornate Catfish
Chrysichthys polli OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys punctatus OC (Bagridae)
Chrysichthys sharpii OC (Bagridae) Shovelnose Catfish
Chrysichthys uniformis (Bagridae)
Gephyroglanis congicus (Bagridae)
Gephyroglanis gymnorhynchus (Bagridae)
Gnathobagrus depressus (Bagridae)
Notoglanidium pallidum OC (Bagridae)
Phyllonemus brichardi (Bagridae)
Rheoglanis dendrophorus OC (Bagridae)
Parachanna insignis OC (Channidae) Congo Snakehead
Chromidotilapia schoutedeni (Cichlidae)
Cyclopharynx fwae (Cichlidae)
Cyclopharynx schwetzi (Cichlidae)
Cyprichromis pavo OC (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis bakongo (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis demeusii (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis fasciatus OC (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis luluae (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis malacophagus (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis moeruensis OC (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis placodus (Cichlidae)
Haplochromis polli OC (Cichlidae) Redbelly Mouthbrooder
Haplochromis stigmatogenys (Cichlidae)
Hemichromis cerasogaster OC (Cichlidae)
Hemichromis lifalili OC (Cichlidae) Blood-red Jewel Cichlid
Julidochromis transcriptus OC (Cichlidae) Masked Julie
Lamprologus finalimus (Cichlidae)
Lamprologus lethops (Cichlidae)
Lamprologus meleagris (Cichlidae)
Lamprologus speciosus (Cichlidae)
Lamprologus symoensi (Cichlidae)
Lamprologus tumbanus OC (Cichlidae)
Nanochromis consortus (Cichlidae)
Nanochromis minor (Cichlidae)
Nanochromis nudiceps OC (Cichlidae) Bar-Tailed Dwarf Cichlid
Nanochromis parilus OC (Cichlidae) Blue Congo Cichlid
Nanochromis splendens (Cichlidae)
Nanochromis squamiceps (Cichlidae)
Nanochromis transvestitus (Cichlidae) Mai-Ndombe Dwarf Cichlid
Neolamprologus bifasciatus OC (Cichlidae) Two-striped Lamprologus
Neolamprologus crassus OC (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus helianthus (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus marunguensis (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus meeli OC (Cichlidae) Meeli Shell-dweller
Neolamprologus nigriventris (Cichlidae) Black-belly Lamprologus
Neolamprologus olivaceous (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus pectoralis (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus similis (Cichlidae) Broadstriped Tanganyika Cichlid
Neolamprologus splendens (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus variostigma (Cichlidae)
Neolamprologus ventralis (Cichlidae)
Oreochromis salinicola (Cichlidae)
Orthochromis stormsi (Cichlidae)
Orthochromis torrenticola (Cichlidae)
Paratilapia toddi (Cichlidae)
Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus OC (Cichlidae)
Pelmatochromis ocellifer OC (Cichlidae)
Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi OC (Cichlidae) Nichol's Dwarf Mouthbrooder
Schwetzochromis neodon (Cichlidae)
Serranochromis spei (Cichlidae)
Steatocranus bleheri (Cichlidae)
Steatocranus casuarius OC (Cichlidae) Lionhead Cichlid
Steatocranus gibbiceps OC (Cichlidae) Blackspot Humphead
Steatocranus glaber (Cichlidae) Checkerboard Humphead
Steatocranus mpozoensis (Cichlidae) Mpozo Lionhead Cichlid
Steatocranus rouxi (Cichlidae)
Steatocranus tinanti OC (Cichlidae) Slender Lionhead Cichlid
Teleogramma brichardi (Cichlidae)
Teleogramma depressum (Cichlidae)
Teleogramma gracile (Cichlidae)
Teleogramma monogramma (Cichlidae)
Thoracochromis brauschi (Cichlidae)
Thoracochromis callichromus (Cichlidae)
Tilapia congica OC (Cichlidae)
Trematochromis schreyeni (Cichlidae)
Tropheus annectens (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis aristoma (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis elongatus (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis labrodon (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis lateralis OC (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis microdon (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis praecox (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis pulcher (Cichlidae)
Tylochromis regani OC (Cichlidae)
Xenotilapia burtoni (Cichlidae)
Xenotilapia papilio (Cichlidae) Tanganyikan Butterfly
Belonophago hutsebouti (Citharinidae)
Congocharax olbrechtsi (Citharinidae)
Distichodus antonii OC (Citharinidae)
Distichodus decemmaculatus (Citharinidae) Dwarf Distichodus
Distichodus noboli OC (Citharinidae)
Hemistichodus lootensi (Citharinidae)
Hemistichodus mesmaekersi OC (Citharinidae)
Ichthyborus ornatus OC (Citharinidae) Ornate Fin-nipper
Microstomatichthyoborus bashforddeani (Citharinidae)
Microstomatichthyoborus katangae (Citharinidae)
Nannocharax brevis OC (Citharinidae) African Darter Characin
Nannocharax elongatus OC (Citharinidae)
Nannocharax gracilis OC (Citharinidae)
Nannocharax schoutedeni (Citharinidae)
Nannocharax taenia OC (Citharinidae)
Neolebias gracilis (Citharinidae)
Neolebias philippei (Citharinidae)
Neolebias trilineatus OC (Citharinidae) Threeline Tetra
Paraphago rostratus (Citharinidae) Striped Fin-eater
Phago boulengeri OC (Citharinidae) Boulenger's Pike Characin
Clariallabes centralis (Clariidae)
Clariallabes dumerilii (Clariidae)
Clariallabes laticeps OC (Clariidae)
Clariallabes manyangae (Clariidae)
Clariallabes simeonsi (Clariidae)
Clariallabes uelensis (Clariidae)
Clarias dhonti OC (Clariidae)
Platyallabes tihoni (Clariidae)
Microthrissa minuta OC (Clupeidae) Dungu Sprat
Microthrissa whiteheadi (Clupeidae)
Nannothrissa stewarti (Clupeidae) Mai-ndombe Dwarf Sprat
Poecilothrissa centralis OC (Clupeidae) Central Zaire Pellonuline
Potamothrissa whiteheadi (Clupeidae) Whitehead's Sawtooth Pellonuline
Barbus amanpoae (Cyprinidae)
Barbus aspius OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus candens OC (Cyprinidae) Red Three-spot Barb
Barbus citrinus OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus collarti OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus dartevellei (Cyprinidae)
Barbus deguidei (Cyprinidae)
Barbus fasolt OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus gestetneri (Cyprinidae)
Barbus hulstaerti OC (Cyprinidae) African Butterfly Barb
Barbus humphri (Cyprinidae)
Barbus iturii (Cyprinidae)
Barbus janssensi (Cyprinidae)
Barbus kamolondoensis (Cyprinidae)
Barbus lamani (Cyprinidae)
Barbus longifilis OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus luapulae OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus lufukiensis OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus lukindae (Cyprinidae)
Barbus lukusiensis OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus luluae OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus macroceps OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus marmoratus (Cyprinidae)
Barbus matthesi OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus mawambi (Cyprinidae)
Barbus mawambiensis (Cyprinidae)
Barbus mirabilis (Cyprinidae)
Barbus nigrifilis (Cyprinidae)
Barbus papilio (Cyprinidae)
Barbus paucisquamatus OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus pseudognathodon OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus pygmaeus (Cyprinidae)
Barbus schoutedeni (Cyprinidae)
Barbus stanleyi (Cyprinidae)
Barbus tetraspilus (Cyprinidae)
Barbus trinotatus OC (Cyprinidae)
Barbus urotaenia (Cyprinidae)
Barbus vanderysti OC (Cyprinidae)
Caecobarbus geertsii OC (Cyprinidae) Congo Blind Barb
Labeo alticentralis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo cyclopinnis OC (Cyprinidae)
Labeo dhonti (Cyprinidae)
Labeo falcipinnis OC (Cyprinidae)
Labeo kibimbi (Cyprinidae)
Labeo lualabaensis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo luluae (Cyprinidae)
Labeo maleboensis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo mokotoensis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo nigricans (Cyprinidae)
Labeo parvus (Cyprinidae) Small Shark
Labeo polli (Cyprinidae)
Labeo quadribarbis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo rectipinnis (Cyprinidae)
Labeo reidi (Cyprinidae)
Labeo sorex (Cyprinidae)
Leptocypris lujae OC (Cyprinidae)
Leptocypris modestus OC (Cyprinidae)
Leptocypris weynsii OC (Cyprinidae)
Opsaridium boweni (Cyprinidae)
Opsaridium leleupi (Cyprinidae)
Opsaridium maculicauda (Cyprinidae)
Raiamas longirostris (Cyprinidae)
Raiamas weeksii (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus altipinnis (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus brauni (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus iphthimostoma (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus longidorsalis (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus lufupensis (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus macrolepidotus OC (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus pellegrini OC (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus robertsi (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus upembensis (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus wittei (Cyprinidae)
Kribia uellensis OC (Eleotridae)
Kneria katangae (Kneriidae)
Kneria stappersii (Kneriidae)
Parakneria damasi (Kneriidae)
Parakneria kissi (Kneriidae)
Parakneria lufirae (Kneriidae)
Parakneria malaissei (Kneriidae)
Parakneria thysi (Kneriidae)
Aethiomastacembelus moeruensis (Mastacembelidae)
Aethiomastacembelus traversi OC (Mastacembelidae)
Aethiomastacembelus trispinosus (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus aviceps OC (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus brachyrhinus OC (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus brichardi OC (Mastacembelidae) Blind Spiny Eel
Caecomastacembelus catchpolei (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus crassus OC (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus latens OC (Mastacembelidae)
Caecomastacembelus ubangensis OC (Mastacembelidae)
Acanthocleithron chapini (Mochokidae) Congo Squeaker
Atopochilus christyi (Mochokidae)
Atopochilus mandevillei (Mochokidae)
Atopochilus pachychilus (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis carnosus OC (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis congicus OC (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis lufirae OC (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis marlieri (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis microps (Mochokidae)
Chiloglanis pojeri OC (Mochokidae)
Euchilichthys astatodon OC (Mochokidae)
Euchilichthys boulengeri (Mochokidae)
Euchilichthys guentheri OC (Mochokidae)
Microsynodontis lamberti (Mochokidae)
Synodontis acanthomias OC (Mochokidae) Spotted African Giant Catfish
Synodontis aterrimus (Mochokidae) Blackbellied Synodontis
Synodontis camelopardalis (Mochokidae) Giraffe Synodontis
Synodontis congicus OC (Mochokidae) Domino Synodontis
Synodontis depauwi OC (Mochokidae)
Synodontis dorsomaculatus OC (Mochokidae)
Synodontis flavitaeniatus (Mochokidae) Orangestriped Squeaker
Synodontis greshoffi OC (Mochokidae)
Synodontis iturii (Mochokidae)
Synodontis katangae OC (Mochokidae)
Synodontis lufirae (Mochokidae)
Synodontis multimaculatus OC (Mochokidae) Dotted Synodontis
Synodontis pleurops OC (Mochokidae) Congo Squeaker
Synodontis pulcher (Mochokidae)
Synodontis robertsi (Mochokidae) Large Blotched Synodontis
Synodontis schoutedeni OC (Mochokidae) Marbled Synodontis
Synodontis soloni OC (Mochokidae) Scissortail Synodontis
Brienomyrus tavernei (Mormyridae)
Campylomormyrus bredoi (Mormyridae)
Campylomormyrus christyi OC (Mormyridae)
Campylomormyrus luapulaensis (Mormyridae)
Campylomormyrus orycteropus (Mormyridae)
Gnathonemus echidnorhynchus OC (Mormyridae)
Hippopotamyrus aelsbroecki (Mormyridae)
Hippopotamyrus macroterops (Mormyridae)
Hippopotamyrus retrodorsalis (Mormyridae)
Hippopotamyrus weeksii OC (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius bentleyi OC (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius ghesquierei (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius intermedius (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius kutuensis OC (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius macrophthalmus (Mormyridae)
Marcusenius schilthuisiae (Mormyridae) Schilthuis' Elephantnose
Mormyrops attenuatus OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops curtus (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops intermedius (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops lineolatus (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops mariae OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops masuianus OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops microstoma (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops nigricans OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops parvus OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrops sirenoides (Mormyridae)
Mormyrus cyaneus OC (Mormyridae)
Mormyrus iriodes (Mormyridae)
Mormyrus ovis OC (Mormyridae)
Myomyrus pharao OC (Mormyridae)
Petrocephalus binotatus OC (Mormyridae)
Petrocephalus hutereaui OC (Mormyridae)
Petrocephalus schoutedeni OC (Mormyridae)
Petrocephalus squalostoma (Mormyridae)
Pollimyrus maculipinnis (Mormyridae)
Pollimyrus nigripinnis OC (Mormyridae)
Pollimyrus pulverulentus OC (Mormyridae)
Pollimyrus schreyeni (Mormyridae)
Pollimyrus tumifrons OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus ater (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus fuliginosus OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus humilior OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus kununguensis (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus patrizii OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus polli OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus puncticulatus OC (Mormyridae)
Stomatorhinus schoutedeni OC (Mormyridae)
Papyrocranus congoensis (Notopteridae)
Aplocheilichthys brichardi (Poeciliidae) Brichard's Lampeye
Aplocheilichthys lualabaensis OC (Poeciliidae) Lualaba Lampeye
Aplocheilichthys mahagiensis OC (Poeciliidae)
Aplocheilichthys myersi OC (Poeciliidae) Hummingbird Lampeye
Aplocheilichthys pfefferi (Poeciliidae)
Hylopanchax silvestris OC (Poeciliidae)
Hypsopanchax deprimozi (Poeciliidae)
Hypsopanchax jobaerti (Poeciliidae)
Hypsopanchax platysternus (Poeciliidae) Zaire Lampeye
Schilbe congensis OC (Schilbeidae)
Schilbe tumbanus OC (Schilbeidae)
Schilbe zairensis OC (Schilbeidae)
Tetraodon duboisi (Tetraodontidae) Stanley Pool Puffer
Tetraodon schoutedeni OC (Tetraodontidae) Leopard Congo Puffer
Additional endemic freshwater fish species that were not included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 366 endemic freshwater fish species listed above, these additional 17 species total 383 species of freshwater fishes known solely from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Micralestes schelly (Alestidae) 2007
Nannopetersius mutambuei (Alestidae) 2008
Rhabdalestes aeratis (Alestidae) 2005
Dolichamphilius longiceps (Amphiliidae) 2003
Zaireichthys brevis (Amphiliidae)
Zaireichthys heterurus (Amphiliidae) 2003
Congochromis pugnatus (Cichlidae) 2007
Nanochromis teugelsi (Cichlidae) 2006
Nanochromis wickleri (Cichlidae) 2006
Chrysichthys praecox (Claroteidae) 2008
Raiamas kheeli (Cyprinidae) 2006
Malapterurus melanochir (Malapteruridae) 2002
Paradoxoglanis caudivittatus (Malapteruridae) 2002
Paradoxoglanis cryptus (Malapteruridae) 2002
Paradoxoglanis parvus (Malapteruridae) 2002
Mastacembelus shiloangoensis (Mastacembelidae) 2004
Nothobranchius hassoni (Nothobranchiidae) 2004