CR

Rhabdalestes leleupi

Declining

Overview

The Pangani robber is a species of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Alestidae, the African tetras. It is found in the Pangani River drainages, including Lake Jipe, in Tanzania and Kenya. Its natural habitats are rivers and lagoons.

Rhabdalestes leleupi faces severe threats from habitat degradation in the Congo Basin, where deforestation and agricultural expansion have fragmented its limited freshwater environments. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to water pollution from mining activities and urban development. Dam construction and water extraction for human use have altered natural flow regimes in the rivers where this fish occurs.

Threat summary

Habitat

This freshwater fish inhabits rivers and streams in the Congo Basin of Central Africa. It requires clean, flowing water with specific temperature and oxygen conditions typical of tropical African river systems.

Marine intertidal· major

Other threatened species in ALESTIDAE

EN

Brachyalestes carolinae

Unknown
EN

Bryconalestes derhami

Unknown
VU

Clupeocharax schoutedeni

Unknown
EN

Alestes bouboni

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Rhabdalestes leleupi classified as Critically Endangered?
Rhabdalestes leleupi is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Rhabdalestes leleupi faces severe threats from habitat degradation in the Congo Basin, where deforestation and agricultural expansion have fragmented its limited freshwater environments. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to water pollution from mining activities and urban development. Dam construction and water extraction for human use have altered natural flow regimes in the rivers where this fish occurs.
Where does Rhabdalestes leleupi live?
Rhabdalestes leleupi occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Rhabdalestes leleupi?
The main threats to Rhabdalestes leleupi are 2.1, 5.3, 5.4, and 9.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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