The fishes of the Upper Luapula area (Congo basin): a fauna of mixed origin

A checklist of the fishes of the Upper Luapula area, situated in the Bangweulu-Mweru ecoregion (Upper Congo) between the Bangweulu swamps and the Mumbatuta falls, is presented, with details of the distribution and common names in English and Bemba. Seventy-one species are recorded, 33 of which belong to the Cyprinidae and Cichlidae. Ichthyofaunal comparisons confirm the inclusion of the Upper Luapula area within the species-poor Bangweulu Chambeshi subregion. This subregion was previously thought to have a Zambezian rather than a Congolese ichthyofauna. However, ichthyofaunal comparisons showed a higher similarity with the Congo basin. This study presents an updated list of the fishes of Kasanka National Park, the sole protected area within the Upper Luapula area. Five synomymies are presented and the recent introduction of an exotic species, Oreochromis andersonii, is reported.