Common names:
Unknown
None

Taxonomic tree
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Order: Cypriniformes (Carps)
Family: Cyprinidae (Carps)
Genus: Labeo
Species: Labeo horie (Heckel, 1847)
Number of Occurrancies: 30

Etymology(based on Sharpf & Lazara 2019)

• Labeo: one with large lips, referring to “remarkably thick, fleshy lips” (translation) of L. fimbriatus and L. niloticus (=vulgaris)


• horie: local name for this species in Assuan, Egyp

Synonyms: click here to view synonyms

Type locality: Assuan, Egypt. Syntypes: at National Museum of Wales (NMW) 

General idenfication features for cyprinids: A naked head (=without scales); jaws completely devoid of teeth; one or two pairs of circum-oral barbel, which are, however, absent in some species; no adipose fin; and presence of a sickle-shaped paired pharyngeal bones, each bearing 1-3 series of teeth.

Distinguishing characters for the genus

• Origin of the dorsal fin well in advance of pelvic fin insertions (vs. Labeobarbus and Enteromius: origin of dorsal fin is above pelvic fin base,or slightly in advance of, or behind this point).


• Rounded snout with a flap of skin immediately in front of upper lip (vs. Garra: no flap of skin in front of upper lip, but with a well developed, almost circular disc on the chin which confluent with lower lip). 


• Lateral line running along middle of the flank and the caudal peduncle (vs. Rastrineobola, Engraulicypris, and Leptocypris: lateral line is situated below the middle of flank and caudal peduncal, and the cheek below the eye is covered by thin sub-orbital bones).

Distinguishing characters for species

• Lips with numerous rows of papillae; inner surface surface smooth (distinction from L. forskahlii, L. coubie, and L. victorianus); a minute barbel present but hidden in the folds of skin at the angle of the mouth


• Depth of body contained 4-5 times in standard length, length of head 4-6 times (relatively longer in smaller fishes)


• Snout broadly rounded, about 1/3 head length and shorter than post-ocular part of the head


• Eye visible from above and below (separates from L. forskahlii), its diameter contained 3-6 times in head length (relatively larger in smaller fishes)


• Dorsal fin with III, 12-14 rays, its upper margin straight or slightly convex


• Lateral line with 40-44 scales


• Caudal peduncal as long as deep


• Colour is greenish-brown above, golden below; young fishes have a distinct but ill-defined dark spot on the lateral line scales above the pectoral fin 

Distribution in Uganda: Lakes Albert and Kyoga, Murchison Nile

Occurence: Native

Habitat: Benthopelagic; in Lake Albert, restricted to in inshore waters and sheltered bays; Potamodromous 

Feeding: Ostracods, microscopic plants, macrophytes and sand

Biology: The fish can grow up to 72 cm, but no information exists on the reproductive biology and life-history of the species 

Economic importance/End use: The species formed a flourishing fishery before 1970s but collapsed commercially due to overfishing. Remnant riverine populations are harvetsed for food in riparian communities. 

IUCN conservation status: click here to view IUCN status

Threats: Fishing

Main references

• Greenwood PH. 1966. The fishes of Uganda. The Uganda Society, Kampala. 131 pages.


• Sharpf C, Lazara J.K. 2019. Fish Name Etymology Database v5. www.etyfish.org