Common names:
African carp, Black Carp
None

Taxonomic tree
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Order: Cypriniformes (Carps)
Family: Cyprinidae (Carps)
Genus: Labeo
Species: Labeo coubie (Rüppell, 1832)
Number of Occurrancies: 1

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)


• forskalii:  local name among the native fishermen of Cairo, Egypt

Synonyms: click here to view synonyms

Type locality: Cairo market, Egypt. Lectotype at British Museum of Natural History (BMNH)  

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 is 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

• Rounded snout, more or less fleshy and swollen (distinction from L. victorianus), with a distinct curved transverse groove on the upper surface; snout length about half that of the head and somewhat longer than the post-ocular part; inner surface of lips with transverse folds (separates from L. horie); barbels minute and hidden. 


• Deeper body, with the eye visible both from above and below (distinction from L. forskahlii whose eye is not visible from below)


• Lateral line with 37-42 scales


• Dorsal fin with III, 12-14 rays (distinction from L. forskahlii with 9-11 rays), distal margin of dorsal fin straight or convex, and its origin well in advance of pelvic insertions


• Caudal peduncal is as deep as or slightly longer than deep


• Colour is grey-blue above, silvery-white below, scales on the flanks have deep mauve centres. Young fishes are greyish-silver, with numerous wavy black lines on the flanks, and a large black spot at the base of caudal fin 

Distribution in Uganda: Lake Albert, Murchison Nile

Occurence: Native

Habitat: Benthopelagic; in Lake Albert, common in inshore waters, particulary in sheltered bays; Potamodromous 

Feeding: Detritivore, feeding on mud and plant debris

Biology: The largest recorded specimen from Lake Albert was 74 cm, but no information is available on the reproductive biology and life history for Ugandan populations. 

Economic importance/End use

subsistence fishery (food for 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