vv 092 Citation: Chemoiwa EJ (2022) The current status of Barbus species in Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya: A review. Int J Aquac Fish Sci 8(3): 092-097. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17352/2455-8400.000083 https://doi.org/10.17352/ijafs DOI: 2455-8400 ISSN: LIFE SCIENCES GROUP Abstract Lake Victoria is known for its rich fish biodiversity having been home to over 500 fish species. However, over 200 species have become extinct and as a result, it is classified as a world hotspot of species loss. Some of the examples of endemic species that disappeared from the lake and are endangered include the Haplochromines and the Barbus species. The Barbus species is currently not seen in the fish landings from Lake Victoria. It is deemed to have sought refuge in the riverine ecosystems, dams and the adjacent satellite lakes within the Lake Victoria Basin. This has resulted in several gaps emerging including its current status as its taxonomical identification still remains a puzzle to many scientists. This paper, therefore, tries to unearth the foregoing by reviewing the already available literature with an emphasis on the LVB Kenyan part. The Labeobarbus altianalis is still named Barbus altianalis even in the most recent publications thus complicating further. In its distribution, the Barbus species does not occur in the lake currently but is a common candidate in the rivers, dams and satellite lakes within the basin. Some of the cited reasons for its disappearance: are predation by Lates niloticus, overfishing, competition from exotic species, pollution and climate change. However, different studies try to pinpoint its presence in some rivers and this according to an observation made in this study is due to biased sampling, which excludes some rivers in the basin. It is concluded that the taxonomic identification of Barbus species in LVB Kenya remains elusive and this has been blamed on skewed sampling with little regard to all ecosystems in the basin. The paper recommends that an elaborate simultaneous study be done in all the rivers within the LVB, Kenya to collect reliable data for use in Barbus species taxonomy and general biology. Further, county governments in the basin should develop sound policy frameworks on how to sustainably manage riverine fisheries including the domestication of the species in aquaculture. Review Article The current status of Barbus species in Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya: A review Emily Jepyegon Chemoiwa* Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eldoret, PO Box 1125-30100 Eldoret, Kenya Received: 12 August, 2022 Accepted: 26 September, 2022 Published: 27 September, 2022 *Corresponding author: Emily Jepyegon Chemoiwa, Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eldoret, PO Box 1125-30100 Eldoret, Kenya, Tel: +254722931952; E-mail: ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6330-1279 Keywords: Barbus species; Sustainable conservation and management; Riverine species; Lake Victoria Basin Kenya Copyright License: © 2022 Chemoiwa EJ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://www.peertechzpublications.com Introduction Lake Victoria is currently regarded as a biodiversity hotspot having lost over 200 endemic fish species. The lake supported an extraordinary array of fish species including Haplochromines, Labeo victoriarus Boulenger, Brycinus species and Barbus species [1-3], among many others that were the main food for the riparian communities. Because of the enormous erosion of these fishes in Lake Victoria, the lake and its entire basin became and up to date have seen the scientific community turn into a laboratory of biological, socio-economic and taxonomic studies worldwide. Several reasons have been associated with the extinction and threat of the endemic fish species in Lake Victoria. The increase in human population in the basin has been associated with the rapid increase in economic activities such as agriculture, industrialization, urbanization, irrigation and mining. All these forms of pressure have had an effect on water quality that ends up in the lake. As result eutrophication has been witnessed in Lake Victoria that to a larger extent has changed the ecology of the lake. Due to eutrophication, anoxic conditions have taken a higher toll thus affecting the native fish species. One of the main factors for the disappearance of the native fish species of Lake Victoria is the introduction of exotic species. This happened in the years between 1950 and 1962 when such species as Oreochromis niloticus (L.), O. leucostictus