The composition and health of fishes in residual dry season habitats in southern Africa (Strauch et al. 2015)
Brian Marshall A E , Albert Chakona B , Denis Tweddle B , Paul Skelton B , Roger Bills B and John Minshull C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP167 Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
B South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
C Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, corner Park Road and Leopold Takawira Avenue, Centenary Park Suburbs, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
D Present address: Acolchem Ltd, PO Box 8268, Belmont, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
E Corresponding author. Present address: 9/4074 Great North Road, Auckland 0602, New Zealand. Email: brian.marshall01@gmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 68(2) 203-206 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF15295
Submitted: 3 August 2015 Accepted: 12 December 2015 Published: 3 March 2016
Abstract
A recent paper on the composition and health of fish in refugia habitats in seasonal tributaries of the Zambezi River in southern Africa contains several errors. These include the misidentification of species and a misunderstanding of the zoogeography of the Zambezi River. There were also several weaknesses in the data analysis and some conclusions were based on misinterpretations of their own data and the literature. The authors should have considered regional literature and worked with southern African ichthyologists to prevent these errors.
Additional keywords: Middle Zambezi, North-Western Zimbabwe, temporary rivers, fish communities.
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