Distichodus engycephalus is a demersal species which prefers flowing water over rocky bottoms. Distichodus engycephalusfeeds on diatoms, filamentous algae, insects and plant material.

CCTTTATATCGTATTCGGTGCTTGAGCCGGAATAGTTGGAACCGCTTTGAGCCTTTTAATCCGAGCGGAACTTGGCCAACCCGGATCCTTATTAGAAGACGACCAAATCTACAATGTACTTGTCACTGCACACGCTTTTGTGATAATCTTCTTTATAGTAATGCCAATTATGATCGGAGGATTTGGAAACTGACTAATTCCCCTAATAATTGGTGCCCCAGACATAGCATTCCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGCTTCTGACTTTTACCACCTTCCTTTCTCCTCCTGCTAGCCTCTTCAGGGGTTGAACAAGGAGCAGGGACAGGCTGAACCGTGTATCCCCCTCTTGCAGGAAATCTAGCTCACGCAGGTGCATCCGTAGATTTAACAATTTTCTCCCTACACCTAGCAGGGGTGTCCTCAATTTTAGGTGCAATCAACTTCATCACAACAATTATTAATATAAAACCGCCCGCAATTTCTCAATACCAAACACCATTATTTGTTTGAGCCGTTTTAGTAACGGCCGTACTTCTACTCCTATCCCTACCTGTCCTTGCTGCAGGAATTACAATGCTTTTAACAGATCGAAATTTAAACACCACATTCTTTGATCCCGCAGGAGGAGGAGACCCAATCCTCTACCAACACTTA
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Red List Category

Red List Criteria

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

No information available.

Unknown

In certain regions, overfishing, drought, dam construction and aquatic weeds have a large impact on the species. In Ghana this is a commercially harvested food fish, and thus overfishing is a potential threat. Deforestation and bad agricultural practices may pose potential threats to the habitats of this species. Increasing farming activities in these northern basins may also result in increasing levels of pesticides and other agrochemicals that leach into the water bodies and pose threats to the health of the fish. These two threats are especially relevant in the Black Volta. Another threat is pollution of the water bodies from inadequately treated human waste, for in many of these areas, water bodies are ultimately the receptacles for domestic waste. In the Oti, one major threat is aquatic weeds, which alter the habitat of the fish and may affect all sorts of things such as oxygen levels. In extreme cases, excessive proliferation of aquatic weeds may lead to massive fish kills. In the White Volta, effluents from mining activities may also pose a threat to this fish species. Increasing farming activities may also result in increasing levels of pesticides and other agrochemicals that leach into the water bodies and pose threats to the health of the fish. Another major threat is pollution of the water bodies by inadequately treated human waste and by domestic discharges arising from increasing residential developments (Entsua-Mensah 1996).

None known. Policy-based actions are required for this species, along with population trend monitoring and habitat maintenance.