LUSHOMBO Joseph Matabaro, D.R. Congo

Project title: Comparative molecular ecology of native and Lake Kivu introduced populations of the Lake Tanganyika poecilid fish, Lamprichthys tanganicanus, Eastern Africa

Abstract: Lamprichthys tanganicanus is a poecilid fish well identified as endemic in Lake Tanganyika. Since 2006, several individuals of this large killifish are caught using gill nets together with the clupeid Limnothrissa miodon in Lake Kivu. Mixed schools of Lamprichthys tanganicanus and Limnothrissa miodon fry were collected in the littoral zone of Lake Tanganyika suggesting tentatively that fry of the former species may have been accidentally introduced in Lake Kivu together with that of Limnothrissa miodon fifty years ago. Population genetics structure of this species has not yet been investigated in both native and introduction habitat. This study aims to characterize population genetic structure and level of genetic diversity of this fish in both native and introduction habitat. Specific objectives of this study are to discern the history of introduction and spread of L. tanganicanus in Lake Kivu, to discern the origin of strains that have been introduced in Lake Kivu.

Within this project, I can contribute to advance scientific research in my field through collaborative initiatives and sharing acquired information with other researchers around the world. Indeed, the results of this project will be made available to other researchers who wish to work on this issue. This allows other researchers to continue with the idea already started instead of repeating what has already been done.

Training location: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels

Joseph Lushombo Matabaro sampling fish at Lake Kivu (top) and working at the lab in Brussels (down).