Upper Zambezi labeo

The Upper Zambezi labeo, Labeo lunatus, is a cyprinid fish of southern Africa. It lives in the Upper Zambezi and Okavango river systems, with a range that takes in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It occupies rocky stretches of streams as well as large soft-bottomed lagoons on floodplains, favouring the main river channel and quieter rocky ground rather than fast rapids, and it moves in shoals. It feeds mostly on algae, aufwuchs and detritus. Breeding takes place in summer, most likely in flooded marginal habitats. Adults reach about 40 centimetres in standard length and can weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. The body is greenish or silvery grey with parallel lines formed by the dark bases of the scales, and the fins have blackish membranes. The species is common, but its numbers shift with flood levels and have declined in the Upper Zambezi, probably through heavy fishing on spawning runs. It supports local artisanal fisheries.