Submission: April 03, 2020; Published: April 16, 2020

*Corresponding author: Zuheir N Mahmoud, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Sudan

How to cite this article: Zuheir N M. Contribution of Research Projects and Environmental Impact Assessment Studies to Fauna Biodiversity in Sudan. Int J Environ Sci Nat Res. 2020; 24(2): 556135. DOI: 10.19080/IJESNR.2020.24.556135

Abstract

Eighteen species of ants were recorded for the first time in Sudan including Lepisiota omeri n. sp.; Parasitological surveys of freshwater fishes of the Sudan during 2006 to 2014revealed the presence of four genera of parasitic crustacean; 42 species belonging to 19 monogenean genera parasites were collected from 26 fish species. Out of these the following five species are new to science (n. sp.): Quadriacanthus fornicatus, Q. pravus, Q. zuheiri, Q. mandibulatus and Dogielius senegalensis. Seven new records to the Sudan helminthes were added. These are: two cestodes (Monobothrioides tchadensis and Proteocephalus glanduligerus); one digenetic (Clinostomum complanatum larva) and three nematodes (Capillaria sp., Spinitectus sp. and Philometra bagri. Recording of Barsonella lafoni as a n. sp. of Proteocephalidean (Cestoda) from Clarias catfishes was based on material from Tarkana Lake (Kenya) and Wadi Halfa, Lake Nubia, Sudan.

Fourteen nematodes including Cucullanus mormyri sp. n. from Mormyrus caschive from Kosti (White Nile) and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pseudospiralis sp. n. from Synodontis schall from Khartoum, and S. frontosus, S. nigrita and S. schall from Khashm el Girba (Atbara River). In addition to two nematodes Contracaecum sp. Third stage-larvae Type 2 and Capillariidae gen. sp., needs further evaluation. All these parasites represent new host and geographical records. With respect to fishes an apparently undescribed Haplochromis species, marked variation in Sarotherodon galilaeus populations were noticed. Paradistichodus dimidiatus and Enteromius macrops were reported for the first time from the main Nile Basin. The mormyrid species Cyphomyrus petherici and Petrocephalus keatingii, as well as the small mochokid Mochokus brevis are new locality record for the White Nile. Coptodon zilli is a new locality record for Lake Nubia. Six bird species: Pelecanus onocrotalus, Phalacrocorax africanus, Ciconia ciconia, Platalea leucorodia, Haliaetus vocifer and Pluvianus aegyptius were recorded for the first time from Lake Nubia.

Keywords: Fauna; Biodiversity; Sudan

Introduction

Sudan is endowed with diversified habitats extending from the Red Sea hot brines (Atlantis II Deep) in the east to the high peaks of Jebel Marra in the west. Its ecological zones extend from low rain fall savannah in the south to deserts in the north with the meandering River Nile and its tributaries heading north to Egypt at the Mediterranean Sea. The goods, services and values provided by the biota in these habitats are immense. In line with this is the value of corals of the Sudanese Red Sea described by Jacques Cousteau “Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of The Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendor” [1]. The presence of some flora communities in remote and inaccessible areas calls for fund raising to fill in the gap in knowledge [2]. This holds true for fauna.

The author contributed in the following four studies: diversity of ants of Sudan based on material collected during environmental impact assessment surveys; parasitological findings from freshwater fishes collected from Kosti, Sinnar, Khashm el Girba “Parasitological survey of freshwater fishes of the Nile project” [3-5]; the diversity of fresh water fishes project [6] and the avifauna of Lake Nubia documented in “Watershed Management Framework: Nubia Lake Environmental Survey” [7].

The objective of this work is to cast light on the contribution of field work, research projects and environmental impact assessment studies to the fauna Biodiversity in Sudan based on data from four selected.

Material and Methods

Ants were picked up using a strip of paper, preserved in 70% ethanol with one drop of glycerol. Identification of ant was based on Bolton [8-11]. The websites [10,11] contains notes on ants of the Sudan concerning location, habits, collector and authors.

The gills of freshly killed fishes were extracted and examined in bottled water under a dissecting microscope. Live monogeneans were individually picked from the gills with fine needles and prepared for morphological studies following [12]. Parasites found in the intestine were isolated and prepared for examination following [13,14] as appropriate.

For description of birds seen a binocular (B-111, 8x30 ZCF) was used. Their identification followed [15-17]. Their status information followed [18] and conservation status followed [19]. Documentation was made by a Nikon DX (AF-SNIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G and 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED) digital camera whenever appropriate.

Results and Discussion

Ants

The findings are summarized in the following points:

a) Lepisiota omeri Taylor was described as a new Hymenoptera, Formicidae species for science from Haj Abd Alla 13°58›0» N, 33°34›60” E) Sinnar State, Sudan [20]. Oxford University Museum of Natural History was the depository of the prototype L. omeri (Figure 1).

b) Eighteen species of ants were recorded for the first time in Sudan from 26 localities (Table 1).

c) Pachycondyla ruginota was most diverse and was encountered in 10 localities, followed by Catagluphis adyssinicus in 5 localities.

Parasites of freshwater fishes

Parasitological surveys of freshwater fishes of the Sudan during 2006 to 2014 revealed the following: a) Four genera of parasitic crustacean were

a) Four genera of parasitic crustacean were record. These were Argulus, Ergasilus, Lamproglena and Lernaea and 12 species new for science were documented. Forty two species belonging to 19 monogenean genera parasites were collected from 26 fish species [3].

b) The monogenean genera identified are: Annulotrema, Bagrobdella, Bouxiella, Characidotrema, Cichlidogyrus, Dactylogyrus, Diplectanum, Diplozoon, Dogielius, Enterogyrus, Gyrodactylus, Heterobothrium, Heteronchocleidus, Onchobdella, Protoancylodiscoides, Schilbetrema, Scutogyrus, Synodontella and Quadriacanthus [3].

c) Seven species (four new) of Quadriacanthus were collected from the gills of three species of catfishes from the Nile River Basin (Sudan). These were as follows: Quadriacanthus aegypticus El-Naggar and Serag, 1986, Quadriacanthus clariadis Paperna, 1961, Quadriacanthus fornicatus n. sp., Quadriacanthus pravus n. sp., and Quadriacanthus zuheiri n. sp. from Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae); Quadriacanthus mandibulatus n. sp. from Heterobranchus bidorsalis (Clariidae); and Quadriacanthus bagrae Paperna, 1979 from Bagrus docmak (Bagridae), [21]. Parasitological survey of Labeo (Cyprinidae) horie and L. niloticus at Kosti (White Nile) and Sinnar (Blue Nile) in Sudan revealed the presence of ten species of Dactylogyrus and three species of Dogielius.

e) Studies of the species of Characidotrema (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) and reported from Brycinus nurse: Characidotrema brevipenis, C. nursei, C. spinivaginus, C. zelotes and the new species Characidotrema pollex n. sp from Kosti and Sinnar [22]. The morphology of Schilbetrema spp. from Sudan, complemented with molecular analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data (28S, 18S and ITS-rDNA), is still under evaluation. Eleven Schilbetrema species have been distinguished. Phylogenetic analysis showed division of Schilbetrema species into two main clades corresponding to host species (A–Schilbe intermedius and S. uranoscopus; S. mystus) [22].

f) Most of the monogenean and crustacean parasites were attached to the gills than to the fins and body surface. Two monogenean species belonging to the genus Enterogyrus were found even in stomach [3].

g) To the Sudan helminthes Barsonella lafoni was added as a new genus and species of Proteocephalidean (Cestoda) from Clarias catfishes was based on material from Tarkana Lake (Kenya) and Wadi Halfa, Lake Nubia, Sudan [24]. Redescription of the following cestodes: Proteocephalus sulcatus of Clarotes laticeps [25], Sandonella sandoni [26], Tapeworms of Synodontis spp., [27], Proteocephalus glanduligerus from Clarias catfishes [28] and revision on Wenyonia spp. from catfishes was based on material from Khartoum and Kosti [29]. The presence of the cestode Monobothrioides tchadensis, from Auchenoglanis sp. from Kosti and the digenetic Clinostomum complanatum larva, from Heterotis niloticus from Khartoum were confirmed.

h) Nematodes of some freshwater of Sudan and two new species were added [30]. The new species were: Cucullanus mormyri sp. n. from Mormyrus caschive from Kosti (White Nile) and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pseudospiralis sp. n. from Synodontis schall from Khartoum, and S. frontosus, S. nigrita and S. schall from Khashm el Girba (Atbara River). Other 10 species were described. These were Falcaustra (=Spironoura) hexapapillata, Falcaustra sudanensis, Falcaustra similis, Cucullanus barbi,Cucullanus baylisi, Cithariniella, Multicaecum heterotis, Camallanus longicaudatus, Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, Spinitectus polli, in addition to Contracaecum sp. Third stagelarvae Type 2 and Capillariidae gen. sp. [30].

i) Taxonomic evaluation was made on the basis of both morphometrical observation and molecular methods and constituted the material of 10 publications [3-5, 21 to 30].

j) Material collected in 2014 is still under identification process.

Freshwater fishes

Moritz et al. [6] reported from Kosti (White Nile) an apparently undescribed Haplochromis species. They also noted a marked variance in Sarotherodon galilaeus populations. Specimens from Makhaleif and Kosti differ clearly in head contour, overall body shape and colouration pattern from standard Nilo-Sudanian S. galilaeus commonly occurring in the White Nile and elsewhere. They reported Enteromius macrops for the first time from the Nile Basin and confirmed the first record of Paradistichodus dimidiatus in the Nile system made by [3]. The mormyrid species Cyphomyrus petherici and Petrocephalus keatingii, as well as the small mochokid Mochokus brevis are new locality record for the White Nile [6]. Coptodon zilli is a new locality record for Lake Nubia [31].

Birds of lake nubia

The survey of birds of Lake Nubia (21°00’00” and 22°00.00”N, 30°30’00” and 31°30’00” E) was made in 2015 by [7] recorded 32 species falling into 13 families, while 41 species falling into 14 families were recorded by [32].

The following six species Pelecanus onocrotalus, Phalacrocorax africanus, Ciconia ciconia, Platalea leucorodia (Figure 2), Haliaetus vocifer and Pluvianus aegyptius were recorded for the first time from Lake Nubia.

Ant

According to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http:// www.iucnredlist.org, 2012) all the birds listed in Table 2 are categorized as least concern (ver 3.1). The list given in Table 2 included [32] data as well.

Lake Nubia provides food for a considerable number of bird species. Based on [33] the birds of Lake Nubia can be divided into: aquatic plants feeders such as the White faced Whistling Duck; aquatic insects’ feeders such as Swifts; invertebrate’s feeders such as migrant waders and railsn; piscivores such as Osprey and kingfishers (Figure 3). Cattle Egret is partially dependant on aquatic food [34].

The plans for future work include collection of faunal material from other localities, especially those inaccessible for the time being.

Acknowledgement

Dr. B. Taylor and Dr. Awatif K. Omer identified the ant species. The Czech, Slovenian and Swiss fish parasitologist cited in reference list are highly acknowledged.

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