Hybridization of two exotic cichlids from Nahal Amal

The freshwater fish of Israel studies were conducted in two phases: the molecular studies were based on DNA barcoding of the ichthyofauna of Lake Kinneret (Lake of Galilee) and augmented by a wider study of the entire freshwater ichthyofauna of Israel including exotic species. The results of these two projects lead to a reconsideration of the taxonomic status of some species and established a basis for monitoring fish populations, thus contributing to conservation management. These two projects were led by Dr R. Tatdmor-Levi, the late T. Borovski and Prof L. David.

The second project consolidated 23 years (1998-2021) of annual sampling of the ichthyofauna of Nahal Amal (Nahal Assi). Until 2010 this stream was dominated by the indigenous cichlid Astatotilapia flavuujosephi which was drastically in decline and replaced by aquarium Lake Malawi exotic cichlids belonging to the genera Pseudotroheus and Aulonocara. It is surmised that the exotic species were escapees from a near-by fish hatchery.

Golani, D. and D. Mires, 2000. Introduction of fishes to the freshwater system of Israel. The Israeli Journal of Aquaclture - Bamidgeh, 52: 47-60.

Tadmor-Levi, R., Borovski, T., Marcos-Hadad, E., Shapiro, J., Hulata, G., Golani, D. and David, L. (2022). Establishing and using a genetic database for resolving identification of fish species in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. PLoS ONE 17(5): e0267021.

Tadmor-Levi, R, Feldstein-Farkash, T., Milstein, D., Golani, D., Leader, N., Goren, M. and David, L. (submitted). Revisiting the species list of freshwater fish in Israel based on DNA barcoding. Ecology and Evolution.

Number of specimens of the main taxa in each sample in Nahal Amal. Green – Astatotilapia flaviijosephi, purple – Pseudotropheus spp., red - Aulonocara spp.