Appearance and lifestyle:
Clanwilliam yellowfish (Labeobarbus capensis), also known as the Berg-Breede yellowfish and the Cape yellowfish are golden-yellow freshwater fish. They can grow up to 1 meter long and they have thick lips that are suited for bottom feeding.
Habitat:
This species lives only in the deep pools and slow-flowing regions of the Olifants River in the Western Cape. These fish migrate upstream to spawn over gravel beds in the middle reaches.
Diet:
They feed on algae, crustaceans and small fish.
Threats:
They are threatened by dam construction, which blocks migration routes and alters the river’s natural flood and temperature cycles. Other threats include large-scale removal of river water, and alien fish that feed on yellowfish eggs and young.
Largest recorded is 98,7cm in length and weighing 10,66kg