Les communautés ichtyologiques de la rivière Baoulé dans le bassin du fleuve Niger au Mali

Ichtyological Communities of Baoule River in Mali. For updating of the fish fauna, ichthyological investigations were carried out on the Baoulé river in the Niger river Basin in Mali. Experimental and artisanal fishing were carried out on the main sites of the river with active and passive fishing materials. The indices of diversity and equitability were calculated. The Baoule river was rich in 75 species, 44 genera and 20 families. Specific diversity and the equitability in the superior part of the river were higher than those of the other localities. Sixty-four species were identified on the upper part of river against 58 and 50 species in middle and inferior parts, with in common 39 species. Mormyridae, Cyprinidae, Mochokidae, Alesttidae, Cichlidae were the most represented families. Clarotes laticeps (Rüppell, 1829); Labeo parvus Boulenger, 1902; Gymnarchus niloticus Cuvier, 1829; Synodontis courteti Pellegrin, 1906; Brevimyrus niger (Günther, 1866), Cyphomyrus psittacus (Boulenger, 1897); Hyppopotamyrus pictus (Marcusen, 1864), Petrocephalus bane (Lacépède, 1803); Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829); Polypterus bichir lapradei Steindachner, 1869; Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri Heckel, 1849; Protopterus annectens annectens (Owen, 1839) were represented in the upper part. Pellonula leonensis Boulenger, 1916; Nannocharax occidentalis Daget, 1959; Paradistichodus dimidiatus (Pellegrin, 1904) were found only in the lower part. The results will serve as references for the fish fauna and also to guide decision for future development on the Baoule river.