Rwanda supports a relatively small but biogeographically distinctive freshwater fish fauna. The country lies across the Congo–Nile divide, and its fishes occur in two major drainage systems. Western Rwanda drains through Lake Kivu and the Rusizi River toward the Congo Basin, whereas most of central and eastern Rwanda drains through the Nyabarongo–Akanyaru–Akagera system toward the Nile Basin. Rwanda also contains numerous highland lakes, lowland floodplain lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, reservoirs, ponds, and seasonally flooded habitats that support characteristic fish communities.

We present 75 species from 16 families in our draft checklist. The most historical national synthesis remains De Vos, Snoeks and Thys van den Audenaerde (2001), who produced the first comprehensive annotated checklist of Rwanda's fishes. Their treatment recognized 82 species in 12 families, including 13 species not identified to the species level, as well as 1 extinct species (Barbus microbarbis). This checklist includes 13 species resulting from deliberate or accidental introductions. 

With at least 37 species, cichlids are by far the largest fish family in the country followed by Cyprinidae, Mormyridae and Mochokidae, respectively represented by 24, six and four species. The other eight families are represented by one or two species only.

Their work was particularly valuable because it incorporated historical records, geographic distributions, taxonomic comments, introductions, English common names, and Kinyarwanda fish names.

Maetens et al (2025) suggest there are 61 described, native species belonging to 12 families (De Vos et al., 2001; Froese & Pauly, 2024). Despite its species poorness, it is an intriguing country from an ichthyological point of view as it is part of two of Africa's major river basins: the Congo and the Nile.

Subsequent taxonomic revisions and reassessments have changed the status and generic placement of a number of these fishes, so contemporary checklists require periodic updating.

Literature
De Vos, L., J. Snoeks,  Dirk F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde. 2009. An Annotated Checklist of the Fishes of Rwanda (East Central Africa), With Historical Data on Introductions of Commercially Important Species. Journal of East African Natural History 90(1):41. DOI: 10.2982/0012-8317(2001)90[41:AACOTF]2.0.CO;2

De Vos, L., J. Snoeks, and D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde. 2001. An annotated checklist of the fishes of Rwanda (East Central Africa), with historical data on introductions of commercially important species. Journal of East African Natural History 90: 41–68. 
https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-east-african-natural-history/volume-90/issue-1/0012-8317(2001)90[41:AACOTF]2.0.CO;2/An-Annotated-Checklist-of-the-Fishes-of-Rwanda-East-Central/10.2982/0012-8317(2001)90[41:AACOTF]2.0.CO;2.full

This remains the fundamental national reference for Rwanda's fish fauna.

De Vos, L., J. Snoeks, and D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde. 1990. The effects of Tilapia introductions in Lake Luhondo, Rwanda. Environmental Biology of Fishes 27(4): 303–308.

Important for understanding introduced fishes and historical changes to Rwanda's northern lake fauna.

Guillard, J., F. Darchambeau, P. Masilya Mulungula, and J.-P. Descy. 2012. Is the fishery of the introduced Tanganyika sardine (Limnothrissa miodon) in Lake Kivu (East Africa) sustainable? Journal of Great Lakes Research 38: 524–533.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230719388_Is_the_fishery_of_the_introduced_Tanganyika_sardine_Limnothrissa_miodon_in_Lake_Kivu_East_Africa_sustainable 

A major treatment of Lake Kivu's economically important pelagic fishery.

Maetens, H., P. N. Mukungilwa, A. Kasangaki, A. F. Boom, T. Nshimiyumuremyi, P. S. Munyandamutsa, V. Clausnitzer, N. Vranken, J. Snoeks, and M. Van Steenberge. 2025. An ichthyological borderland: The fishfauna of Nyungwe National Park and surroundings (Rwanda, East Africa). Journal of Fish Biology 107: 1898–1909. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.70185

Provides the most important recent field assessment of Rwanda's montane stream fishes. 

Snoeks, J., B. Kaningini, P. Masilya, L. Nyina-wamwiza, and J. Guillard. 2012. Fishes in Lake Kivu: Diversity and fisheries. In J.-P. Descy, F. Darchambeau and M. Schmid, eds., Lake Kivu: Limnology and Biogeochemistry of a Tropical Great Lake, pp. 127–152. Springer.

This is the principal modern review of Lake Kivu's fish diversity, endemism and fisheries.

R Mwimba, S Rukera Tabaro, N.M.M Syaghalirwa. 2024. Current status of Cyprinids abundance and diversity and their potential for aquaculture production in Rwanda. Rwanda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Vol 3, No. 1. 
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/rjeas/article/view/266767/251717

Muderhwa & Matabaro (2010). The introduction of the endemic fish species, Lamprichthys tanganicanus, from Lake Tanganyika into Lake Kivu: Possible causes and effects. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 13:203–213. 
https://univofbukavu.ac.cd/mup_documents/hqzxpfim10.pdf

Masilya et al. (2011). Diet overlap between the newly introduced Lamprichthys tanganicanus and the Tanganyika sardine in Lake Kivu, Eastern Africa. Hydrobiologia 675:75–86.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-011-0797-y

Isumbisho et al. (2011). The feeding habit of the Cyprinidae Rastrineobola argentea in its new habitat, lakes Bulera and Ruhondo, two Rwandan lakes. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 403:04.
https://www.kmae-journal.org/articles/kmae/abs/2011/04/kmae100055/kmae100055.html

MINAGRI (2019–2020). Annual report documenting the stocking of L. miodon into Burera and Ruhondo. Government report. https://www.minagri.gov.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/Minagri/Publications/Annual_Reports/Annual_report_2019-20_FY_.pdf