The participation of M. Christian MUKWEZE MULELENU to the PAFFA 7 conference: a winning contribution

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Christian Mukweze Mulelenu is assistant at the University of Kolwezi (UNIKOL) and researcher attached to the Biodiversity and Sustainable Use of Wetlands (BEZHU) research unit at the University of Lubumbashi (UNILU) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is currently a doctoral student at the KU Leuven (Belgium), where he is doing research on the "Mormyridae (Teleostei: Osteoglossiformes) of the Upemba and Kundelungu national parks (south-eastern DR Congo): species diversity, adaptation and speciation", financed by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) through the MbiSa Congo II project (2019-2023). The same project funded his participation to the seventh conference of the Pan African Fish and Fisheries Association (PAFFA 7), held from 18 to 23 September 2023 at the University Marien Ngouabi in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.  

During his second participation, after that in Mangoshi in Malawi (PAFFA 6: 2018), Christian gave his oral presentation on the subject "Cyphomyrus lufirae et Heteromormyrus tavernei (Osteoglossiformes: Mormyridae) from the Middle Lufira Basin (Upper Congo Basin: DRC)". His research provides new insights on the eventual adaptability of the electric discharges, produced at the level of the caudal peduncle (tail), in these two studied species of weakly electric fish, and this in relation to the conductivity of the water in which these animals reside. This research will also enable us to better understand how these, possibly conductivity-related, signals might influence speciation and thus can provide, at least partially, an explanation for the hidden species diversity in this family. This research earned him one of the prizes for best oral presentation for students. More information.

 

Seven of the eight students awarded the prize for best student presentation at PAFFA 7 in Brazzaville (22.09.2023). From left to right: second person: Graça Jaime [South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) collaborator, also a partner institute of Mbisa Congo II] third person: Pacifique Kiwele Mutambala (RMCA, UNILU); and fifth person: Christian Mukweze Mulelenu (RMCA, KU Leuven, UNIKOL, UNILU and SAIAB collaborator).
Doctoral and Master's students who attended the seventh international conference of the Pan-African Fish and Fisheries Association (PAFFA) in Brazzaville (21.09.2023). M. Christian Mukweze Mulelenu (RMCA, KU Leuven, UNIKOL, UNILU and SAIAB collaborator): second, from right to left, on the penultimate row.