Patterns of distribution and conservation status of freshwater fishes in South Africa
2011
P.H. Skelton | J.A. Cambray | A. Lombard | G.A. Benn
The combined fish collection databases of the Albany Museum and the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology are<br />used to identify hotspots of endemism and threatened fish distributions in South Africa. Hotspots of fish species<br />richness occur in the north-eastern lowveld sectors of South Africa and along the ecotone between the tropical,<br />subtropical and temperate faunal zones. Hotspots of endemic fish richness occur within both the tropical and<br />temperate faunal regions, notably in the Olifants River system, Western Cape and in areas of high relief such as<br />the Cape Fold Mountains, the Amatola-Winterberg (Eastern Cape), and the Drakensberg Escarpment (Kwazulul<br />Natal-Eastern Transvaal). Threatened taxa are concentrated in the hotspots of endemic species richness which<br />coincide largely with areas of major river conservation concern. There is limited scope for fish conservation<br />within the ambit of formal (or informal) declared reserves, and the survival of the fauna depends on the success<br />of river catchment conservation management. The value of museum collections in identifying areas of conservation<br />concern for freshwater fishes is emphasized, and highlights the importance of well-preserved voucher specimens<br />for biodiversity conservation.
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