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A freshwater fish biodiversity and distribution at Bukit Merah Reservoir river feeders, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia
Abstract
A study on the distribution of freshwater fishes at several lotic systems around Bukit Merah Reservoir, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia has been conducted for 15 months, starting from November 2012 until January 2014. The study areas covered five river feeders , namely Sungai Merah, Sungai Ara, Sungai Kurau, Sungai Jelai and Sungai Jelutong with eight stations that flow into the Bukit Merah Reservoir. Forty two fish species, out from 16 families with 1856 specimens were recorded during the study period. No endemic or protected fish species has been recorded whereas only one exotic fish species, i.e. Barbonymus gonionotus has been recorded at lotic system. Sungai Kurau recorded highest species number with 26 species followed by Sungai Ara (25), Sungai Merah (21), Sungai Jelutung (19) whereas the lowest has been recorded at Sungai Jelai with 16 species. The first three dominant families were Cyprinidae, which represent 38.1% of the total species caught followed by Bagridae (11.9%) and Channidae (9.5%). Cyprinids become the most abundant fishes that represent 38.0% of the total individuals caught followed by Bagridae (12.0%) and Channidae (10.0%). However, this fish species checklist was not completed yet due to limited utilization of sampling gears which use solely on cast net. Hence, further study in terms of fish distributions by using different types of sampling gear should be carried out.
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An inventory study of fishes was carried out from June 2003 to May 2004 at Sungai Enam and Sungai Telang, which was last logged 40 years ago. In spite of the negative impacts of logging, the study recorded a total of 21 fish species in these headwaters, comprising nine families. Sungai Telang recorded 19 species with 11 species classified as "locally rare", whereas Sungai Enam recorded 11 species with nine species classified as "locally rare". When species from previous studies were included, the total number of species recorded in Sungai Enam and Sungai Telang was 28 and 27 species respectively. The presence of Devario regina, eolissochilus soroides and Poropuntius smedleyi in all inventory studies conducted indicate that both headwaters are healthy, and function as sources of clean water, nutrient supplies and fish recruits for Temengor Reservoir.
The fish fauna was surveyed at Bukit Merah Reservoir of Perak (one of the oldest reservoir in Peninsular
Malaysia) and its catchment areas. A total of 47 species from 19 families were recorded: 38 fish species were recorded
from eight sampling stations located in selected tributaries (lotic zone), while another 25 fish species were recorded in
the reservoir itself (lentic zone). Based on a combination of previously published checklists and the present survey, a total
of 76 fish species were recorded at Bukit Merah Reservoir. Out of these species, 25 fish species from this survey were newrecords. Most of the new records were found in the catchment area of the river basin. The presence of two alien species, Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus, should be noted as these species could affect the population of native species.
An intensive fish sampling by using LR-24 Smith-Root Backpack Electrofisher and cast
net was conducted at selected headwater streams of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve (UMFR) from 4 to 5 February 2012. A total of 25 fish species from nine families were obtained. The species number recorded in the present study is high when compared to the previous studies done in 2003 and 2005 which recorded 11 and 17 species, respectively. Out of this species number, 15 fish species are recorded for the first time herein, making it a total of 41 fish species from 16 families recorded from this forest reserve. However, the inventory is expected to increase as there are many other headwater streams of UMFR not been surveyed as yet.
We sampled lagoon, river and forest stream habitats during the rising water, wet, falling water, and dry seasons in the lowland region of the Yasuni National Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We collected 195 species, increasing the current number of species for the Napo River basin to approximately 562. The steady rate of species accumulation per sample suggests that the fish fauna is still undersampled. Lagoon, river and forest stream fish communities are highly diverse and variable, composed of common species found within several habitats, of characteristic species found throughout the year, and of seasonally migrating species. Characteristic lagoon species were mainly the curimatids Curimata vittata, Psectrogaster amazonica, Potamorhina altamazonica, P. latior and Cyphocharax plumbeus. The characins Hyphessobrycon copelandi and Hemigrammus cf. lunatus and the catfishes Nemadoras humeralis, Pimelodella sp. C and Sorubim sp. A were characteristic river species. Characteristic forest stream species included Hoplias malabaricus, Hyphessobrycon copelandi, Pimelodella sp. B and Sternopyugus macrurus. During the dry season, lagoon and river habitats had the highest number of individuals and species, as fishes were concentrated in decreasing habitat area. In contrast, stream habitats had the highest species richness and abundance during the rising water and falling water seasons. Species collected included vital food fishes and seasonal migrants. The migratory catfishes Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, Hemisorubim platyrhynchos, Platynematichthys notatus, Platystomatichthys sturio and Sorubim lima were collected during the falling water season, which suggests that these species may begin migrating earlier than expected. These findings highlight the importance of seasonality for both adequately assessing aquatic biodiversity and for developing research and conservation programs encompassing whole river ecosystems.
1. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of riparian buffers in the tropics, despite their potential to reduce the impacts of deforestation on stream communities. We examined macroinvertebrate assemblages and stream habitat characteristics in small lowland streams in southeastern Costa Rica to assess the impacts of deforestation on benthic communities and the influence of riparian forest buffers on these effects. Three different stream reach types were compared in the study: (i) forested reference reaches, (ii) stream reaches adjacent to pasture with a riparian forest buffer at least 15 m in width on both banks and (iii) stream reaches adjacent to pasture without a riparian forest buffer.
2. Comparisons between forest and pasture reaches suggest that deforestation, even at a very local scale, can alter the taxonomic composition of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, reduce macroinvertebrate diversity and eliminate the most sensitive taxa. The presence of a riparian forest buffer appeared to significantly reduce the effects of deforestation on benthic communities, as macroinvertebrate diversity and assemblage structure in forest buffer reaches were generally very similar to those in forested reference reaches. One forest buffer reach was clearly an exception to this pattern, despite the presence of a wide riparian buffer.
3. The taxonomic structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages differed between pool and riffle habitats, but contrasts among the three reach types in our study were consistent across the two habitats. Differences among reach types also persisted across three sampling periods during our 15‐month study.
4. Among the environmental variables we measured, only stream water temperature varied significantly among reach types, but trends in periphyton abundance and stream sedimentation may have contributed to observed differences in macroinvertebrate assemblage structure.
5. Forest cover was high in all of our study catchments, and more research is needed to determine whether riparian forest buffers will sustain similar functions in more extensively deforested landscapes. Nevertheless, our results provide support for Costa Rican regulations protecting riparian forests and suggest that proper riparian management could significantly reduce the impacts of deforestation on benthic communities in tropical streams.
A total of 1951 species of freshwater and marine fishes belonging to 704 genera and 186 families are recorded in Malaysia. Almost half (48%) are currently threatened to some degree, while nearly one third (27%) mostly from the marine and coral habitats require urgent scientific studies to evaluate their status. Freshwater habitats encompass the highest percentage of threatened fish species (87%) followed by estuarine habitats (66%). Of the 32 species of highly threatened (HT) species, 16 are freshwater and 16 are largely marine-euryhaline species. Fish extinctions in Malaysia are confined to two freshwater species, but both freshwater and marine species are being increasingly threatened by largely habitat loss or modification (76%), overfishing (27%) and by-catch (23%). The most important threat to freshwater fishes is habitat modification and overfishing, while 35 species are threatened due to their endemism. Brackish-water, euryhaline and marine fishes are threatened mainly by overfishing, by-catch and habitat modification. Sedimentation (pollution) additionally threatens coral-reef fishes. The study provides recommendations to governments, fish managers, scientists and stakeholders to address the increasing and unabated extinction risks faced by the Malaysian fish fauna.
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