The Fresh-Water Fishes of North Borneo

About this book

North Borneo (now Sabah) is situated at the northern tip of Borneo Island (the third largest island in the world), it lies between 5 and 7 degrees north of the Equator. It covers an area of 73,711 sq. km. (29,388 sq. miles) or about 10% of Borneo's total area of 286 699 sq. miles, yet it has nearly 40% of the fresh-water fish species now known from Borneo. One hundred and sixty eight species of fresh-water fishes are described in The Fresh-water Fishes of North Borneo; among them 62 species are endemic to Borneo and 29 species are endemic to North Borneo.

The most interesting groups of the endemic fishes are the clinging-fishes, which are found in the mountain streams, especially in the Kinabalu Park, which comprise Gastromyzon (8 species), Glaniopsis (4 species), Protomyzon (4 species) and Neogastromyzon (1 species). The Giant Goramy or Ikan Kului, Osphronemus laticlavius, is perhaps the most spectacular fresh-water fish endemic to Sabah, which has found its way to the lucrative global ornamental fish trade in recent years.

Contents

List Of Text Figures 5

INTRODUCTION 9
Materials and Methods 12
Gazetteer of Localities 14
Acknowledgments 16
The Environment 17

SYSTEMATICS 27
Key to Major Catagories of Fishes 27
Clupeidae 27
Engraulidae 32
Mastacembelidae 34
Anguillidae 37
Synbranchidae 40
Cyprinoidea 40
Cyprinidae 43
Gastromyzontidae 104
Homalopteridae 114
Cobitidae 115
Siluroidea 126
Siluridae 128
Clariidae 130
Akysidae 133
Bagridae 135
Sisoridae 145
Schilbeidae 146
Ariidae 149
Poeciliidae 152
Hemiramphidae 152
Syngnathidae 154
Ophicephalidae 154
Anabantidae 156
Ambassidae 164
Nandidae 164
Toxotidae 165
Sciaenidae 166
Lutianidae 167
Eleotridae 167
Gobiidae 176
Taenioididae 189
Tetraodontidae 190

ECOLOGY 193
Introduction 193
Distribution with Respect to Turbidity 205
Coastal and Interior Distributions 206
Flooding 209
Food and Feeding Relations 215
Vertical Distribution within Streams 225
The River Community 232
Summary of Community Organization in Small Streams 234

ZOOGEOGRAPHIC RELATIONS 237
FRESH-WATER FISH CULTURE IN NORTH BORNEO 249

References 255
Index To Local Names Of Fishes 260
General Index 263

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