Kratie - Stung Treng (Mekong)



ID

728

Author(s)

J. Hales


Countries

Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam

Reviewer(s)

Pending review.


Major Habitat Type

Tropical and subtropical floodplain rivers and wetland complexes

Drainages flowing into

South China Sea


Main rivers to other water bodies

Mekong River, Kong River, Srepok River, San River



Description

Boundaries

This ecoregion includes the Mekong River and its tributaries between Prek Chhlong in the south to Khone Falls in the north.

Terrestrial habitats

This ecoregion spans the Southeastern Indochina dry evergreen forests, Central Indochina dry forests, and Southern Annamites montane rain forests (Wikramanayake et al. 2002).

Description of endemic fishes

The ecoregion contains nearly 30 endemics represented largely by the genera Hemimyzon, Schistura, Sewellia (Balitoridae); and Poropuntius (Cyprinidae).

Justification for delineation

For Southeast Asia, delineations were determined using a bottom-up approach that employed both published and unpublished field data and expert assessment (Abell et al. 2008; Kottelat 1989, 2001; Rainboth 1996).  The ecoregion features Khone Falls, several stretches of rapids between Sambor and Stung Treng, and the Bolaven Plateau.


References

  • Abell, Robin,M.L. Thieme,C. Revenga,M. Bryer,M. Kottelat,N. Bogutskaya,B. Coad,N. Mandrak,S.C. Balderas,W. Bussing,M.L.J. Stiassny,P. Skelton,G.R. Allen,P. Unmack,A. Naseka,R. Ng,N. Sindorf,J. Robertson,E. Armijo,J.V. Higgins,T.J. Heibel,E. Wikramanayake, (2008). "Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation" BioScience 58 (5) pp. 403-414.
  • Kottelat, M. (1989). "Zoogeography of the fishes from Indochinese inland waters with an annotated check-list" Bulletin Zoologisch Museum Universiteit van Amsterdam 12 (1) pp. 1-54.
  • Kottelat, M. (2001). "Fishes of Laos" Colombo: Wildlife Heritage Trust.
  • Wikramanayake, Eric,Dinerstein, Eric,Loucks, C.,Olson, D.M.,Morrison, J.,Lamoreux, J. L.,McKnight, M.;Hedao, P. (2002). "Terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A conservation assessment" Washington, DC: Island Press.
  • Rainboth, W. J. (1996). "Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong" Rome: FAO.
  • Freyhof, J.;D.V. Serov (2000). "Review of the genus Sewellia with description of two new species from Vietnam (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae)" Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 11 (3) pp. 217-240.