| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 1087 | 155 | No | 992 | Fricke, R., 1999 | |
| Freshwater | 50 | 17 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 1120 | 163 | No | |||
| Conservation | The following information is to be sought: - Status of knowledge of the freshwater fauna; - Existence of conservation plans; - Information on major aquatic habitats or sites within the country; - Current major threats to species; - Future potential threats to species; - Contact(s) for further information. |
| Geography and Climate |
Mauritius is a volcanic island composed mainly of basalt rock. It is situated in the southwest of the Indian Ocean between 57°18' and 57°48' East and between 19°50' and 20°31' South. It is almost entirely surrounded by a barrier coral reef which encloses a lagoon of 243 km2. The inland topography is dominated by three mountain ranges situated in the northwest, southeast and southwest regions and a central plateau which rises to 600 m above sea level.
The climate of Mauritius is determined by its oceanic position and location at 20°S in the belt of the southeast Trade Winds. These winds are stronger in the winter and weaker in summer. About 70% of the rainfall occurs between December and May. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: there are two small lakes: Grand Basin and Bassin Blanc. Because of their small area their contribution to fisheries is negligible.
Rivers: most of the rivers (i.e., Tamarin, Black, Poste, Grand) have their source in the central plateau. The rivers and their tributaries are swift-flowing, of steep gradient interspersed by falls and cascades, although there are also extensive reaches of quiet, slow-moving water in some rivers. The rivers have a total length of 449 km and cover an area of about 331 hectares.
Reservoirs: there are 10 reservoirs on the island covering an area of about 15 km2. Another fairly large reservoir is under construction for the Champagne Hydroelectric project.
Coastal lagoons: there are 25 artificial lagoons (barachois) along the coastline with a combined area of 2.88 km2. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |