| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 537 | 169 | No | Quéro, J.-C., J.-C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.), 1990 | ||
| Freshwater | 162 | 35 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 692 | 195 | 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 |
The surface area of Sierra Leone is 71,620 sq. km. Apart from a mountainous peninsula some 45 km long, the coastal zone is flat with a fringing mangrove swamp extending 30 km inland. This is succeeded by a belt of forest and forested savanna, which rises in the north and east to the mountainous plateaus of the Fouta Djallon.
The climate is generally hot and humid throughout the year; the rains are concentrated into a single rainy season extending from May to October. Sierra Leone is mainly an agricultural and forestry country but also has considerable mineral resources. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: there is one small lake in the country (Sonfon).
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: Sierra Leone is well supplied with small rivers which drain the northern highlands and discharge into the Atlantic. Principal among these are the Sewa River (340 km approx.), Jong River (230 km), Little Scarcies River (260 km), Rokel River (260 km) and Moa River (190 km). The rivers all rocky and torrential in their upper courses but open into wide estuaries which penetrate far inland and are bordered by mangrove swamps (over 10,000 sq. km. in area) and floodplains.
Reservoirs: there are no major reservoirs in the country. There are small dams at Musaja, Sefadu, Jaiama, Loma Valley and Regent.
Coastal lagoons: the lower courses of the rivers are deeply invaded by saline waters, as are the extensive marshes surrounding the Little Scarcies and Sewa Rivers. There are two large lagoons: Mabegi and Mape, and many smaller lagoons. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |