| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 1435 | 222 | No | |||
| Freshwater | 349 | 41 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 1763 | 240 | 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 country is divided into three areas:
(a) coastal lowlands, comprising about 44% of the country;
(b) central uplands, formed by plateaus of between 200 and 600 m, making up about 17% of the area; and
(c) a higher plateau, from 600 to 1,000 m, making up a further 26%.
Finally, there are mountainous areas along the western frontier.
The climate varies from tropical to subtropical, but becomes more temperate in the high plateau and mountainous areas. There is a warm, rainy season from November to March. Rainfall is irregular, particularly in the south. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: the main river is the Zambezi, which flows for its last 800 km through Mozambique before entering the Indian Ocean. Other important rivers are the Limpopo (400 km) and the Save (300 km). There are many smaller coastal rivers which, by reason of the irregularities fo the rainfall patterns, have hydrological regimes which vary widely from spate to flood.
Reservoirs: one major reservoir has been installed on the Zambezi River behind the dam at Cahora Bassa. This reservoir has an area of 2,665 km2. There are several other smaller reservoirs of importance.
Coastal lagoons: there are over 5,400 km2 of brackishwater lagoons situated in over 400 water bodies. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |