Boundaries

This ecoregion, which extends along the northwestern coast of Africa, contains a freshwater fauna with European elements and relatively high endemism for a dry region. Rivers and streams drain the Atlas Mountains and flow into the Atlantic Ocean, or into the interior.  Productive chotts (shallow, irregularly flooded depressions) or sebkhas (irregularly flooded depressions) also provide important habitat for waterbirds.  Parts of Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Mauritania are covered by this ecoregion.

Topography

This ecoregion comprises a rugged topography characterized by the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, Moyen Atlas and Rif Mountains, which forms part of the Gibraltar Arc.

Freshwater habitats

Perennial and intermittent streams originate in the Atlas Mountains complex, comprised from west to east of the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, and Moyen Atlas.  These streams flow either to the coast or inland.  The principal rivers flowing to the Atlantic coast are the Sebou, Oumer, Rbia, Tensift, and Sous. Many of the interior-flowing streams go underground and contribute water to the extensive aquifers that underlie the ecoregion.  Others flow into chotts, flooding them during the winter and creating habitat for breeding and non-breeding waterbirds.  Reedbeds, including Phragmites australis, Scirpus lacustris, and Typha species, dominate the fringes of coastal ponds, lakes, and intermittent waterways (Hughes and Hughes 1992). Many of the coastal wetlands of the ecoregion are designated as Ramsar sites, including Merja Zerga, Merja Sidi Boughaba, Lac d\\\'Afennourir, and Baie de Khnifiss (Wetlands International 2002).  Cold-water springs, which support many endemic stenothermal species, are found throughout the highlands (Giudicelli and Dakki 1984).

Terrestrial habitats

Mediterranean woodlands and steppe are the dominant historical terrestrial habitats of this ecoregion.

Description of endemic fishes

Endemics include Salmo pallaryi (now extinct), S. akairos, Cobitis maroccana (VU), Barbus labiosa, B. magniatlantis, B. ksibi (VU), B. issenensis (VU), B. massaensis, B. nasus, B. harterti (VU), Barbus paytonii (VU), Barbus reinii (VU), and two more undescribed species of Barbus. Near- endemics include Varicorhinus maroccanus and B. pallaryi, whose ranges extend into ecoregion 503.

Other noteworthy fishes

Other noteworthy species include Tilapia zillii, Labeobarbus fritschii, Atherina boyeri, and Alosa alosa.

Justification for delineation

This ecoregion’s southern border follows Roberts’ (1975) delineation of the Maghreb ichthyofaunal province, delimited in the southeast by the Atlas Mountains. The freshwater fauna of this ecoregion shares an affinity with that of Europe’s Mediterranean ecoregions with Iberian elements present.  It is distinguished from the Mediterranean Northwest Africa ecoregion [502] to the east by its richer, more permanent rivers, Iberian elements, and presence of salmonids. The only Cobitidae representative in Africa, Cobitis maroccana, occurs in the highland streams this ecoregion. Similarly, the only native Salmonidae species in Africa occurs in this ecoregion (Roberts 1975; Lévêque 1990).

Level of taxonomic exploration

Good