Sri Lanka Wet Zone
ID
718
Author(s)
J. Hales
Countries
Sri Lanka
Major Habitat Type
Tropical and subtropical coastal rivers
Drainages flowing into
Indian Ocean
Description
Boundaries
The Sri Lanka Wet Zone ecoregion encompasses southwestern Sri Lanka, from the Kelani Ganga to the Niwala Ganga basins, and the upper Mahaweli Ganga basin.
Description of endemic fishes
26 endemic species, 3 endemic to Sri Lanka [ecoregions 718, 717]
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For Southeast Asia, delineations were determined using a bottom-up approach that employed both published and unpublished field data and expert assessment (Abell et al. 2008; Pethiyagoda 1991). The ecoregion is distinguished from ecoregion 717 by differences in climate and fauna (M. Kottelat pers. comm. 2006).
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.
- Pethiyagoda, R. (1991). "Freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka" Colombo, Sri Lanka: Wildlife Heritage Trust.