The fish fauna of Nee Soon Swamp Forest, Singapore

• Main Authors: Li, Tianjiao, Chay, Chee Kin, Lim, Wei Hao, Cai, Yixiong
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Freshwater fish
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82096; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/41123; http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/index.php/supplements?id=368
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Nee Soon Swamp Forest is the last remaining primary freshwater swamp forest in Singapore and contains almost half of its native and threatened freshwater fauna. As the last in-depth fauna study of freshwater fishes in NSSF was published nearly two decades ago, eight series of surveys were carried out over a year to document the species currently present and to update their conservation status. Of the 36 species found, 30 are native to Singapore and six are likely to be introduced from elsewhere in Southeast Asia (4), East Asia (1) and the New World (1). One native species, Barbodes lateristriga is documented for the first time in Nee Soon Swamp Forest. Spatial and temporal differences in the mean abundance of fishes found, as well as interesting distribution patterns of freshwater fish in Nee Soon Swamp Forest are crucial in the formulation of conservation strategies to safeguard the current diversity of fish species, many of which are critically endangered or threatened at the national level in the rapidly developing Singapore.