| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 1764 | 405 | No | |||
| Freshwater | 80 | 20 | No | 450 | Kottelat, M. and T. Whitten, 1996 | |
| Total | 1987 | 438 | No | |||
| Conservation | Existing Identification Guides to the freshwater fishes of Northern and Southern Vietnam are in need of critical revision. No information on the conservation status is available. The distribution of Vietnam’s water resources is highly uneven, causing problems of flooding. Deforestation rates have been fairly high over the past few decades as a result of logging, agriculture, and war. The following information is to be sought: - 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 |
Vietnam occupies the easternmost part of Indochina, a rugged, elongated, S-shaped strip of mountains, coastal plains, and river deltas.The country can be divided into four major regions. In the northwest is the mountainous southerly extension of China’s Yunnan Plateau. To the east of the highlands is the Red River (also known as the Song Hong) delta, a triangular lowland along the Gulf of Tonkin (an arm of the South China Sea). To the south the Annamite Chain, which run northwest to southeast, and an associated coastal plain form the backbone of central Vietnam. The fourth and southernmost region is the Mekong River Delta, a depositional area of flat land.
Three basic climate types are found in Vietnam. In the north, especially in the interior, the temperatures are subtropical. Shifting seasonal wind patterns result in dry winters and wet summers. The central and southeastern areas typify the tropical monsoon climate, with high temperatures and abundant precipitation. In the southwest, distinct wet and dry periods are evident, but temperatures are higher than in the north. Ref. Microsoft, 1996 |
| Hydrography |
The Red River in the north and the Mekong in the south are the two major freshwater sources in the country. The Red flows almost directly southeast from the northwestern highlands, whereas the Mekong follows an irregular path from Cambodia, crosses southernmost Vietnam, and empties into the South China Sea through a complex network of tributaries. Ref. Microsoft, 1996 |