| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 478 | 134 | No | |||
| Freshwater | Yes | Microsoft, 1996 | ||||
| Total | 479 | 134 | No | |||
| Conservation | No primary freshwater fishes. Existence and status of diadromous fishes to be confirmed. Due to the naturally poor state of the soils, fish and coconut are the main staples of Tuvalu. Fishing rights for tuna have been leased to United States and Japanese fleets. During the 1980s, tuna stocks dwindled as harvest rates exceeded what the population could replace. |
| Geography and Climate |
Tuvalu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, consists of nine inhabited coral atolls. The Solomon Islands are located to the west and Fiji to the south. Funafuti Atoll is the main island. Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. The islands are low-lying coral formations, largely covered by coconut palms.
The climate is warm and humid year-round, with an average annual temperature of 27°C and an average annual rainfall of 3,048 millimeters. Ref. Microsoft, 1996 |
| Hydrography |
There are no streams or rivers on the islands and groundwater is not potable, rainwater is collected and stored in cisterns to meet all freshwater needs. Ref. Microsoft, 1996 |