| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 673 | 183 | No | Quéro, J.-C., J.-C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.), 1990 | ||
| Freshwater | 154 | 45 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 801 | 209 | No | |||
| Conservation | The following information is to be sought: - Status of knowledge of the freshwater fauna; - 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 |
Most of Senegal is low-lying, rolling terrain covered with savanna. In the southeast the country rises to the foothills of the Fouta Djallon Mountains. Some rainforests and swamps are found in the south.
There are two well-defined seasons: the rains occur from June to October; December-February is cool and dry. Senegal is a very arid country over much of which marginal agriculture is practised. There is some pastoralism, especially in the eastern parts and in the Senegal River Valley. Much of the river valley is being converted to irrigated agriculture, a process which will be accelerated after the construction of the projected upstream dams.
Many small rivers go dry from February-March to July. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: one major lake, the Lac de Guiers, is connected to the Senegal River by a short channel, the Tawey. The lake area fluctuates between 120 sq. km. at low water and 240 sq. km. at high water.
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: the Senegal River and its tributary, the Falmèmè, form the northern and western frontiers of the country with Mali and Mauritania. The Senegal River has extensive floodplains, both fringing the main channel (5,000 sq. km. at peak flood) and in the delta (7,970 sq. km. at peak flood). Other rivers are the Saloum, Gambia and Casamance.
Reservoirs: there are no major reservoirs at present although there are proposals to install a flood-control dam in the Senegal River delta at Diama. Other dams are planned at Kekreti and Sambangalou (on the Gambia River) and at Guidel, Baile and Anambè (on the Casamance River).
Coastal lagoons: the Casamance River has an estuarine zone which extends far inland. There are also estuarine lagoons around the mouth of the Saloum River, and the Senegal River has an extensive delta which is deeply penetrated by salt water. There are a few small lagoons to the north of Dakar. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |