NOR THERN AFRICA - IUCN

THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION 

OF FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY IN 

NORTHERN AFRICA 

N. García, A. Cuttelod and D. Abdul Malak 

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Regional Assessment 

NORTHERN AFRICA

THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION 

OF FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY IN 

NORTHERN AFRICA 

N. García, A. Cuttelod and D. Abdul Malak 

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Regional Assessment

The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever 

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The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, or other participating organizations. 

Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, Cambridge, UK, and Malaga, Spain 

Copyright: © 2010 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 

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Red List logo: © 2008 

Citation: García, N., Cuttelod, A. and Abdul Malak, D. (eds.) (2010). The Status and Distribution of Freshwater 

Biodiversity in Northern Africa. Gland, Switzerland, Cambridge, UK, and Malaga, Spain : IUCN, 2010. 

xiii+141pp. 

ISBN: 978-2-8317-1271-0 

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Cover design: IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation 

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iv

Edited by: Nieves García IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

Annabelle Cuttelod IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

Dania Abdul Malak IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

With the support of: William Darwall IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Kevin Smith IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

David Allen IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Helen Temple IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Melanie Bilz IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Caroline Pollock IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Vineet Katariya IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Susannah Ohanlon IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Contributors: 

Fishes 

Chapter authors: Nieves García IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

Dania Abdul Malak IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

Mejdeddine Kraïem Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Tunisia 

Boudjéma Samraoui University of Guelma, Algeria 

Abdelhamid Azeroual Université Hassan Premier, Morocco 

Annabelle Cuttelod IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain 

Mohamed Reda Fishar National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt 

Mohammed Melhaoui Université Mohamed 1er, Morocco 

Ahmed Yahyaoui UFR : Biodiversité et Aquaculture, Rabat, Morocco 

Reviewers: Abdel Rahman Gamal World Fish Center, Egypt 

Mohamed Hichem Kara Université d’Annaba, Algeria 

Molluscs 

Chapter author: 

Reviewers: 

Odonata 

Chapter authors and 

reviewers: 

Crabs 

Chapter author: 

Reviewers: 

Dirk Van Damme University of Gent, Belgium 

Mohamed Ghamizi Muséum d´Histoire Naturelle de Marrakech, Morocco 

Gamil Soliman University of Cairo, Egypt 

Mary Barbara Seddon Shell Life, United Kingdom 

Anna McIvor IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom 

Boudjéma Samraoui University of Guelma, Algeria 

Jean-Pierre Boudot Université Henri Pointcare - Nancy I, France 

Elisa Riservato Via Maestra 81 T.Q., Novara 28100, Italy 

Sonia Ferreira Universidade do Porto, Portugal 

Miloš Jović Natural History Museum, Belgrade, Serbia 

Vincent J. Kalkman Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum – Naturalis, Netherlands 

Wolfgang Schneider Senckenberg Research Institute, Germany 

Neil Cumberlidge Northern Michigan University, USA 

Mohammed Melhaoui Université Mohamed 1er, Morocco 

Vascular Plants 

Chapter authors: Laila Rhazi Université Hassan II Aïn Chock, Morocco 

Patrick Grillas Tour du Valat, France 

Reviewers: Gérard de Bélair Université d’Annaba, Algeria 

Errol Vela Université de Montpellier II, France 

Magdi Ali University of Aswan, Egypt 

Mohammed Ibn Tattou Institut Scientifique, Rabat, Morocco 

Salima Benhouhou Institut National Agronomique El Harrach, Algeria 

Mouhssine Rhazi Université Moulay Ismaïl, Errachidia, Morocco 

Semia Ben Saad Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia 

Amina Daoud-Bouattour Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia 

Zeineb Ghrabi Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT), Tunisia 

Danka Petrovic University of Montenegro, Montenegro 

Avi Shmida Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 

Simonetta Bagella Sassari University, Italy 

Laetitia Hugot Office de l’Environnement de la Corse, France 

Antun Alegro University of Zagreb, Croatia 

Elsa Sattout Agence Francaise de Development, Lebanon 

Serdar Senol Ege University, Turkey 

Imtinène Ben Haj Jilani Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT), Tunisia 

Serge Müller Université de Montpellier II, France 

Hafawa Ferchichi Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia 

Mounira Ouali Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia 

v

Contents 

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... 

Executive summary .................................................................................................................................... 

1. Background ......................................................................................................................................... 

1.1 Situation analysis for northern Africa .............................................................................................. 

1.1.1 Regional use and value of wetlands and their biodiversity ...................................................... 

1.1.2 Freshwater species as indicators .............................................................................................. 

1.2 The Precautionary Principle and species conservation ..................................................................... 

1.3 Objectives of this study ................................................................................................................... 

1.4 References ....................................................................................................................................... 

2. Assessment methodology .................................................................................................................... 

2.1 Selection of priority taxa ................................................................................................................. 

2.1.1 Fishes ..................................................................................................................................... 

2.1.2 Molluscs ................................................................................................................................ 

2.1.3 Odonata ................................................................................................................................ 

2.1.4 Freshwater Crabs ................................................................................................................... 

2.1.5 Aquatic Plants ....................................................................................................................... 

2.2 Data collation and quality control ................................................................................................... 

2.3 Species mapping ............................................................................................................................. 

2.4 Assessment of species threatened status ........................................................................................... 

2.5 References ....................................................................................................................................... 

3. The status and distribution of freshwater fishes ................................. 

3.1 Overview of the regional fauna ....................................................... 

3.2 Conservation status (IUCN Red List Criteria: Regional scale) ........ 

3.3 Patters of species richness ................................................................ 

3.3.1 All evaluated taxa .................................................................. 

3.3.2 Threatened taxa ..................................................................... 

3.3.3 Endemic taxa ........................................................................ 

3.3.4 Data Deficient taxa ............................................................... 

3.3.5 Extirpated taxa ...................................................................... 

3.4 Major threats to fishes .................................................................... 

3.5 Conservation recommendations ..................................................... 

3.6 Conclusions ................................................................................... 

3.7 References ...................................................................................... 

4. The status and distribution of freshwater molluscs ............................ 


4.1.1 Molluscan biogeography ........................................................ 

4.1.2 Taxonomic problems in northern African freshwater 

malacology ............................................................................ 


4.3 Patterns of species richness and endemicity ..................................... 

4.3.1 Species richness of freshwater molluscs in Palearctic northern 

Africa .................................................................................... 

4.3.2 Species richness of freshwater molluscs in Afrotropical 

northern Africa ..................................................................... 

4.3.3 Patterns of species richness of threatened species .................... 

4.3.3.1 Species richness of threatened species in the 

Palearctic part of northern Africa ............................... 

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4.3.3.2 Species richness of threatened species in the 

Afrotropical part of northern Africa ........................... 

4.3.4 Distribution of endemic species ............................................. 

4.3.5 Data deficient species ............................................................ 

4.3.6 Extirpated species .................................................................. 

4.4 Major threats to molluscs ............................................................... 

4.5 Conclusions and Conservation recommendations .......................... 

4.6 References ...................................................................................... 

5. The status and distribution of dragonflies (Odonata) ....................... 



5.3 Patterns of species richness ............................................................. 

5.3.1 All species ............................................................................. 

5.3.2 Threatened species ................................................................. 

5.3.3 Endemic Odonata ................................................................. 


5.3.5 Data Deficient species ........................................................... 

5.4 Major threats to Odonata ............................................................... 

5.5 Conclusions and conservation recommendations ............................ 

5.6 References ...................................................................................... 

6. The status and distribution of freshwater crabs ................................. 


6.1.1 Crab Distribution and Ecoregions ......................................... 


6.2.1 Case Studies .................................................................. ........ 



6.4 Major threats to freshwater crabs .................................................... 

6.5 Conservation recommendations ..................................................... 

6.6 References ...................................................................................... 

7. The status and distribution of Aquatic plants .................................... 



7.2.1 Endemic species .................................................................... 

7.2.2 Extirpated Species ................................................................. 

7.2.3 Data Deficient Species ........................................................... 


7.3.1 All aquatic plant species ........................................................ 

7.3.2 Endemic species .................................................................... 

7.3.3 Threatened species ................................................................. 

7.3.4 Regional biodiversity hotspots for aquatic plants ................... 

7.4 Major threats to aquatic plants of northern Africa .......................... 

7.4.1 Major threats ......................................................................... 

7.4.2 Specific threats to aquatic plants in northern Africa ............... 

7.5 Recommendations for conservation ................................................ 

7.6 Conclusions ................................................................................... 

7.7 References ...................................................................................... 

8. Regional synthesis for all data ............................................................................................................ 

8.1 Patterns of species richness ................................................................................................................ 

8.1.1 Centres of species richness ..................................................................................................... 

8.1.2 Distribution of threatened species .......................................................................................... 

8.1.3 Distribution of endemic species ............................................................................................. 

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8.1.4 Distribution of Extirpated species .......................................................................................... 

8.2 Regional Threats ............................................................................................................................. 

8.2.1 Habitat loss and degradation ................................................................................................. 

8.2.2 Pollution ................................................................................................................................ 

8.2.3 Natural Disasters ................................................................................................................... 

8.2.4 Human disturbance ............................................................................................................... 

8.2.5 Changes in native species dynamics ....................................................................................... 

8.2.6 Harvesting (over-exploitation) ............................................................................................... 

8.2.7 Invasive alien species .............................................................................................................. 

8.3 References ....................................................................................................................................... 

9. Conclusions and recommendation ..................................................................................................... 

9.1 Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) ................................................................................. 

9.2 Environmental flows ....................................................................................................................... 

9.3 Priority areas for conservation ......................................................................................................... 

9.4 Packaging outputs for decision makers ............................................................................................ 

9.5 Integration of biodiversity information within water resource development planning processes ...... 

9.6 Filling the information gaps ............................................................................................................ 

9.7 References ....................................................................................................................................... 

Annexes 

Appendix 1. Red List status of northern African freshwater fish ............................................................ 

Appendix 2. Red List status of northern African freshwater molluscs .................................................... 

Appendix 3. Red List status of northern African Odonata ..................................................................... 

Appendix 4. Red List status of northern African freshwater crabs .......................................................... 

Appendix 5. Red List status of northern African aquatic plants ............................................................. 

Appendix 6. CD ................................................................................................................................... 

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Acknowledgements 

All of IUCN’s Red Listing processes rely on the willingness 

of scientists to contribute and pool their collective 

knowledge to make the most reliable estimates of species 

status. All the participating experts are listed at the first 

page of this report. Without their enthusiastic 

commitment to species conservation, this kind of 

regional overview would not be possible. Particular 

devotion has been shown by the coordinators of each 

taxonomic group evaluated in this publication – 

Mejdeddine Kraïem (freshwater fish), Mary Seddon 

(freshwater molluscs), Vincent Kalkman (Odonata), 

Neil Cumberlidge (freshwater crabs) and Patrick Grillas 

(aquatic plants) – the authors of the various chapters, 

assessors and participants to the different workshops. 

This regional assessment of the northern African 

freshwater biodiversity was coordinated by Annabelle 

Cuttelod, Nieves García and Dania Abdul Malak from 

the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. The 

aquatic plant component was coordinated by Melanie 

Bilz (IUCN Species Programme). We received extensive 

expert advice and assistance from the following IUCN 

Species Survival Commsion (SSC) Specialist Groups: 

IUCN/SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, IUCN/SSC 

Dragonfly Specialist Group, IUCN/SSC Freshwater Crab 

and Crayfish Specialist Group. The aquatic plant 

assessment was carried out in collaboration with Tour de 

Valat, especially counting with the support of Patrick 

Grillas. A special thanks also to Laila Rhazi for her 

invaluable contributions and obliging nature. 

We would also like to thank Dr. William Darwall, 

Manager of IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit and 

coordinator of the project Integration of freshwater 

biodiversity in the development process throughout Africa 

who helped greatly in the peer review of this report. 

Rami Salman provided guidance, encouragement, and 

good advice throughout the project. Jean-Christophe 

Vié and Margarita Astrálaga provided their constructive 

advice. 

The species distribution maps were digitized through the 

combined efforts of the IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity 

and Red List Units. Kevin Smith, Susannah Ohanlon 

and Vineet Katariya have provided their technical 

support on GIS analysis and generation of maps. Yichuan 

x 

Shi, Joe Wood and Amy Milam helped with digitizing 

the maps. 

Laurel Bennett reviewed and text edited this report. 

Chadi Abi Faraj produced the present project publication. 

Alexandra Salmon-Lefranc helped by translating the 

French version of the aquatic plants chapter. Ahmed 

Gheith drew the beautiful illustrations included in this 

report. 

Facilitators for the training and/or review workshops 

were Caroline Pollock, Helen Temple, David Allen, Kevin 

Smith, William Darwall, Anna McIvor, Melanie Bilz, 

Annabelle Cuttelod, Dania Abdul Malak and Nieves 

García. Sandra Simoes provided technical and logistical 

support to the workshops. We also thank the IUCN 

Moroccan National Committee, and in particular Mr. 

Brahim Haddane, who provided extensive logistical 

services for the GIS training workshop held in Rabat 

(Morocco) and conducted by Hein van Glis and Eduard 

Westinga from the International Institute for Geo- 

Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC). The 

Research Centre for Biodiversity and Genetic Resources 

of Porto University (CIBIO-UP), through Sònia Ferreira, 

provided the venue for the review workshop held in Porto 

(Portugal) and the municipality of Vila do Conde 

supported the logistics. We also received extensive support 

from the IUCN Tunisian National Committee, and its 

president Dr. Abroughi, who organized the aquatic plants 

evaluation workshop held in Tabarca (Tunisia). 

This project has been carried out with financial support 

from the European Union under grant contract: 

EuropeAid/ENV/2004-81917. Any opinion, findings, 

denominations and conclusions expressed in this report 

are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the 

views of the European Union, the International Union 

for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or the project 

partners. Co-funding for this project was provided by the 

MAVA Foundation and the Spanish Agency for 

International Cooperation Development (AECID), 

through the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean 

Cooperation. The Spanish Ministry of Environment, and 

Rural and Marine Affairs and the Junta de Andalucía 

provided core support to the activities of the IUCN 

Mediterranean office.

We would like to thank all the following experts who contributed to the regional and global assessments of the northern 

African species included in this report: 

Alegro, Antun 

Ali, Magdi 

Azeroual, Abdelhamid 

Bagella, Simonetta 

Ben Haj Jilani, Imtinène 

Ben Saad, Semia 

Benhouhou, Salima 

Boudot, Jean-Pierre 

Cumberlidge, Neil 

Daoud-Bouattour, Amina 

De Bélair, Gérard 

El Gamal, Abdel Rahman 

Ferchichi, Hafawa 

Ferreira, Sònia 

Ghamizi, Mohamed 

Gerhardi, Francesca 

Ghrabi, Zeineb 

Grillas, Patrick 

Hichem Kara, Mohamed 

Hugot, Laetitia 

Ibn Tattou, Mohammed 

Jović, Miloš 

Kalkman, Vincent J. 

Kraïem, Mejdeddine 

McIvor, Anna 

Melhaoui, Mohammed 

Müller, Serge 

Ouali, Mounira 

IUCN Freshwater training workshop, February 2007 in Rabat, Morocco. Photo © Kevin Smith 

xi 

Petrovic, Danka 

Reda Fishar, Mohamed 

Rhazi, Laila 

Riservato, Elisa 

Samraoui, Boudjéma 

Sattout, Elsa 

Schneider, Wolfgang 

Seddon, Mary Barbara 

Senol, Serdar 

Shmida, Avi 

Soliman, Gamil 

Van Damme, Dirk 

Vela, Errol 

Yahyaoui, Ahmed

Executive Summary 

Aim 

The northern Africa Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment 

is a conservation status review of 877 northern African 

freshwater species belonging to five taxonomic groups – 

fish (128 taxa), molluscs (155 taxa), dragonflies and 

damselflies (odonata) (82 taxa), freshwater crabs (3 taxa) 

and aquatic plants (509 taxa). This work addresses the 

lack of readily available information on the status and 

distribution of inland water taxa as a basis for adequate 

representation of freshwater biodiversity within current 

and future decision-making on the management and 

conservation of the region’s wetlands. This IUCN Red 

List publication compiles the results of the assessments of 

five taxonomic groups and provides the first overview of 

the conservation status of these species in the region in 

accordance with the IUCN regional Red List guidelines. 

Species at risk of regional extinction are mapped and 

conservation measures are proposed to reduce the 

probability of future declines. 

Scope 

The geographic scope of this report is defined in terms of 

the freshwater hydrology of the northern African region 

and is based on major river catchment delineations within 

the countries of Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 

Morocco and Tunisia. The assessment region also includes 

parts of Mauritania, Mali, and the northern tip of Chad, 

and stops at the northern tip of Lake Nasser in southern 

Egypt. Freshwater species native to northern Africa and 

those introduced to the region before 1500 AD are 

included in this report. It should be noted that species 

from the Canary and Madeira Islands, and the northern 

African Spanish territories (Ceuta and Melilla) were not 

included within the assessment. 

River system in Tunisia. Photo© Pedro Regato 

xii 

Status assessment 

IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2001), the worlds most 

widely accepted system for measuring relative extinction 

risk, were employed to assess the status of all species. 

Assessments were carried out following the Guidelines 

for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional 

Levels (IUCN 2003), and information on each species 

was compiled by a small team, in collaboration with 

Specialist Groups of the IUCN Species Survival 

Commission and other relevant experts, who actively 

supported the assessment and review. In total, more 

than 43 experts from the northern African region and 

elsewhere were involved in the process, either through 

direct involvement in the three review workshops or 

through correspondence. All assessments will be available 

online at www.iucnredlist.org/freshwater. 

Results 

28.2% of the 877 northern African freshwater taxa 

assessed are threatened with extinction at the regional 

scale, with a further 9.5% assessed as Near Threatened 

and 14.1% as Data Deficient. 

18 freshwater taxa, previously present within the 

region, are Extinct at the global level, including one 

endemic fish, Salmo pallaryi, and 17 molluscs, the 

majority of which are native to the Palearctic northern 

African region (Maghreb). A further 32 species are 

Regionally Extinct, which means that they have 

disappeared from the region, but still exist in other 

parts of the world: 23 freshwater fish, 2 molluscs, 

6 dragonflies and damselflies and 1 aquatic plant. 

Nevertheless, the mollusc Margaritifera marocana, 

which was previously thought to be regionally Extinct, 

was recently rediscovered and subsequently found to 

be a new species. 

Freshwater molluscs and aquatic plants both show 

a high degree of regional endemism, with 81.5% of 

species endemic to the region. 

Due to the limited number of river systems and 

wetland areas within the region, freshwater species are 

mainly concentrated in the Mediterranean Maghreb 

and the Nile River in Egypt, where the highest 

numbers of threatened species are also found. 

Habitat loss and degradation, mainly due to water 

abstraction and dam construction, together with 

pollution, are the major causes of species decline.

Conclusions/ Key messages 

A major priority for the region is to reduce the 

currently high number of species assessed as “Data 

Deficient” due to insufficient information on their 

current status and distributions. This requires new 

initiatives to conduct field surveys in the least 

known areas. This current lack of information on 

so many species represents a significant bottleneck 

in progress towards the effective management and 

conservation of the regions wetland biodiversity. 

The canyon of Oued Ziz in Morocco, habitat of the Endangered Glittering Demoiselle (Calopteryx exul) Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

xiii 

The priority areas identified as centres of freshwater 

biodiversity and threat can help focus development 

and conservation actions in ways which aim to 

minimise impacts to freshwater species throughout 

the region. 

The involvement of communities with a stake in the 

long-term future of freshwater species and habitats 

across the region is critical to the success of conservation 

planning in order to assure the future sustainability 

of livelihoods, as well as the resources and services 

provided by functioning wetland ecosystems.

Chapter 1. Background 

Van Damme, D. 1 , García, N. 2 

1.1 Situation analysis for northern Africa ............................................................................................................ 

1.1.1 Regional use and value of wetlands and their biodiversity ..................................................................... 

1.1.2 Freshwater species as indicators ............................................................................................................ 

1.2 The Precautionary Principle and species conservation .................................................................................... 

1.3 Objectives of this study ................................................................................................................................. 

1.4 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

1.1 Situation analysis for northern Africa 

Freshwater habitats and biodiversity are recognized to be 

under serious threat at global level (Revenga and Kura 

2003; Leveque et al. 2005; Dudgeon et al. 2006). At 

African level, northern Africa is considered the poorest of 

all African sub-regions in terms of water resources, with 

an average of less than 950 m 3 of water per habitant and 

year (Table 1.1*). The scattered rivers in the Maghreb are 

restricted to Morocco, and together with the endorheic 

Sahara region contrast with Egypt which has only one 

river, the Nile, which is also the largest river within the 

Northern Africa region (FAO 2003). A major pressure on 

the regions freshwater ecosystems is the high demand for 

freshwater which is likely to continue in the future due to 

an ongoing increase in economic and demographic 

development. 

As delineated in this study (Figure 1.2), the northern 

Africa region extends from the Mediterranean coasts of 

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and 

Egypt southwards to central Mauritania, north-western 

Mali as far south as Timbuktu, south Algeria - except for 

the southern side of the Hoggar range, the Libyan- 

Chadian border region of the Tibesti Mountains draining 

north the Egyptian-Sudanese border region - except for 

Lake Nasser (which is included in the north-eastern 

African Region). The Sahara desert covers most of this 

part of Africa, and it is therefore the poorest of all regions 

in terms of permanently flowing waters. Except for the 

Nile River, permanent rivers are only found in the 

northern part of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, - the 

region that is being fed by the rain and snow melt in the 

Atlas Mountains range. 

1 University of Gent, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, B - 9000 Ghent, Belgium. 

2 IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. Marie Curie 22. 29590 Malaga, Spain. 

1 

Many of the region’s freshwater species provide goods and 

services, such as fisheries, water purification and flood 

prevention, that benefit people in a direct or an indirect 

way. Due to this close relationship between people and 

freshwater habitats, especially in relation to the poorest 

classes of the population, the majority of the impacts 

affecting freshwater taxa have consequent effects on 

economies and people’s livelihoods. This chapter 

highlights the main threats affecting freshwater ecosystems 

and their species, including dam construction, water 

abstraction, infrastructure development, invasive species, 

pollution and climate change. 

Out of the 93 freshwater ecoregions defined for Africa by 

Thieme et al. (2005), 6 can be found within the northern 

African region boundaries used in this assessment: 

Permanent Maghreb (recently re-defined as Atlantic 

Northwest Africa and Mediterranean Northwest Africa 

by Abell et al. in 2008) (table 1.1), Temporary Maghreb, 

Nile Delta, and parts of the Lower Nile, Dry Sahel, and 

of the Red Sea Coastal region (Figure 1.1) Table 1.1. 

The text below is based on information taken from Van 

Damme (1984), Brown (1994), Ramdani et al. (1987); 

Ghamizi (1998), Ghamizi et al. (1998), Ibrahim et al. 

(1999); Graf and Cummings (2007), Van Damme and 

Van Bocxlaer (2009) and on the collections and field 

notes of J. Ahuir. 

Morocco possesses the most extensive river system in 

northern Africa. The precipitation that falls in the high 

mountain ranges of the Rif, Middle Atlas, High Atlas and 

Anti-Atlas feeds rivers generally flowing north-westward 

to the Atlantic or south-eastward toward the Sahara. The 

1 

4 

5 

5 

6 

6

Table 1.1. The 6 ecoregions defined in Thieme et al. (2005) and Abell et al. (2008), including information on their extent 

and conservation status*. 

Ecoregion Major Habitat Type Ecoregion delimitation 

Permanent Maghreb Mediterranean 

systems/ Temperate 

coastal rivers 

River systems draining into the Atlas 

Mountains and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean 

and Mediterranean Sea and bound to the south 

by the northern portion of the Sahara. 

Nile Delta Large River Deltas It extends from Cairo to the Mediterranean Sea 

in northern Egypt. 

Dry Sahel Xeric Systems Placed between lake Chad catchment in the 

south, Maghreb in the north, the Atlantic coast 

in the west and the Nile in the east. 

Lower Nile Xeric Systems From Khartoum, where the White and Blue 

Nile rivers converge, downstream to the Nile 

Delta. 

Red Sea Coastal Xeric Systems Along the shore of the Red Sea from Egypt to 

Djibouti. 

2 

Conservation 

Status 

Endangered 

Endangered 

Relatively 

Intact 

Vulnerable 

Relatively intact 

Temporary Maghreb Xeric Systems Covers the northern portion of the Sahara. Relatively intact 

* Taking into consideration the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco and Tunisia. 

Figure 1.1 Delineation of freshwater ecoregions within the assessment area, labelled as defined by WWF-US (Thieme et al. 

2005).

Oasis of the Figuit basin in Morocco, the most northern of the continent © Mohammed Melhaoui 

Oued Moulouya is the main exception, flowing ca 500 

km north-east from the Middle Atlas to the Mediterranean 

Sea. Principal river systems with outlets in the Atlantic 

are the Oued Oum er Rbia, Sebou, Bou Regreg, Tensift, 

Draa and Sous. The Oued Ziz, Rheris and Guir are the 

main rivers flowing southward towards the Sahara. 

Morocco also possesses a number of mountain lakes (e.g., 

Lac d’Ifni, Lac d’Isly) situated above the 1800m level, 

with vast hydroelectric reservoirs and coastal brackish 

marshes mainly along the Atlantic coast. There are no 

permanent rivers or standing waters below the Drâa River 

basin, and the groundwater is brackish. 

All main Algerian rivers originate in the Tell Atlas and 

flow north to the Mediterranean, namely the Oued 

Chellif system (around 550 km in length) and the Oued 

Seybouse system (around 180 km in length). Algeria 

also holds numerous small rivers confined to the 

Mediterranean mountainous coast of the Tell Atlas. 

These present the character of mountain torrents, 

descending rapidly through deep and rocky channels, 

overflowing during the winter season and reducing to a 

trickle during the summer. Among the most important 

rivers are the Oued Harrach, Isser, Mazefran, Tafna, 

and Macta. In this green part of the country, remnants 

of formerly extensive lakes and marshlands still occur, 

namely Lake Fetzara (Anaba), L. Sebkha and L. El 

Melah (near Oran) and a complex of marshes and small 

lakes near El Kala. The caverns of Ghar Boumâaza, 

3 

discovered in 1931, form the largest African subterranean 

hydrological system. The Sahara Atlas parallels the Tell 

Atlas in the south. Between these two ranges extends 

the arid region of the Hauts Plateaux, containing vast 

hypersaline seasonal lakes such as Chott-el-Harbi and 

Chott-el-Chergui. To the south, in the Sahara, no 

permanent flowing waters exist, although fossil oueds 

underline the former occurrence of a significant 

hydrographical network during the Pluvial Periods of 

the quaternary era. 

In Tunisia, the main and only perennial river is the Oued 

Medjerda system (450 km in length) that originates in 

Algeria and ends in the Gulf of Tunis (where it flows into 

the Mediterranean Sea). The largest lakes, Lac de Tunis 

and Lac Ichkeul, are brackish so some freshwater species 

occur in the surrounding marshes, as well as in the oasis 

Nouail, near Chott El Jerid. 

In Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and northern Chad there are 

no permanent rivers but many springs, seguias (irrigation 

canals), pools, artificial wells and oases as well as salt 

marshes occur. The main regions with oases are those of 

Ghat, Sabha and Kufrah. The Great Man-made River is a 

gigantic complex of pipelines that carries water from the 

deep Nubian Sandstone aquifer in southern Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya to the main cities in the north. The crater 

lakes of Tibesti, e.g., the Trou au Natron, are either saline 

or alkaline.

The area of Mauritania that falls within the northern 

African region is completely void of permanent rivers. 

Surface waters in this country were intensively sampled, 

e.g., by the famous French traveller and writer Théodore 

Monod. 

No permanent standing or flowing freshwater bodies 

occur in the north-western part of Mali that is included 

in this assessment. 

Around 25,000 to 30,000 years ago, the region of the 

Great Lakes in Central Africa tilted northward, and the 

only permanent river of the northern African region, and 

longest river in the world, the Nile, was formed in Egypt 

(see Van Damme and Van Bocxlaer 2009). Nowadays 

the Nile River has two main tributaries: the White Nile 

and the Blue Nile. The longest, the White Nile, rises in 

the Great Lakes region of central Africa, with the most 

distant source in southern Rwanda, and flows north 

from there through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and 

southern Sudan. The Blue Nile starts at Lake Tana in 

Ethiopia, flowing into Sudan from the southeast. These 

two rivers meet in Sudan, cross Egypt northward opening 

to a large delta that empties into the Mediterranean Sea. 

For this assessment, only part of the Nile that flows from 

the Lake Nesser throughout Egypt to end in the 

Mediterranean Sea is considered. 

In the utmost northwestern part of Sudan, included in 

the northern African region, a single water surface occurs, 

the Selima Oasis. 

4 

Wetland area in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Photo © Ameer Abdulla 

The Ramsar site Réserve Naturelle du Lac des Oiseaux, in Wilaya d’El Tarf (Algeria). Photo © Boudjèma Samraoui 

1.1.1 Regional use and value of wetlands and 

their biodiversity 

Wetlands have been essential to local communities since 

ancient times. These water bodies have always provided 

water, food, materials, and services such as transport, in 

addition to being a central scenery to the majority of their 

cultural life and social activities. However, this outlook 

changed during the first part of the last century, when 

population growth led to loss and degradation of wetlands 

following public health initiatives for their desiccation, the 

expansion of recent construction plans for housing and 

industries, the conversion into more productive agricultural 

landscapes, and the development of tourism. Further 

impacts on freshwater ecosystems are the construction of 

dams, over-exploitation of groundwater resources for 

agriculture and potable water, as well as river embanking.

1.1.2 Freshwater species as indicators 

There is an increasing need to integrate biodiversity 

information as a factor of relevance within new planning 

processes and to improve its availability to decision 

makers. To address this information deficiency, a group 

of taxa, considered as good indicators of the conservation 

status of this particular biome in the North African 

region, with a reasonable level of pre-existing information 

on their distribution and status, were chosen to be 

assessed: freshwater fish and molluscs, dragonflies and 

damselflies, freshwater crabs and aquatic plants. By 

combining these five groups in this study a wide range 

of trophic levels are represented, all of which play diverse 

ecological roles and therefore are thought to provide a 

useful indication on the overall status of the associated 

wetland ecosystems (Darwall et al. 2008). 

1.2 The Precautionary Principle and 

species conservation 

In the field of species conservation, especially when there 

is concern that some activities may potentially generate 

negative impacts, the precautionary principle is a key 

factor to contemplate in policy decision-making. This 

principle aims to justify the need to conserve all species in 

wetlands and points out that, in most cases, even when 

there is a lack of scientific certainty on the implications of 

certain threats and their associated consequences, this 

should not be used as a reason for postponing cost- 

Figure 1.2 The northern Africa assessment region. 

5 

effective measures to prevent environmental 

degradation. 

Even species sometimes considered not worthy for 

conservation action, due to their apparent lack of 

economic value or widespread distributions, are important 

and may be key components of their supporting food 

webs. Species which appear to be “redundant” and 

without any ecological or economic value may, under 

changing environmental conditions as often result from 

human actions, later be found to provide important 

services and occupy key roles within evolving 

ecosystems. 

Child gathering water from the river. Morocco. Photo © Pedro Regato

1.3 Objectives of this study 

This assessment of the status and distribution of northern 

African freshwater biodiversity aims to: 

i) Establish a regional network of experts and train 

them in biodiversity assessment tools such as the 

IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, databases 

and Geographical Information Systems; 

ii) Collate the necessary information for assessment of 

conservation status and distributions of freshwater 

biodiversity (priority taxa) throughout northern 

Africa and map their distributions; 

iii) Present biodiversity information in a suitable format 

for stakeholders and decision makers for subsequent 

integration within the development/conservation 

planning process. 

iv) Store, manage, analyse and make widely available this 

biodiversity information within the IUCN data 

management system, the Species Information Service 

(SIS). 

Lake Fetzara in Algeria © Boudjéma Samrauoi 

6 

1.4 References 

Abell, M., Thieme, M.L., Revenga, C. Bryer, M., Kottelat, 

M., Bogutskaya, N., Brian, C., Mandrak, N., 

Contreras Balderas, S., Bussing, W., Stiassny, M. L.J., 

Skelton, P., Allen, G.R., Unmack, P., Naseka, 

Alexander, Ng, R., Sindorf, N., Robertson, J., Armijo, 

E., Higgins, J.V., Heibel, T.J., Wikramanayake, E., 

Olson, D., López, H.L., Reis, R.E., Lundberg, J.G., 

Sabaj Pérez, M.H., Petry, P. 2008. Freshwater 

Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic 

Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation. 

BioScience. 58:5, 403-414. 

Brown, D.S. 1994 Freshwater snails of Africa and their 

medical importance. London Taylor & Francis. p 

1-608. 

Darwall W.R.T., Smith, K.G., Tweddle, D. and Skelton, 

P. (eds). 2009. The Status and Distribution of Freshwater 

Biodiversity in Sourthern Africa. Gland, Switzerland : 

IUCN and Grahmstown, South Africa : SAIAB. 

viii+120pp.

Dudgeon, D., Arthington, A.H., Gessner, M.O., 

Kawabata, Z-I., Knowler, D.J., Lévêque, C., Naiman, 

R.J., Prieur-Richard, A-H., Soto, D., Stiassny, M.L.J. 

and Sullivan, C.A. 2006. Freshwater biodiversity: 

importance, threats, status and conservation 

challenges. Biological Review, 81:163–182. 

FAO (2003). Review of world water resources by country. 

Water reports. Downloaded the 24 th of September 

2009 from http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/ 

Y4473E/Y4473E00.HTM. 

Ghamizi, M. 1998 Les Mollusques des eaux continentales 

du Maroc: Systématique et Bioécologie. Thèse de 

doctorat. Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech, 

Université Cadi Ayyad, 554 p. 

Ghamizi, M., Bodon, M., Boulal, M. & Giusti, F. 1998. 

A new genus from subterranean waters of the Tiznit 

Plain, southern Morocco (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: 

Hydrobiidae). Haliotis, 26: 1-8. 

Graf, D. & Cummings, K. 2007 Preliminary review of 

the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) 

of northern Africa with an emphasis on the Nile. 

Journal Egyptian German Society of Zoology, 53D: 89- 

118. 

Ibrahim, A.M., Bishai, H.M., Khalil, M.T. 1999. 

Freshwater Molluscs of Egypt. Publication of National 

Biodiversity Unit Cairo, Egypt Department of Nature 

Protection, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, 

10: 145. 

7 

Lévêque, C., Balian, E.V. and Martens, K. 2005. An 

assessment of animal species diversity in continental 

waters. In: Segers, H. and Martens, K. (eds.) 2005. 

The Diversity of Aquatic Ecosystems. Hydrobiologia 

542:39–67. 

Smith, K. G. and Darwall, W.R.T. (Compilers). 2006. 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fish Endemic 

to the Mediterranean Basin. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland 

and Cambridge, UK. V+ 34 pp. 

Ramdani, M., Dakki, M., Kharboua, M. El Agbani, M. 

A. & Metge, G. 1987. Les Gastéropodes dulcicoles du 

Maroc. Inventaire commenté. Bulletin de l’Institut 

Scientifique de Rabat, 11: 135-140. 

Revenga, C. and Kura, Y. 2003. Status and Trends of 

Biodiversity of Inland Water Ecosystems. Secretariat 

of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, 

Technical Series no. 11. 

Thieme, M. L. (2005). Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and 

Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. Island Press, 

Washington DC. 

Van Damme, D. 1984. Freshwater mollusca of Northern 

Africa: distribution, biogeography and palaeoecology 

Developments in Hydrobiology Volume 25. W. Junk. 

Dordrecht, Netherlands.164 p. 

Van Damme, D. & Van Bocxlaer, B. 2009. Freshwater 

molluscs of the Nile Basin, past and present. p 585- 

630 In: Dumont, H.J. (ed.) The Nile. Origin, 

Environments, Limnology and Human Use. Series: 

Monographiae Biologicae, 89. Springer. Dordrecht, 

Netherlands. 818 p.

Chapter 2. Assessment methodology 

García, N. 1 , Cuttelod, A. 1 , Abdul Malak, D. 1 

2.1 Selection of priority taxa ................................................................................................................................ 

2.1.1 Fishes ................................................................................................................................................... 

2.1.2 Molluscs ............................................................................................................................................... 

2.1.3 Odonata ............................................................................................................................................... 

2.1.4 Freshwater Crabs .................................................................................................................................. 

2.1.5 Aquatic Plants ...................................................................................................................................... 

2.2 Data collation and quality control ................................................................................................................. 

2.3 Species mapping ............................................................................................................................................ 

2.4 Assessment of species threatened status .......................................................................................................... 

2.5 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

2.1 Selection of priority taxa 

Priority taxa were selected to represent a range of trophic 

levels within the food webs that underlie and support 

wetland ecosystems. Together, the 5 selected taxa represent 

indicators of the overall conservation status of wetland 

ecosystems. The following 5 taxonomic groups: fishes, 

molluscs, dragonflies and damselflies, crabs and aquatic 

plants, were chosen as good representatives of the 

freshwater biome. 

2.1.1 Fishes 

A total of 128 fish taxa (112 species and 16 subspecies) 

were selected for this assessment. These taxa spend all 

or a critical part of their life cycle in fresh water or are 

confined to brackish waters.. The information gathered 

is a combination of two data sets. The first data set 

corresponds to the northern African fish component of 

the Mediterranean Endemic Freshwater fish assessment 

(Darwall and Smith 2006). From this assessment, 24 

fish species were identified as occurring in the 5 northern 

African countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Libyan 

Arab Jamahiriya and Algeria. All these species were 

reassessed to ensure inclusion of the most up-to-date 

information relevant to their current conservation 

status. The second data set includes 104 (88 species and 

16 subspecies) species, including all remaining endemic 

species and all non-endemic species present in the 

region. 


8 

2.1.2. Molluscs 

155 northern African freshwater and brackish molluscs 

were assessed following two distinctive biogeographic 

regions based on the composition of the communities in 

the beginning of the Holocene (Van Damme 1984): the 

Palearctic northern African region (Maghreb-Egypt) and 

the Afrotropical northern African region. In total, 118 

and 51 mollusc species are native to the Maghrebian- 

Egyptian and the Afrotropical regions respectively, some 

of them occurring in both areas. Due to ongoing 

taxonomic uncertainty for many taxa known to be present 

in the region, which were excluded from the assessment, 

the number of molluscs included is without doubt an 

underestimate of the real number of species but it does, 

nonetheless, provide a good picture of molluscan 

biodiversity across the region. 

2.1.3 Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) 

Records collected by numerous odonatologists over a 

century and a half were used to map 83 northern African 

Odonata within the two suborders occurring in the 

region: 35 species of Zygoptera (damselflies) and 48 of 

Anisoptera (dragonflies). 

2.1.4 Freshwater Crabs 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

9 

9 

10 

12 

12 

Freshwater crabs in northern Africa are only represented 

by three species that belong to two genera: Potamon and 

Potamonautes (Cumberlidge 1999).

Female of the African Grizzled Pintail, Acisoma panorpoides (Endangered), 

an Afrotropical relict species known from Siwa oasis and other parts of 

Egypt. Photo © Kevin Smith 

2.1.5 Aquatic plants 

The aquatic plants selected assessment are macrophytes 

that are either strictly aquatic species – Hydrophytes - or 

that have photosynthetically active parts that able to 

tolerate long periods submerged, or are floating 

–Helophytes (Cook 1996). The selection of families for 

assessment also takes into account their wider 

representation throughout other regions of Africa. Time 

constraints limited assessments to the species level. The 

importance of a future assessment at the subspecies level 

was highlighted as a priority, this region is particularly 

rich in endemic sub-species that might prove to be an 

important genetic pool. 

2.2 Data collation and quality control 

Key regional and international experts were identified by 

the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, in 

collaboration with IUCN members and partners, and 

through consultation with the relevant IUCN SSC 

Specialist Groups. These experts participated in a training 

workshop in Rabat (Morrocco) in February 2007. They 

were trained in the use of IUCN Categories and Criteria 

as employed to assess the risk of extinction of each species, 

as well as in use of the IUCN Species database, the Species 

9 

Information Service Data Entry Module (SIS DEM) 

during this workshop and through further consultations. 

Selected participants from the training workshop were 

then contracted to gather the existing data from different 

sources. Data were collected from the literature and 

regional or national reports on the distribution, biology 

and ecology, habitats, threats, utilization and conservation 

status of all selected species. These data were entered into 

the IUCN species database and distribution maps were 

created for each species (see section 2.3). Based on the 

available information, preliminary assessments of the 

conservation status of each species were completed 

according to the IUCN Red List methodology (see 

section 2.4). 

A first evaluation workshop was held in Porto (Portugal) 

in October 2007 where the status of freshwater fish, 

molluscs, odonata, as well as selected aquatic plants was 

reviewed. This ensured that the most up-to-date, 

comprehensive and rigorous information was included in 

the assessment. A special session was dedicated to 

discussing the most appropriate conservation measures 

needed, in order to reduce the impact of the main threats 

identified during the Red List process. Additional experts 

were consulted, when needed, after the workshop to fill 

some data gaps. A second workshop was held in Tabarka 

(Tunisia) in February 2009 to finalize the review of the 

aquatic plants species. Due to the small number of crab 

species the review of these assessments was conducted 

through email consultation. 

Following this review, the data were edited and consistency 

in the use of IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria was 

checked by the workshop participants and the IUCN 

Species Programme team. 

IUCN Freshwater training workshop, February 2007 in Rabat, Morocco. 

Photo © Ahmed Azeroual

After data gathering, collation and corrections, IUCN 

experts from the Red List Unit and the Mediterranean 

Species Programme integrated the various data sets in 

order to draft the regional report. In parallel, equivalent 

assessments and reports were conducted for the western, 

eastern, central and southern African regions in order 

to present a comprehensive view of the conservation 

status of freshwater biodiversity at the pan-African 

scale. 

2.3 Species mapping 

River basins were selected as the spatial unit for mapping 

and analysing species distributions as it is generally 

accepted that the river/lake basin or catchment is the 

most appropriate management unit for inland waters. 

Therefore, all species distribution were mapped to river 

sub-basins as delineated using the level 6 river basins 

defined by HYDRO1k Elevation Derivative Database 

(USGS EROS) using ArcView/ Map GIS software (see 

Figure 2.1). It is recognised that species ranges may not 

always extend throughout a river sub-basin but until finer 

scale spatial detail is provided each species is assumed to 

be present throughout the sub-basin where it has been 

recorded. 

10 

For the crabs and odonata, point localities (the latitude 

and longitude of the observations of a species) were used 

to identify the river catchments where a species occurs. 

However, in order to simplify displaying species 

distributions, these point localities are not displayed on 

the species distribution maps. Further sub-basins, where 

the species is expected to be present, but where no 

records yet exist, are also mapped and are labelled as 

“inferred basins”. For the other taxonomic groups, point 

localities were not available and maps were drawn based 

on expert knowledge and literature. This exchange of 

geographical information followed up with further 

discussion and a final consistency check provides 

reasonably comprehensive database on species spatial 

distributions across the northern African region. 

A GIS Training workshop was held in Hammamet 

(Tunisia) in January 2009 to build regional freshwater 

expertise on the use of GIS in conservation, planning and 

management. This gathering aimed to train experts on 

the application of GIS techniques for the representation 

of freshwater species distribution and the analysis of these 

data in order to gain a better understanding of the status 

of the biodiversity and the application of these data sets 

for conservation planning. 

Figure 2.1 Level 6 river basins as delineated by HYDRO1K Elevation Derivative Database (USGS EROS) and used to map 

and analyse species distributions.

Oued Seybouse, Algeria. Photo © Boudjéma Samraoui. 

Participans of the GIS training workshop, January 2009 in Tunis, Tunisia. Photo © IUCN Med 

11

2.4 Assessment of species threatened status 

The conservation status of each species was assessed 

according to the 2001 IUCN Red List Categories and 

Criteria: Version 3.1 (IUCN 2001). In order to avoid an 

over- or underestimation of the regional risk of extinction, 

the Guidelines for Application of the Red List Criteria at 

Regional Level (IUCN 2003) were applied. 

Species were classified within one of the 11 regional 

categories ranging from Least Concern for species that 

are not threatened to Extinct for species that have 

disappeared completely (see Figure 2.2). This system is 

based on a set of scientific quantitative criteria related to 

populations trends and size, geographical range, number 

of locations where the species is present, connectivity 

within these locations and past, present and predicted 

threats (for further information on IUCN Categories and 

Criteira, please check www.iucnredlist.org). 

Species assessed under the categories Critically Endangered 

(CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) are 

considered as “threatened” and face the highest risk of 

extinction. 

Exotic species that settled, or were introduced to northern 

Africa after 1500 AD were not considered for this 

assessment. 

Figure 2.2 IUCN Red List Categories at the Regional Scale 

12 


Cook, C.D.K. 1996. Aquatic Plant Book. SPB Academia 

Publishing, Amsterdam/New York. 228 pp. 

Cumberlidge N. 1999. The freshwater crabs of West Africa. 

Family Potamonautidae. Faune et Flore Tropicales 35, 

Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD, 

ex-ORSTOM), Paris, 382 pp. 

IUCN 2001. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: 

Version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission. 

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 

IUCN. 2003. Guidelines for application for IUCN Red 

List criteria at regional levels: Version 3.0. IUCN 

Species Survival Commission, IUCN. Gland, 

Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 

Smith, Kevin G. and Darwall, W.R.T. (Compilers). 2006. 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fish Endemic 

to the Mediterranean Basin. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland 

and Cambridge, UK. V+ 34 pp. 

United States Geological Survey’s Center for Earth 

Resources Observation and Science (USGS EROS) 

HYDRO1k Elevation Derivative Database. Available 

at: http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevation/gtopo30/ 

hydro/index.html. 

Van Damme, D. 1984. Freshwater mollusca of 

Northern Africa. Developments in Hydrobiology 25, 

164 p, Dordrecht, Netherlands. Dr. W. Junk 

Publishers.

Chapter 3. The status and distribution of 

freshwater fish 

García N. 1 , Abdul Malak D. 1 , Kraïem M. 2 , Samraoui, B. 3 , Azeroual, A. 4 , Cuttelod A. 1 , Reda Fishar M. 5 , 

Yahyaoui, A. 6 , Melhaoui M. 7 

3.1 Overview of the regional fauna ...................................................................................................................... 

3.2 Conservation status (IUCN Red List Criteria: Regional scale) ....................................................................... 

3.3 Patters of species richness .............................................................................................................................. 

3.3.1 All fish taxa .......................................................................................................................................... 

3.3.2 Threatened taxa .................................................................................................................................... 

3.3.3 Endemic taxa ........................................................................................................................................ 

3.3.4 Data Deficient taxa .............................................................................................................................. 

3.3.5 Extirpated taxa ..................................................................................................................................... 

3.4 Major threats to fishes ................................................................................................................................... 

3.5 Conservation recommendations .................................................................................................................... 

3.6 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................. 

3.6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

1 IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. Marie Curie 22. 29590, Malaga, Spain. 

2 INSTM- Salammbô. 28, rue du 2 mars 1934 - 2025 Salammbô. Tunis, Tunisia. 

3 Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides. University of Guelma, 08 Mai 1945, BP. 401 Guelma, Algeria. 

4 Service de la Recherche Scientifique, de la Coopération et de la Formation Continue. Université Hassan Premier. Route de Casablanca, km 3 Boîte Postale 

539. 26000 Settat, Morocco. 

5 National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. 101 Kasr El Aini St., Cairo, Egypt. 

6 Département de Biologie., 4 Avenue Ibn Battouta B.P. 1014, Université Mohammed V Agdal, Rabat, Morocco. 

7 University Mohamed I, Route Sidi Maafa, Oujda, 60000, Morocco. 

13 

14 

18 

18 

18 

19 

21 

21 

23 

24 

27 

27 

28

3.1 Overview of the regional fauna. 

Northern African fishes have a history marked by regional 

extinction, which has reduced the recorded/ former 

species richness by 19%. However, despite this, the 

geographical location, and specific climate (relatively 

high summer temperatures, and low rainfall), the number 

of endemic species in the northern African fish 

community remains high. 

The major habitats where these species occur are 

permanent rivers, freshwater lakes and springs of 

underground waters such as oases of northern African 

river systems flowing into the Mediterranean Sea and the 

Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, the richness and diversity 

of freshwater fish are directly related to the availability of 

rivers and lakes and are therefore higher in Egypt, in 

keeping with the importance and perennity of the River 

Nile. In Morocco, freshwater fish richness is also high 

where species colonise lagoon habitats (e.g., eels) 

downstream of the rivers, natural lakes and reservoirs 

where several exotic species have been introduced (e.g., 

Cyprinicol taxa such as barbels). In addition, freshwater 

salmonids are also found in upstream rivers towards 

elevated regions like the Rif, the Middle and the High 

Atlas. 

A total of 128 northern African endemic and nonendemic 

fish were assessed for the freshwater biome (112 

species and 16 subspecies). Approximately 27% are 

minnows, carps and barbels (Cyprinidae family), such as 

the Endangered Senegal minnow Raiamas senegalensis 

and the Vulnerable Three spot barb Barbus perince. 

14 

Freshwater fish of the Haplochromis genus. Siwa region in Egypt. Photo © 

Kevin Smith 

Barbus molouyensis is a widespread barbel endemic to the Moulouya River 

basin in northern Morocco (Least Concern). Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

The Northeast of Algeria is one of the northern African regions where the number of endemic freshwater fish is highest. The Lac Bleu. Photo © Boudjèma 

Samraoui.

Table 3.1. Total number of freshwater fish, endemic and 

threatened for each family in the northern African region. 

Family Total Number 

of 

endemics 

Number of 

threatened 

taxa 

CYPRINIDAE 34 22 11 

CICHLIDAE 16 3 3 

MOCHOKIDAE 12 0 3 

MORMYRIDAE 9 0 5 

BAGRIDAE 8 0 2 

ALESTIIDAE 8 0 1 

CITHARINIDAE 6 0 2 

CYPRINODONTIDAE 5 3 1 

SCHILBEIDAE 4 0 1 

SALMONIDAE 3 3 1 

CLARIIDAE 4 0 2 

CLUPEIDAE 2 0 0 

POECILIIDAE 2 0 0 

POLYPTERIDAE 2 0 0 

COBITIDAE 1 1 1 

BLENNIIDAE 1 0 0 

MALAPTERURIDAE 1 0 1 

ANGUILLIDAE 1 0 1 

MONODACTYLIDAE 1 0 0 

OPHICHTHIDAE 1 0 0 

PROTOPTERIDAE 1 0 0 

TETRAODONTIDAE 1 0 0 

GYMNARCHIDAE 1 0 0 

LATIDAE 1 0 0 

ARAPAIMIDAE 1 0 0 

ARIIDAE 1 0 0 

ANABANTIDAE 1 0 0 

TOTAL 128 32 35 

The Least Concern Barbus lepineyi is restricted to the Draa river system in Morocco. Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

15 

Looking more in detail at the singularity of the group, a 

quarter (25%) of the taxa present in the region is endemic, 

which means that 32 fish are unique to the region. More 

than two thirds (69%) of this endemic fauna belong to 

the Cyprinidae family (minnows, barbels and carps), and 

the rest to the Cichlidae (cichlids) (Table 3.1), 

Cyprinodontidae (pupfishes), Salmonidae families 

(salmonids) and Cobitidae (true loaches). Of the 34 

species belonging to the Cyprinidae family, 26 of these 

are barbells (genus Barbus) making this the most common 

genus in the region. This genus represents more than 

20% of the total number of freshwater fish, as well as 

59% of the total endemics, namely the barbels 

“Luciobarbus”. 

The Red List status of freshwater fish families present in the 

northern African region is represented in the Figure 3.1. 

The status of the Mormyridae and Citharinidae families 

is very alarming. 44.4% and 66.7% of these taxa 

respectively are already extinct in the region, as well as 

55.6% and 33.3% respectively being currently 

threatened. 

The Cobitidae and Anguillidae families are each 

represented in the region by only one species (Cobitis 

maroccana and Anguilla anguilla). Both species are 

threatened which places the whole family in the region 

under threat. 

According to Vivier (1948), Morocco is the northern 

African country where the diversity of barbels is highest, 

with 11 species. This diversity declines towards the east 

where Algeria has only 4 species and Tunisia counts a 

total of 2 species (Kraïem 1994; Vivier 1948) making the 

enforcement of an advanced systematic revision of 

Moroccan endemic fish species, such as barbels required 

(Doadrio 1994; Doadrio et al. 1998).

Figure 3.1 Number of Threatened, Non-Threatened, Data Deficient, or Extinct (and Regionally Extinct) freshwater fish 

for each Family in the northern African region. Families with Non-Threatened, Extinct or Regionally Extinct species where 

excluded from the graph for simplification. 

Family 

16 

Number of taxa 

The Sahara aphanius Aphanius saourensis is the freshwater fish under higher risk of extinction in the northern African region, (Critically Endangered). 

Photo © Heiko Kaerst.

Table 3.2 Number of freshwater fish in each regional Red List Category in the northern African region. 

Threatened categories 

Figure 3.2 Proportion of freshwater fish in each regional 

Red List Category in the northern African region. 

Regional Red List Category Total (%) 

Barbus nasus is assessed as Near Threatened in the region and restricted to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco due to a significant reduction of its area of 

distribution in the past. Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

17 

Number of regional 

endemics (%) 

Extinct (EX) 1 (0.8%) 1 (3.1%) 

Regionally Extinct (RE) 23 (18.0%) 0 (0%) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 1 (0.8%) 1 (3.1%) 

Endangered (EN) 8 (6.3%) 2 (6.3%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 26 (20.3%) 7 (21.9%) 

Near Threatened (NT) 2 (1.6%) 2 (6.3%) 

Least Concern (LC) 26 (20.3%) 11 (34.4%) 

Data Deficient (DD) 41 (32.0%) 8 (25%) 

Total number of taxa assessed* 128 32 (100%) 

* Excluding species that are considered Not Applicable. 

Figure 3.3 Proportion of endemic freshwater fish in each 

regional Red List Category in the northern African region.

3.2 Conservation status (IUCN Red List 

Criteria: Regional Scale) 

27.3% of the total taxa assessed (128 species and 

subspecies) at the regional level were found to be 

threatened. A further 1.6% are Near Threatened, while 

only about a fifth (20.3%) are Least Concern. Almost a 

third of the species (32%) are considered Data Deficient, 

which means that there was not enough information to 

classify them within one or the other Red List category. 

However, it should be noted that this does not imply that 

these are not threatened; on the contrary, they may prove 

to be threatened when more data become available (Smith 

and Darwall 2006). 

Among the 27.3% threatened species (Table 3.2), 20.3% 

are Vulnerable, 6.3% are Endangered and one species 

(0.8 %), the Sahara aphanius (Aphanius saourensis) native 

to Algeria, is Critically Endangered. 

When considering the uniqueness of the region, ten 

endemic species to northern Africa (31.3%- of all the 

endemics) are categorized as threatened (CR, EN, VU) 

18 

under IUCN criteria (Table 3.2) being Aphanius 

saourensis, Haplochromis desfontainii, Barbus ksibi, Barbus 

reinii, Barbus harterti, Barbus issenensis, Barbus paytonii, 

Cobitis maroccana and Pseudophoxinus punicus and Salmo 

akairos (see Figures and Tables 3.2 and 3.3). 

3.3 Patterns of species richness 

3.3.1 All evaluated taxa 

In the northern African region, there is a concentration 

of freshwater fish species in the north and west of the 

region in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and along the 

Nile River in Egypt (particularly the upper Nile). This 

high richness also extends to the vicinity of Lake Nasser 

but this is outside the area of assessment (Figure 3.4). 

This distribution is related to the very limited river 

systems and wetland areas of northern African countries, 

with the exception of some species surviving in more 

stressful conditions and oases. In the Maghreb region, the 

richness declines from the Atlantic coast of Morocco 

(Atlas) towards the south-eastern side. In Morocco, taxa 

are concentrated on aquatic ecosystems of the middle and 

Figure 3.4 The distribution of fish in the northern African region, showing the highest numbers in the Upper Nile River 

with a declining tendency towards the north.

high Atlas and Rif such as the Oueds Sebou, Oum Rbia, 

Moulouya, Loukkos, Lakes of Middle Atlas, coastal 

lagoons and estuaries of large Moroccan rivers. In Algeria, 

because of its great wetland diversity, Numidia and 

environs have the highest species richness of aquatic 

organisms (Samraoui and de Bélair 1997, 1998). 

3.3.2 Threatened taxa 

The majority of the threatened taxa are found in the Nile 

River, especially in the Lower Nile. This trend is mainly 

attributed to water pollution and human impacts. 

Moreover, the taxa present in the river systems of Morocco, 

flowing into the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, include 

a relatively high number of threatened fish that are 

susceptible to extinction risks due to the decline in area 

and quality of their habitat in addition to the seasonality 

of the presence of water bodies (Figure 3.5; Table 3.3). 

The most threatened fish in the region is the Critically 

Endangered Sahara aphanius Aphanius saourensis, 

Figure 3.5 Distribution of freshwater fish in regionally threatened categories. The Nile River basin is the region with the 

highest number of threatened taxa showing a declining tendency from south to north. 

19 

endemic to Algeria (Blanco et al. 2006). This species is 

suffering an increasing decline in its population due to 

the introduction of the invasive North American 

Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) as a biological 

controlling agent, excessive ground water withdrawal for 

agricultural purposes, drying of wetlands, and water 

pollution (Blanco, Hrbek and Doadrio, 2006). It is to 

note that the North American Mosquitofish is a species 

that has become naturalized all over the world (Courtney 

and Meffe 1989), impacting on aquatic ecosystems 

(Hurlbert and Mulla 1981, Samraoui 2002, Leyse et al. 

2004), and preying on insects, amphibians and small fish 

(Swanson et al. 1996, Englund 1999, Hamer et al. 

2002). 

In addition, the freshwater species Haplochromis 

desfontainii and Pseudophoxinus punicus, which are native 

to Tunisia and Algeria, are under a high threat of extinction 

(Endangered at the northern African regional level) as a 

result of groundwater extraction, dams, water pollution 

and drought (Pellegrin 1921; Kraiem pers. comm.).

Barbus issenensis is restricted to the Sous and Massa basins in Morocco. It 

is threatened by the decline in area and quality of its habitat due to water 

extraction and agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution. (Vulnerable) 

Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

Table 3.3 Threatened freshwater fish of the northern African region 

Family Species Common name 

20 

Habitat destruction for urbanisation and groundwater extraction are 

affecting the entire distribution of Barbus ksibi in the wadi Ksob (Morocco). 

(Vulnerable). Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

IUCN Red List 

status 

Endemic to 

northern Africa? 

CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius saourensis Sahara aphanius CR Yes 

ANGUILLIDAE Anguilla anguilla European eel EN 

CYPRINIDAE Chelaethiops bibie Turkana sardine EN 

CICHLIDAE Haplochromis desfontainii - EN Yes 

CICHLIDAE Hemichromis bimaculatus Jewelfish EN 

CYPRINIDAE Labeo coubie African carp EN 

CYPRINIDAE Leptocypris niloticus Nile minnow EN 

CYPRINIDAE Pseudophoxinus punicus - EN Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Raiamas senegalensis Senegal minnow EN 

ALESTIIDAE Alestes dentex Nile robber VU 

BAGRIDAE Auchenoglanis biscutatus Black spotted catfish VU 

BAGRIDAE Auchenoglanis occidentalis Spotted catfish VU 

CITHARINIDAE Citharinus citharus citharus Moon fish VU 

CITHARINIDAE Citharinus latus Moon fish VU 

CICHLIDAE Haplochromis bloyeti Lesser perch VU 

CLARIIDAE Heterobranchus bidorsalis Eel-like fattyfin catfish VU 

CLARIIDAE Heterobranchus longifilis Vundu VU 

COBITIDAE Cobitis maroccana - VU Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus harterti - VU Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus issenensis - VU Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus ksibi - VU Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus paytonii - VU Yes 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus perince Three spot barb VU 

CYPRINIDAE Barbus reinii - VU Yes 

MALAPTERURIDAE Malapterurus electricus African electric catfish VU 

MOCHOKIDAE Mochokus niloticus Dwarf Nile catfish VU 

MORMYRIDAE Marcusenius cyprinoides Thisk-lipped fish VU 

MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus caschive Eastern bottlenose VU 

MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus kannume Bottlenose VU 

MORMYRIDAE Petrocephalus bane bane Churchill VU 

MORMYRIDAE Pollimyrus isidori isidori Elephant fish VU 

SALMONIDAE Salmo akairos - VU Yes 

SCHILBEIDAE Schilbe uranoscopus Butter catfish VU 

MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis clarias Squeaker VU 

MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis serratus Shield-head catfish VU

3.3.3 Endemic taxa 

The coastal Mediterranean rivers of Algeria and Tunisia, 

especially those of Numidia and enviros, show the highest 

concentrations of endemic fish (Figure 3.6). The 

geographical position, diversity of relief, as well as the 

importance of the hydrographic system explains this 

uniqueness. The central and western parts of Morocco are 

also of particular importance for the endemic freshwater 

fish of the region as 19 of the 27 endemic taxa occur in 

this area. The catchments where these numbers are most 

significant are the basins of Moulouya, Oum Rbia, Sebou, 

Bou Regreg and Loukkos Rivers, and in the High Atlas 

region. Four species and subspecies of Aphanius occur in 

Algeria, two of which are endemic, one Data Deficient A. 

apodus and one Critically Endangered A. saourensis. 

Salaria fluviatilisis a Least Concern species endemic to the northern 

African region that inhabits riverine habitats and lakes of Morocco and 

Algeria, Ourgha river, Morocco. Photo © Ahmed Yahyaoui 

21 

3.3.4 Extirpated taxa 

A significant number (18%) of fish taxa has disappeared 

from the region and these are therefore listed in either the 

Extinct (1 taxon) or Regionally Extinct (23) categories. 

The Regionally Extinct taxa are representatives of 11 

families: Alestiidae, Arapaimidae, Bagridae, Citharinidae, 

Clupeidae, Cyprinidae, Mochokidae, Mormyridae, 

Poeciliidae, Polypteridae and Schilbeidae. Almost all of 

these freshwater fish (96%) were present within the Nile 

River basin in Egypt (22 of the 23 RE fish). (Figure 3.7; 

Table 3.4). 

The endemic salmonid Salmo pallaryi, was native to the 

Atlas Mountains in northern Morocco and is the only 

species that is Extinct at the global scale since the 1930s. 

The introduction of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, is 

thought to be the reason for its disappearance (Azeroual 

2003, Kottelat 1997). The repeated introductions of four 

species of carp (Cyprinus carpio, Aristichthys nobilis, 

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idella) 

and other exotic fish (Stizostedion lucioperca, Lepomis 

gibbosus, Gambusia holbrooki) at Lake Oubeïra greatly 

impoverished the zooplankton of this Ramsar site and led 

to the disappearance of autochtonous species like Alosa 

Figure 3.6 Distribution of endemic freshwater fish is prevalent in the northeast of Algeria, western Tunisia, and around the 

Atlas region in Morocco.

Figure 3.7 Distribution of extirpated freshwater fish is prevalent in the Nile River region in Egypt. 

Figure 3.8 Distribution of Data Deficient freshwater fish in the northern Africa assessment region. 

22

fallax and Aphanius fasciatus (Samraoui and de Bélair 

1998, Samraoui 2002). The impact of the widespread 

dissemination of the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) 

across most Algerian dams and reservoirs has not yet been 

assessed but is expected to be detrimental (Crivelli 1983). 

The species Alosa fallax and Alosa alosa (left and right respectively) were 

assessed as Regionally Extinct in the northern African region. The 

photographs were taken at the Moulouya River basin. Photos © 

Mohammed Melhaoui 

Table 3.4. List of the Extinct freshwater fish of the northern African region including the Regionally Extinct (RE), and the 

Globally Extinct (EX). 

Order Family Scientific name IUCN Red List 

Category 

(northern Africa)* 

23 

3.3.5 Data Deficient taxa 

Among the assessed freshwater fish, almost one third 

(32%) of them is Data Deficient. In the region, a total 

of 6 endemics are assessed in this category, highlighting 

the lack of information available to evaluate the status 

of northern African freshwater fish. There is a clear 

need for more research on the status of northern African 

freshwater fish, especially the endemic species that only 

occur in this region, namely: Aphanius desioi, 

Oreochromis ismailiaensis, Varicorhinus maroccanus, 

Barbus antinorii, Aphanius apodus and Salmo macrostigma 

(Figure 3.8). 

Countries of 

presence 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Alestes baremoze RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Brycinus macrolepidotus RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Hydrocynus brevis RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Micralestes acutidens RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Distichodus engycephalus RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Distichodus rostratus RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Ichthyborus besse besse RE Egypt 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Nannocharax niloticus RE Egypt 

CLUPEIFORMES CLUPEIDAE Alosa alosa RE 

Morocco, Algeria, 

Tunisia 

CLUPEIFORMES CLUPEIDAE Alosa fallax RE 

Morocco, Algeria, 

Tunisia, Egypt 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus anema RE Egypt 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus neglectus RE Egypt 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES POECILIIDAE Micropanchax loati RE Egypt 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES ARAPAIMIDAE Heterotis niloticus RE Egypt 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Hyperopisus bebe bebe RE Egypt 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus hasselquistii RE Egypt 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus niloticus RE Egypt 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Petrocephalus bovei bovei RE Egypt 

POLYPTERIFORMES POLYPTERIDAE Polypterus bichir bichir RE Egypt 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Clarotes laticeps RE Egypt 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis batensoda RE Egypt 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis membranaceus RE Egypt 

SILURIFORMES SCHILBEIDAE Siluranodon auritus RE Egypt 

SALMONIFORMES SALMONIDAE Salmo pallaryi EX Morocco

3.4 Major threats to fishes of northern 

Africa 

The main threats that are causing the decline of freshwater 

fish in northern Africa are habitat loss due to human 

activities such as groundwater extraction and water 

pollution, and natural disasters such as drought and 

temperature extremes. These threats affect more than 

60% of the total freshwater fish and a 25% of all the 

threatened freshwater fish of the northern African region 

(Figure 3.9). 

Although there is still a lot of uncertainty about the major 

threats affecting this group and its conservation status, 

Figure 3.9 Main Threats to freshwater fish in northern Africa. 

Figure 3.10. Proportion of freshwater fish under each threat and their Red List categories 

Main threat categories 

Main threat categories 

24 

dams have been identified as one of the impacts with 

significant negative effects on the species and subspecies 

distribution and ecology. They have been found to affect 

67 (around 52%) of the 128 assessed taxa and more than 

26 of the threatened ones. 

Harvesting for food and invasive species are also threats 

that affect freshwater fish in northern Africa but to a 

lesser extent. 

The only Critically Endangered species in the region, 

Aphanius saourensis, is endemic to the Oued Saoura basin 

in Algeria, where it is present only in one relic population 

in the Sahara desert. Previous records show that it has 

Number of taxa 

Number of taxa

European eel Anguilla anguilla is Vulnerable in northern Africa and present 

in the countries of Morocco Algeria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Tunisia and 

in Egypt along the River Nile especially the Delta region and coastal 

lagoons. Photo © Fabio Pupin 

disappeared from various other localities (Oued Zousfana 

basin at Igli, El Ouata and Kerzaz - all in the greater 

Saoura basin). This species of the Cyprinodontiformes 

family is mainly threatened by displacement caused by 

the introduced Gambusia species. Other threats include 

unsustainable groundwater withdrawal for agricultural 

purposes, the drying of wetlands, water pollution due to 

agriculture, and domestic and industrial practices (Blanco, 

Hrbek and Doadrio 2006). Although there is an ongoing 

small captive breeding program taking place for this taxon 

in the region, its survival is doubtful in the future due to 

its current critical status. 

Pumps for water extraction in the Siwa basin, Egypt. Photo © Kevin Smith 

25 

More than 85% of the Endangered and Vulnerable 

freshawater fish (30 taxa) are threatened by dam 

construction and groundwater extraction, in addition to 

water pollution (Figure 3.10). 

In northern Africa, the Endangered species Anguilla 

anguilla can be found in the Oum Er-Biâ, Sebou, Loukkos 

and Moulouya Rivers, Merja Zerga lagoon in Morocco, 

and along all coastal wetlands of Algeria, Lybia, Tunisia 

and along the Delta region of the River Nile and coastal 

lagoons in Egypt (Chetto et al. 2001). This species is 

threatened by over-fishing of silver eels in deltas, estuaries 

and lagoons along northern Africa. In addition, parasitic 

pathologies (Saraiva and Eiras 1996, Loucif 2009), 

pollution, the development of water management - 

construction of dams, embankment, pumping and 

derivation of rivers, extraction of gravel - groundwater 

extraction and natural drought are also affecting this fish 

(Bruslé 1994). 

Groundwater Extraction and Water Pollution 

The intensification of agriculture has lead to habitat loss 

due to groundwater extraction from rivers and wetlands, 

used for irrigation and potable water, affecting more than 

92% of the threatened freshwater fish in the region. Water 

pollution is also a major cause of threat within the

northern African freshwater biome as a consequence of 

the uncontrolled use of pesticides and fertilisers in 

agriculture, as well as solid waste (i.e., plastic bags) and a 

negative impact associated to domestic and industrial 

activities, affecting a high percentage (62%) of the 

assessed taxa listed in the threatened categories. 

Natural Disasters 

Natural disasters are the second cause of decline for 

almost two thirds of the freshwater fish in the region, 30 

of which are categorized as threatened. Drought is 

becoming a major problem as a consequence of climate 

change, transforming streams, which historically have 

run as permanent, into seasonal or temporary flows. 

Excluding the mountainous areas, the Maghreb is a region 

with low levels of rainfall progressing towards 

desertification due to the increase in the dry season. 

According to the Blue Plan (2009), the areas which border 

on the desert zone of northern Africa are among the most 

vulnerable to climate change impact in the Mediterranean. 

This is likely to worsen the droughts, their impact and 

extent. Furthermore worrying outlooks are already 

revealed, as 21 of the 23 Regionally Extinct species were 

identified in the past as threatened by drought. 

Dams 

Habitat loss due to the construction of dams transforms 

the hydrological landscape of northern African rivers and 

constitutes a major threat to 26 fish taxa. These 

infrastructures regulate floods, control flows and water 

levels of rivers. In addition, dams modify river quality 

features such as water temperature, oxygen content and 

sediment load. From an ecological point of view, 

spawning zones and refuge habitats are transformed or 

have already disappeared hindering by this the capacity 

26 

of migrant species to complete their life cycles when 

different stages need to take place in widely distributed 

localities up- or downstream of each other. As a result, 

this was identified as a threat factor for 7 taxa classified as 

Endangered and 19 as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List 

of Threatened Species. Furthermore, 23 taxa which are 

already extinct in the region were threatened by the 

construction of dams in the past. 

The infrastructure development of the Aswan Dam in the 

Egyptian Nile River acts as a barrier to the water flow 

impeding by this the reproduction cycles and migratory 

routes of the fish species. This dam, due to nutrients 

trapping, is expected to be the reason behind the extinction 

at regional level of several taxa due to their restricted 

range. At least 80% of the 24 northern African freshwater 

fish that are listed as Extinct in the region could be found 

in the past within the River Nile Basin (21 species). 

Harvesting for food 

Over-fishing through unsustainable fishing techniques 

(small mesh, hand trawls, submerged nets, blocking of 

whole width of rivers during migration with nets and 

traps) and during the closed season when the species is 

spawning, is affecting populations of four species and one 

subspecies of freshwater fish. These taxa, Lates niloticus 

(EN), Anguilla anguilla (EN), Barbus bynni bynnii (VU), 

Hydrocynus forskahlii (VU) and Alestes dentex (VU), are 

unsustainably harvested for food. 

Invasive Alien Species 

Introduced invasive species threaten at least two species 

of fish endemic to the region, the Critically Endangered 

Sahara aphanius (Aphanius saourensis), which is threatened 

due to the introduction of the North American gambusia 

Dam of the Moulouya River basin, Morocco. Photo © IUCN Med The invasive alien species native from North American Gambusia holbrooki. 

Photo © Frank Teigler

Molouya River in Morocco. Photo © IUCN Med 

(Gambusia holbrooki), and the Data Deficient Salmo 

macrostigma (DD) which is threatened due to hybridisation 

with the introduced trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Most 

introduced freshwater fishes have been established 

intentionally for fishing purposes or as a means to reduce 

the eutrophication of lakes, dams and irrigation channels 

(Azeroual et al. 2000, Azeroual 2003). 

This phenomenon is due mainly to the high reductions of 

the flow of watercourses, heating up the waters at high 

altitude. The best example among the vertebrates is that of 

Barbels (Barbus callensis in particular), which occur to 

1900 meters above sea level in certain water courses (for 

example oued Guigou in Middle Atlas) considered usually 

as habitats for Salmonids. 

3.5 Conservation recommendations 

Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is a key 

conservation action required to stop population decline 

and prevent new extinctions for the assessed fish species of 

the highly managed northern Africa freshwater biome. 

This is a multidisciplinary approach for the management 

of the resources and services provided by the river system 

assuring their sustainable utilization in short, medium and 

long-term time scales. An additional measure that can be 

considered as a part of the IRBM is to regulate the effects 

of dam construction on the life cycle of fish populations, 

by providing a continuous environmental flow and 

predicting by-passes where migrant species, such as eels, 

can use for crossing the dams. Reforestation of river 

margins would help to reduce the amount of lime and 

sediments carried by the river flow that can clog the fish 

gills. Furthermore, measures to reduce groundwater overextraction 

and predict artificial spawning grounds at the 

level of streams when water is derived for irrigation would 

27 

be valuable. In agriculture, water pollution is a major 

problem generated as a consequence of the use of 

uncontrolled levels of chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers. 

These levels need to be standardized, and the promotion of 

efficient use of both surface and groundwater by using 

more sustainable water irrigation techniques (e.g., drop by 

drop, night time irrigation) is required. From the legislative 

side, the enforcement of sustainable fishing techniques and 

habitat and species conservation are additional measures 

which could prove valuable for freshwater fishes. 

3.6 Conclusions 

Even when around 30% of the total northern African 

freshwater fish is threatened, there is still an evident 

lack of information about population distribution, 

ecology and threats to these taxa in the region – this 

is the case for almost 32% of the fishes categorized as 

Data Deficient. This result implies that a much higher 

number of species could prove to be under threat after 

further research. 

More than one fifth of the endemic taxa are threatened 

with extinction, including the Critically Endangered 

Sahara aphanius (Aphanis saourensis). Northern African 

countries therefore have a special responsibility to 

design and effectively implement conservation plans 

to preserve these species. 

An astonishing 19% of the fish present in the 

freshwater biome is already extinct from the region, 

including the Moroccan endemic species Salmo 

pallaryi, which has disappeared at the global level. 

24 of the 25 Regionally Extinct taxa had an area of 

distribution along the Nile River in Egypt, and their 

regional extinction could be a consequence of the 

construction of the Aswan Dam. 

The majority (highest richness) of the threatened taxa 

are occurring in the Nile basin in Egypt, and in the 

north and western Morocco. 

Groundwater extraction, water pollution and dam 

construction are the three main causes of freshwater 

fish decline, affecting 69% of the total threatened 

fish fauna of northern African rivers. Drought is also 

a major threat for 23% of the taxa and is becoming 

increasingly important due to the impacts of climate 

change. 

Further research action and Integrated River Basin 

Management including dams, pollution, waste 

dumping control and legislation enforcement are the 

key conservation measures needed to prevent future 

extinctions in this extinction-prone and threatened 

group.


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an alien fish, Gambusia affinis, on an endemic 

California fairy shrimp, Linderiella occidentalis: 

implications for conservation of diversity in fishless 

waters. Biological Conservation 118: 57-65. 

Loucif, N., Meddour, A. and Samraoui, B. 2009. 

Biodiversité des parasites chez Anguilla anguilla L. 

dans le Parc National d’El Kala. European Journal of 

Scientific Research 25: 301-310. 

Pellegrin, J. 1921. Les poissons des eaux douces de l’Afrique 

du Nord française. Maroc, Algérie, 

Tunisie, Sahara. Mémoires de la Société des sciences 

naturelles du Maroc. Vol.1. Issue 2. pp 1-216. 

Samraoui, B. 2002. Branchiopoda (Ctenopoda and 

Anomopoda) and Copepoda from eastern Algeria. 

Hydrobiologia 470: 173-179. 

Samraoui, B. and de Bélair, G. 1997. The Guerbes- 

Senhadja wetlands. part I : an overview. Ecologie 28: 

233-250. 

Samraoui, B. and de Bélair, G. 1998. Les zones humides 

de la Numidie orientale : bilan des connaissances et 

perspectives de gestion. Synthèse 4: 1-90. 

Saraiva, A. and Eiras, J.C. 1996. Parasite community of 

European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.) in the river Este, 

northern Portugal. Res. Rev. Parasitol. 56: 179- 

183. 

Smith, K. G. and Darwall, W.R.T. (Eds.). 2006. The 

Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fish Endemic to 

the Mediterranean Basin. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland 

and Cambridge, UK. V+ 34pp. 

Swanson, C., Cech Jr, J.J. and Piedrahita, R.H. 1996. 

Mosquitofish, biology, culture and use in mosquito 

control. Mosquito and Vector Control Association of 

California and University of California, Sacramento, 

CA. 

Viviers, P. 1948. Note sur les eaux douces du Maroc et sur 

leur mise en valeur. Bulletin Francais de Pisciculture 

N° 150 . 23 pages.


freshwater molluscs 

Van Damme, D. 1 , Ghamizi, M. 2 , Soliman, G. 3 , McIvor, A. 4 and Seddon, M.B. 5 


4.1.1 Molluscan biogeography ....................................................................................................................... 

4.1.2 Taxonomic problems in northern African freshwater malacology .......................................................... 


4.3 Patterns of species richness and endemicity ................................................................................................... 

4.3.1 Species richness of freshwater molluscs in Palearctic northern Africa .................................................... 

4.3.2 Species richness of freshwater molluscs in Afrotropical northern Africa ................................................ 

4.3.3 Patterns of species richness of threatened species .................................................................................. 

4.3.3.1 Species richness of threatened species in the Palearctic part of northern Africa .......................... 

4.3.3.2 Species richness of threatened species in the Afrotropical part of northern Africa ...................... 

4.3.4 Distribution of endemic species ............................................................................................................ 

4.3.5 Data deficient species ........................................................................................................................... 

4.3.6 Extirpated species ................................................................................................................................. 

4.4 Major threats to molluscs .............................................................................................................................. 

4.5 Conclusions and Conservation recommendations ......................................................................................... 

4.6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

1 University of Gent, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, B 9000 Ghent, Belgium. 

2 Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Marrakech. Université Cadi Ayad Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, BP 2390, Marrakech, Morocco. 

3 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. 

4 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK. 

5 Shell life. Bracken Tor, Saxongate, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1QW, UK. 

29 

30 

32 

33 

35 

39 

39 

41 

41 

41 

43 

43 

44 

44 

46 

49 

49

4.1 Overview of the regional fauna 

The Moroccan river system is the most extensive within 

the northern African region, where a diversified molluscan 

fauna appears to live in the aquifers in the karstic 

underground. In addition to the historical records, during 

the last decade an abundance of new species and genera 

has been discovered in this country (Ghamizi 1998). 

There are no permanent rivers or standing waters and the 

groundwater is brackish south of the Drâa River basin. 

Hence, only some Palaearctic freshwater molluscs 

(Melanopsis praemorsa, Melanopsis sp. ?, Pseudamnicola 

sp.)* are known to be extant and exclusively restricted to 

wells. Two Melanopsis species, one probably new to 

science, have been discovered recently in the vicinity of 

Ad Dakhla (Villa Cisneros) (collector J. Ahuir). 

Small stream used by population in the Imin Ifri region in High Atlas, 

Morocco. Photo © Mohamed Ghamizi 

Most Algerian Mediterranean rivers are not suitable for 

the survival of the majority of freshwater molluscs, with 

the exception of those belonging to the genera Theodoxus. 

As a general rule, molluscs do not occur in these temporary 

waters and are confined to wells and springs at the foot of 

both mountain chains and the more easterly situated 

Aurès Mountains, which is drained by a number of 

seasonal rivers such as the Oued el Abiod. Towards the 

south, in the Sahara, no permanent flowing waters exist 

and molluscan life is confined to some oases and gueltas 

(temporary lakes created from resurgence of groundwater), 

mainly along the seasonally flowing Oued Saoura. A 19 th 

century report mentions blind fish, freshwater molluscs 

and crabs surfacing with artesian water from a well Mezer 

* The species that are listed against a genus name? are provisionally placed in this genus pending further research, as there is no anatomical data to confirm the 

placement in the genus. 

30 

drilled by French engineers along the bed of the Wadi 

Righ (or Rhir) in the Algerian Sahara south of Chott El 

Melrhir, parts of which are saline and parts fresh. This 

indicates that a diversified underground malacofauna 

exists or rather did exist in this part of the Sahara. This 

fauna was never studied and possibly may be extinct due 

to increased salinity and mineralization of the aquifers in 

that region. The most southern large fresh water body, 

the Gueltates Afilala in the Ahaggar range, also contains a 

very poor diversity of malacofauna. 

Most mollusc species in Tunisia are confined to the Oued 

Medjerda, which is the only perennial river in the country 

(main temporary rivers are the O. Mellègue, O. Khaled, 

O. Marouf, etc.). Furthermore, the largest lakes Lac de 

Tunis and Lac Ichkeul are brackish, though a number of 

freshwater species do occur in the marshes surrounding 

the latter. In the rest of the country, virtually only 

subterranean hydrobiids have been described from wells, 

springs and warm sources with the most southern limit 

the region of the Chott el Jerid at the Gulf of Gabés. The 

exception is the Oued Berreshaf, a small stream that 

descends the eastern slope of the Aurés Mountains in 

which some fluvial populations (e.g., Melanopsis) still 

occurred in the beginning of the 20 th century. The 

malacofauna of the Lebna Reservoir has not been 

studied. 

Rivers in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Aozou Strip 

contain a poor ubiquistic Afrotropical fauna (including 

the species Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bulinus truncatus and 

Melanoides tuberculata) and the Palearctic Planorbis 

planorbis was recorded from Ghat more than 50 years 

ago. Molluscs are absent from the lakes of Wau and 

Namus due to their high salinity, and therefore the only 

malacologically interesting part in the country is the 

mountainous coastal region of Cyrenaica, from which 

several subterranean hydrobiids (genus Pseudamnicola) 

have been recorded but never properly described. These 

evidences suggest that further investigation of wells and 

springs in this karstic area could lead to the discovery of a 

number of new endemic subterranean species and it is 

possible that the springs at the eastern slope of Jabal 

Tarabulus (west coast) also contain hydrobiids, although 

there is a lack of information from this region. The 

possibility of stygobiont life in the wells of the Great 

Man-made River can be disregarded, as their depths of 

500 meters make freshwater molluscs survival impossible

in those waters. Although intensive work was carried out 

to survey the Tibesti Mountains, no living freshwater 

molluscs have been recorded from the northern slopes of 

the disputed Aozou Strip between Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

and Chad, included in the northern African Region. 

In the oases and gueltas of the Mauritanian Hadrar, the 

mountainous region near Atar, a few ubiquistic 

Afrotropical molluscs are known to be transported by 

birds and humans. 

In the northwestern part of Mali, included in the northern 

Africa region considered for this freshwater biodiversity 

assessment, no permanent standing or flowing freshwater 

bodies occur. During the Holocene wet phase, vast lakes 

and an extensive river network existed connecting this 

region with Niger and hence containing the same 

Afrotropical molluscan fauna as can be found in this river. 

However, no live molluscs have currently been recorded 

from this area. 

Before the erection of the Aswan Dam, molluscs were 

mainly confined to the Delta of the Egyptian Nile, the 

only permanent river in this country. However, in the last 

decades many species appear to have extended their range 

over its whole length (Ibrahim et al. 1999; Soliman pers. 

comm. 2008). Apart from the Nile, a few ubiquistic 

freshwater molluscs have been recorded from Siwa, 

The Siwa Oasis in Egypt. Photo © Kevin Smith 

31 

Dakhla and Kharga Oases. The water salinity of lakes and 

lagoons along the coast between Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

and Egypt ranges from a moderate to a wide range of 

salinity, and is inhabited by a large number of 

Mediterranean marine and brackish species, as well as 

some populations of Hydrobia musaensis and Melanoides 

tuberculata in the parts with low salinity levels. No 

malacofauna is found in the highly saline or hyperhaline 

waters of Lake Quarun. 

There is a possibility that a similar circummediterranean 

type of malacofauna inhabited the canyon-river created 

by the Eonile (the name given to the first River Nile) 

during the Messinian salinity crisis (around 5.96 and 

5.33 Ma). However, when the Atlantic Ocean broke 

through at Gibraltar and the Mediterranean rose again, 

over almost its whole length (up to Aswan) the Eonile 

became a sea arm and freshwater life disappeared. Its 

successors, the Pliocene Palaeonile and the Early 

Pleistocene Protonile, were also relatively small rivers. 

During arid periods both became seasonal and there is no 

indication for any continuity of the malacofauna. 

The only water surface occurring in the utmost northwestern 

part of the country that is included in the present 

assessment of the northern Africa freshwater biodiversity 

is the Selima Oasis, but records only mention Early 

Holocene molluscs, no modern ones.

4.1.1 Molluscan biogeography 

The molluscan biogeography of the region is 

straightforward. Based on the composition of the 

molluscan communities since the beginning of the 

Holocene, Van Damme (1984) divided northern Africa 

into two parts belonging to the Palearctic Region and the 

Afrotropical (=Ethiopian) Region respectively. According 

to this, the following areas of the Mediterranean Subregion 

belong to the Palearctic Region (Figure 4.1): 

1) An endemic Maghrebian distribution, e.g., the genus 

Eideella; 

2) An Ibero-Maghrebian distribution, e.g., the genus 

Horatia; 

3) A western Mediterranean or Alboran distribution, 

e.g., the genus Mercuria and; 

4) A circummediterranean distribution, e.g., the genus 

Pseudamnicola. The species-complexes mentioned 

also do show these distribution patterns. 

Compared to other parts of the Mediterranean region, 

the degree of endemicity is uncommonly high in Maghreb, 

which made Van Damme (1984) suggest that for 

freshwater molluscs a Maghrebian Province should be 

distinguished biogeographically. 

32 

The Maghrebian malacofauna appears to have possessed 

its typical features since at least the Late Miocene (about 

6 to 7 million years ago) or even earlier. During the 

Oligocene-Miocene the northern part of Maghreb and 

the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula formed the 

Rifo-betic Cordillera surrounding the Alboran Sea; hence 

they belonged to the same biogeographic region. During 

the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Late Miocene, after 

the Mediterranean dried out, the freshwater lakes (e.g. 

Lago Mare) that formed on its bottom were invaded by 

faunal elements from the freshwater lakes in the Dacic- 

Pannonian Basin (a region of the Black Sea and Caspian 

Sea) and from there they spread into Iberia and Maghreb. 

The common traits shared by in the freshwater 

malacofauna extending from Turkey in the east to Spain 

and Morocco in the west go back to that geological 

period. The Maghrebian malacofauna hence should be 

considered as an ancient one, persisting and diversifying 

for at least 6 million years (Heller 2007). 

The malacofauna of the modern Nile has clearly always 

been dominated by Afrotropical elements, even during 

the Glacial Maximum stage of the last Ice Age. Palaeartic 

elements do occur in the Nile but their number and range 

has fluctuated since it came into existence. Nowadays, 

Figure 4.1. Map of the northern African Region with the biogeographic demarcation line between malacofaunas, 

respectively dominated (>80%) by Palaeartic elements and by Afrotropical elements (redrawn after Van Damme 1984).

only 6 Palaeartic species and endemics of Palaeartic 

origin, all gastropods, are found in the region, namely 

Theodoxus niloticus, Valvata nilotica, Lymnaea truncatula, 

Hydrobia musaensis, Hydrobia ventrosa and Planorbis 

planorbis, but a number of Palaeartic species such as Unio 

abyssinicus (closely related to the Levantine Unio tigridis) 

and Pisidium subtruncatum, that occurred during cold 

and wet Holocene phases, have now retreated to the 

Ethiopian Highlands or became regionally extinct (e.g., 

Lymnaea peregra and Pisidium amnicum). In the northern 

part of Maghreb, the Palaeartic component is more than 

90%, it never reached more that 25% in the Egyptian 

Nile since its existence and is now dwindling (presently 

the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the Levant. Some 

circummediterranean taxa, e.g., the more than 200 species 

of Melanopsis, were lumped into a single species, Melanopsis 

praemorsa (Tchernov 1975). 

Since the 1990s the use of improved anatomic, 

morphometric and molecular techniques led to the 

conclusion that the supposed representatives of widespread 

Sibero-european species on the Iberian Peninsula had 

been geographically sufficiently long isolated to be 

considered as distinct and that circummediterranean 

species such as Melanopsis praemorsa (and probably also 

Unio mancus and Potomida littoralis) need to be considered 

as super-species or as species complexes (Heller et al. 

2002, Glaubrecht 1993). 

While the extreme lumping of the Iberian, Italian and 

Levantine malacofaunas has been corrected for a large part, 

the revision of the taxonomy of the Maghrebian fauna still 

needs to start. Ongoing investigations (Ramdani et al. 

Two representatives of the genus Melanopsis in north-western Africa 

recognized as distinct and threatened species in the present IUCN report 

A. Melanopsis chlorotica (Critically Endangered). It is likely that this 

species is gone over its former range in the Moroccan lowlands (Aouza 

Plain). Only a few populations in the Middle Atlas (range

level. This was done extremely cautiously and the number 

of distinct northern African molluscs recognized here is 

without doubt an underestimation of the real number. 

What matters is that it nonetheless gives, for the first time, 

a good idea of the importance of the Maghrebian region 

as a hotspot of freshwater molluscan biodiversity within 

the already highly diverse circummediterranean region. 



In total, 155 freshwater molluscs were evaluated, as 3 

species were considered as introduced in the region and 

therefore classified as Not Applicable (Biomphalaria 

glabrata, Helisoma duryi, and Lymnaea columella). Almost 

half (45.2%) of the northern African mollusc species 

evaluated according to the IUCN Red List Categories 

and Criteria methodology are threatened with extinction, 

35 

with 17.4% classified as Critically Endangered, 19.4% as 

Endangered and 8.4% as Vulnerable (see Table 4.1). 

While information is lacking for almost 17% of the 

species in the region, which are therefore considered as 

Data Deficient. Almost a quarter of the mollusc species 

in northern Africa (22.6%) is classified as Least Concern 

(LC) (Figures 4.2, 4.3 and Table 4.1). However, this 

percentage differs dramatically when the mollusc fauna 

of this region is divided according to their biogeographic 

distribution shown in Figure 4.1. Thus, in the fauna 

belonging to the Afrotropical Region (39 species), 59% 

are classed as Least Concern (Figure 4.4 and Table 4.3) 

while in the fauna belonging to the Palaeartic Region 

(120 species), this category contains only 12.5 % (Figure 

4.4 and Table 4.2). Conversely, the sum of the species in 

the threatened categories is 7.7% for Afrotropical 

northern Africa (Figure 4.5 and Table 4.3) and 55.8% for 

Palaeartic northern Africa (Figure 4.4 and Table 4.2). 

Table 4.1 The number of mollusc species in each Red List category in the northern African region. 


IUCN Red List Category 

Number of Species 

(%) 


endemics (%) 

Extinct (EX) 17 (11%) 15 (17.6%) 



Endangered (EN) 30 (19.4%) 20 (23.5%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 13 (8.4%) 7 (8.2%) 



Data Deficient (DD) 26 (16.8%) 18 (21.2%) 

Total number of taxa assessed* 155 (100%) 85 (100%) 

* Excluding taxa considered Not Applicable. 

Figure 4.2 The proportions of freshwater molluscs in each 

Red List Category in the northern Africa region. 

Figure 4.3 The proportions of endemic freshwater molluscs 

in each Red List Category in the northern Africa region.

In addition, the meaning of the assessment ‘Data 

Deficient’ differs in both biogeographic regions. In 

Afrotropical northern Africa the ‘Data Deficient’ 

classification usually means that the species is still present 

but that data are lacking on its present distribution and/ 

or that its taxonomic status is doubtful. Probably none of 

these should be considered as Extinct or Critically 

Endangered. However, in Palaeartic northern Africa, a 

sizable number of species have been assigned to this 

category because they are only known from the original 

19 th century description and their present status and 

range is unknown. In other words, a number of these DD 

species may be Extinct or Critically Endangered. In view 

of these marked differences between the biogeographic 

regions it makes little sense to discuss northern African 

molluscs as a single group. 

Table 4.2 The number of mollusc species in each Red List 

category in Palearctic northern Africa (Maghreb). 

Threatened 

categories 


Category 

Number of 

Species (%) 

Extinct (EX) 16 (13.3%) 

Regionally Extinct (RE) 2 (1.7%) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 26 (21.7%) 

Endangered (EN) 30 (25.0%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 11 (9.2%) 

Near Threatened (NT) 4 (3.3%) 

Least Concern (LC) 15 (12.5%) 

Data Deficient (DD) 16 (13.3%) 

Total number of taxa assessed* 120 (100%) 

Table 4.3 The number of mollusc species in each red list 

category in Afrotropical northern Africa. 

Threatened 

categories 



Category 

Number of 

Species (%) 

Extinct (EX) 1 (2.6%) 

Regionally Extinct (RE) 1 (2.6%) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 1 (2.6%) 

Endangered (EN) 0 (0%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 2 (5.1%) 

Near Threatened (NT) 1 (2.6%) 

Least Concern (LC) 23 (59%) 

Data Deficient (DD) 10 (25.6%) 

Total number of taxa assessed* 39 (100%) 


36 

Maroccopsis agadirensis is an Endangered 

species endemic to the northern 

African region. It is restricted to very 

small populations, and threatened by 

pollution of wells and the decreasing 

of water level due to water abstraction. 

Photo © Mohamed Ghamizi 

Figure 4.4 The proportions of freshwater molluscs species 

in each Red List Category in Paleartic northern Africa 

(Maghreb). 

Figure 4.5 The proportions of freshwater molluscs species 

in Afrotropical northern Africa.

Table 4.4 Threatened species of freshwater molluscs of the northern Africa region. 

Family Scientific name** 

37 


Category 

(North Africa) 

ETHERIIDAE Etheria elliptica CR 

Endemic to 

the region? 

HYDROBIIDAE Attebania bernasconii CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Belgrandiella (?) sp.nov. ‘ramdanii’ (nomen nudum) CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) sp nov. ‘tiznitensis’ (nomen nudum) CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia costata CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia mellalensis CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia saidai CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) sp nov. ‘kerdouensis’ (nomen nudum) CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) valai sp. nov. (nomen nudum) CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella andreae CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella sp. nov. ‘makhfamanensis’ (nomen nudum) CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Iglica soussensis CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria cf. zopissa CR 

HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria punica CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola leprevieri CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola pallaryi CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Semisalsa aponensis CR Yes 

MARGARITIFERIDAE Margaritifera marocana CR Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis brevicula CR Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis chlorotica CR Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis saharica CR Yes 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium milium CR 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium nitidum CR 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium tenuilineatum CR 

UNIONIDAE Anodonta lucasi CR Yes 

UNIONIDAE Anodonta pallaryi CR Yes 

UNIONIDAE Unio foucauldianus CR Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia bodoni EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia gofasi EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia janai EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia meskiensis (nomen nudum) EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Giustia midarensis EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) sp. nov. ‘boulali’ (nomen nudum) EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) sp. nov. ‘knidirii’ EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) sp. nov. ‘salahi’(nomen nudum) EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Horatia sp. nov. ‘aghbalensis’ (nomen nudum) EN Yes

Family Scientific name** 

38 


Category 

(North Africa) 

Endemic to 

the region? 

HYDROBIIDAE Horatia sp. nov. ‘haasei’ (nomen nudum) EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia maroccana EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia minoricensis EN 

HYDROBIIDAE Maroccopsis agadirensis EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria cf balearica EN 

HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria sp. nov. ‘mirlheftensis’ (nomen nudum) EN Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola cf. spirata EN 

LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (?Stagnicola) maroccana EN Yes 

LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Lymnaea) stagnalis EN 

LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Stagnicola) palustris EN 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis letourneuxi EN Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis magnifica EN Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis mourebeyensis EN Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis scalaris EN Yes 

NERITIDAE Theodoxus meridionalis EN 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium subtruncatum EN 

PLANORBIDAE Anisus spirorbis EN 

PLANORBIDAE Armiger crista EN 

PLANORBIDAE Hippeutis complanatus EN 

UNIONIDAE Potomida littoralis EN Yes 

UNIONIDAE Unio durieui EN Yes 

AMPULLARIIDAE Lanistes varicus VU 

ANCYLIDAE Ancylus strictus VU 

HYDROBIIDAE Belgrandia (?) sp. nov. ‘wiwanensis’ (nomen nudum) VU Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Heideella andraea VU Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia djerbaensis VU Yes 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola conovula VU 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola meluzzii VU Yes 

MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis subgraëllsiana VU Yes 

NERITIDAE Theodoxus marteli VU Yes 

NERITIDAE Theodoxus numidicus VU Yes 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium personatum VU 

PLANORBIDAE Gyraulus laevis VU 

PLANORBIDAE Segmentorbis angustus VU 

** The species that are listed as nomen nudum have been described as species in a Ph. D. thesis, however, this publication does not meet the criteria as a valid 

publication for International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (IZCN). Until they are published as full species according to ICZN, they cannot be included 

on the Global Red List of Threatened Species.

4.3 Patterns of species richness and 

endemicity 

4.3.1 Species richness of freshwater molluscs 

in Palearctic northern Africa 

In the Palaeartic part of northern Africa the highest 

number of species was recorded by Ghamizi (1998) in 

the Middle Atlas (39 species), followed by the flat 

highland of the Atlantic meseta (32 species), the regions 

of the High Atlas and the Rif (29 species), and the Anti- 

Atlas (27 species). To the south from the Oued Seyad 

(Goulimine), i.e., in the basin of the Oued Drâa and the 

rivers draining into the Sahara, the species richness rapidly 

declines. Only 3 species are found in the Atlantic region 

south of the Drâa and none in the Saharan rivers in the 

Moroccan/ Algerian border region. To the east, in the 

only large Moroccan river system draining into the 

Mediterranean, the Oued Moulouya, the species richness 

is around 27 species and this seems also to be the case in 

Mediterranean Algerian Tell Atlas. The number appears 

to decline to 20 species in northern Tunisia and drops to 

less than 10 species in the Palaeartic part of Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya (Cyrenaica). In Algeria and Tunisia, south of 

39 

the Saharan Atlas and Aurès ranges, the species richness 

rapidly dwindles to below 5 species of which 2 or 3 are 

Afrotropical (Figure 4.6). 

The species richness shows a gradual decline from west to 

east, the richest communities still occurring in the region 

of the Atlantic meseta and mountains, which receives the 

Anodonta lucasii is an endemic species listed as Critically Endangered 

at the level of the northern African region. Its populations are native to 

slow flowing streams and marshes of the Mediterranean coastal region 

of Algeria and Tunisia but currently restricted to a unique location in 

Tunisia. Photo © The Mussel Project 

Figure 4.6 Distribution of freshwater mollusc species in northern African region. In the western part the highest 

concentrations are found in the Atlas Mountains and the adjacent Atlantic meseta in Morocco. In the eastern part only the 

Nile contains a rich fauna.

highest precipitation and has the lowest mean annual 

temperature. The declining species richness towards the 

east (Algeria and Tunisia) seems clearly linked with 

anthropogenic factors such as pollution and 

overexploitation of surface and ground waters. This 

conclusion is based on the fact that the 19 th century 

records do mention a sizable number of subterranean 

species, which may be assumed to be extinct because the 

wells and springs in which they were collected do not 

exist anymore. In addition, a number of Palearctic species 

which appear to have been already strongly localized in 

the 19 th century, are most likely also gone due to the 

increasing aridity related to the fact that many swamps 

and lakes in Algeria have been drained for agriculture in 

addition to the effects of pollution. 

It should be stressed however, that the lower species 

richness, particularly in the Oued Moulouya basin and in 

the Algerian Tell Atlas, may be partly an artefact due to 

lack of sampling during the last decades. The detailed 

survey of hydrobiids of wells and springs by Ghamizi 

(1998) did increase the species richness by 30 in western 

and middle Morocco. But the number of species in 

surface waters clearly also decreases from west to east. 

Figure 4.7 Distribution of threatened freshwater molluscs in northern African region. The highest concentrations are 

found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. 

40 

Anodonta pallaryi is Critically Endangered due to its restricted 

distribution limited to one hydroelectric reservoir in Morocco and 

invasive species. Photo © The Mussel Project

Potomida littoralis fellmanni is an Endangered taxon endemic to Algeria, 

Morocco and Tunisia, living in different types of substrate in slow 

moving and standing waters. Its remaining populations are in serious 

decline and in need of protection and investigation. The picture shows a 

specimen, collected in the Fes province of Morocco. Photo © The Mussel 

Project 

The Critically Endangered bivalve Anodonta lucasii is endemic to slow 

flowing streams and marshes of the Mediterranean coastal region of 

Algeria and Tunisia. Drainage of sites and alteration of its habitat due 

to infrastructure development are the main threats affecting this species. 

Photo © The Mussel Project 

41 

4.3.2 Species richness of freshwater molluscs 

in Afrotropical northern Africa 

The highest species richness in Afrotropical Africa is 

found in the Egyptian Nile where 39 species are present. 

In the 20 th century, due to the disappearance of swampy 

habitats along the borders of the Egyptian Nile, many 

smaller gastropod species that live in debris and among 

aquatic vegetation became restricted to the slow flowing 

and stagnant canals of the Nile Delta where vegetation 

was still abundant and the bottom was muddy. Since the 

building of the Aswan Dam, the stream velocity of the 

Egyptian Nile was decreased, resulting in the extension 

over a larger distributional range of most Nilotic species. 

Compared to the Nilotic molluscan community recorded 

in 19 th century, the present one shows only a slight 

decrease in species richness, due to the disappearance of a 

couple of Palaeartic species that were already relicts one 

hundred years ago. Their disappearance may have been 

caused by global climate change. It should be pointed out 

however, that the only endemic Afrotropical bivalve in 

Egypt, Chambardia letourneuxi, which was confined to 

the Delta has not been collected since the late 19 th century 

and should be considered as Extinct. Hence tropical 

species have also been affected. 

Beyond the borders of the Nile the Sahara begins, as a 

rule, species richness decreases to a few species, and never 

more than 5. Even during the Holocene wet phases this 

whole region was relatively species poor with a maximum 

of 10 to 13 species in all parts where no stable hydrographic 

connections developed. Only the fossil molluscan 

communities of Wadi Howar (Egypt) and the Oued 

Tilemsi (Mali), now both dry, were richer. 

4.3.3 Patterns of species richness of 

threatened species 

As already stated, there is a marked difference between 

the species richness distribution in northern Africa as a 

whole and the distribution of species in theatened 

categories (Figure 4.7). 

4.3.3.1 Species richness of threatened 

species in the Palearctic part of 

northern Africa 

In the Palaeartic part of the region, the distribution 

pattern of the total species richness and the species 

richness of threatened species does not differ markedly. 

This is due to the fact that subterranean hydrobiids with 

a limited distribution constitute a significant proportion

Figure 4.8. Distribution of endemic molluscs of northern Africa, illustrating the high degree of endemicity in the 

Maghreb, in particular in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. 

Figure 4.9 Distribution of freshwater molluscs of northern Africa classified as Data Deficient, showing highest 

concentrations in the Nile Delta and north Algeria as a result of a lack of taxonomic reviews. 

42

of the community. Some regions, in the Moroccan Middle 

Atlas, the eastern coastal meseta and Algeria for example, 

have not been fully explored, and the above statement 

may reflect differences in sampling intensity instead of 

the real situation. However, the distribution of the species 

richness of Maghrebian Melanopsis species with limited 

distributions and hence are threatened give a good idea of 

the decrease of threatened species in surface waters from 

west to east. 

4.3.3.2 Species richness of threatened 

molluscs in the Afrotropical part of 


In the Afrotropical part of the region, the global species 

richness and the richness of threatened species do not 

coincide, as the number of regionally threatened species is 

very low. In a supra-regional context the number of 

threatened species is zero since all Afrotropical species 

whose taxonomic status is known (and not the 

taxonomically highly dubious ‘endemic’ species of the 

Ferrissia-complex) do have a wide distribution in Africa. 

The Palaeartic species are widespread in the Palaeartic 

region and the few endemics of Palaeartic origin (Theodoxus 

niloticus, Valvata nilotica, Gyraulus ehrenbergi and Hydrobia 

musaensis) do not fall in a threatened category. 

Figure 4.10 Distribution of extirpated freshwater mollusc of northern Africa (RE and EX). 

43 

4.3.4 Distribution of endemic species 

The dispersal strategy of freshwater molluscs in 

northern Africa differs greatly from group to group: 

some are easily dispersed by birds (e.g., Planorbidae, 

Pisidiidae), others use fish as host in their larval stage 

(e.g., Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) and others have 

very limited dispersal capacities (e.g., Viviparidae). 

While hydrobiids living in surface waters appear to be 

easily dispersed by birds, the highly restricted 

distribution of most subterranean hydrobiids (often 

only recorded from a single well or source) indicates 

that their distribution capacity is very low. In 

Maghrebian Africa the number of species with 

restricted ranges in surface waters, i.e., confined to 

one river system or, in some cases, to two adjacent 

systems is clearly highest in the Moroccan rivers 

running towards the Atlantic. These contain, not 

taking into account the Hydrobiidae, several 

Melanopsis species, Margaritifera marocana, Unio 

foucauldianus and Anodonta pallaryi. In Algeria and 

Tunisia there is only one non-hydrobiid species with 

restricted range in each country (Melanopsis 

subgraëllsiana and Anodonta lucasi, respectively). On 

the contrary, there are none in the Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya (Figure 4.8).

In the Afrotropical part of northern Africa, the only 

taxonomically valid species with a restricted range is 

Gyraulus ehrenbergi, which has only been found in the 

Egyptian Nile system (including Lake Nasser, which does 

not belong to the region assessed in this report). 

4.3.5 Data deficient species 

As already stated, many Palaeartic species in northern 

Africa have been classed as Data Deficient (DD) because 

they have not been collected since the 19 th or the early 

20 th century. The lack of anatomical studies of the original 

material makes it impossible to ascertain if, for instance, 

the populations of small hydrobiids in thermal waters 

near Constantine and Biskra (Algeria), originally 

described as Amnicola seminium (Morelet 1857) actually 

belong to the same species. It may well be that several 

species have been lumped together but since only empty 

shells remain, the taxa is considered as Data deficient. 

The risks of most of these DD endemic hydrobiids being 

already extinct are considerable. 

In Afrotropical northern Africa there are few Data 

Deficient cases. Concerning the Ferrissia complex it 

pertains to a taxonomic matter of hyper-splitting that has 

not yet been corrected, concerning species such as 

Gyraulus costulatus, a species easily confounded with G. 

ehrenbergi, it pertains to uncertainty of its occurrence in 

the northern African Region (Figure 4.9). 

4.3.6 Extirpated species 

Seventeen species are considered as Regionally Extinct in 

northern Africa, including strongly localized endemic 

hydrobiids collected from wells and springs that stand 

dry. Some Regionally Extinct Sibero-European species 

are also added to this number. These occurred during the 

early-middle Holocene over a larger area in northern 

Africa and have since retreated to mountain lakes in 

Maghreb and in the Ethiopian Highlands. Their 

disappearance from the most southerly limit of their 

range seems to have been accelerated since the 1970s. 

Most of the Palaeartic species that were recorded from 

only one locality in northern Africa have been placed in 

the category ‘Critically Endangered’ on the present study, 

though they probably are Regionally Extinct. However, 

since it pertains to small-sized easily overlooked species, 

e.g., Pisidiidae, the possibility that some populations still 

survive was taken into account. The number of extirpated 

species in the Palaeartic part of the northern African 

Region is most likely an underestimation as many DD 

and CR species may also be gone. Conversely, the 

44 

Table 4.5. List of the Extinct freshwater molluscs of the 

northern African region including the Regionally Extinct 

(RE), and the Globally Extinct (EX). 

Family Scientific name* 

Red List 

Category 

BITHYNIIDAE Bithynia leachi EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) limnopsis EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) mauritanica EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) microcochlia EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) punica EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia (?) gracilis EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria (?) letourneuxiana EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) barratei EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) desertorum EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) doumeti EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) globulina EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) latasteana EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) oudrefica EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) ragia EX 

HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) singularis EX 

IRIDINIDAE Chambardia letourneuxi EX 

LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea auricularia EX 

BITHYNIIDAE Bithynia tentaculata RE 

PISIDIIDAE Pisidium amnicum RE 

Margaritifera marocana (Critically Endangered). This putatively extinct 

subspecies of the European M. auricularia species was rediscovered in 

the Oued Derna (Morocco) by the shell collector José Ahuir in 2006. It 

was a small population (ca. 50 specimens) consisting of old individuals. 

The next year a large population with juveniles was found in the Oued 

Abid by Prof. Dr. M. Ghamizi. Tissue samples of both populations were 

analysed in the National Museum of Natural History in Madrid and 

proved the Magrebian populations to be genetically distinctive. Photo © 

Mohamed Ghamizi

Figure 4.11 Main Threats to freshwater molluscs in northern Africa. 

Irrigation channel in Morocco. Photo © M.Ghamizi 

45

unionoid, Margaritifera auricularia marocana, originally 

described by Pallary (1918), was considered as Extinct 

and rediscovered in 2006, to what subsequent genetic 

research revealed it is a distinct species (M. marocana) not 

a subspecies (Araujo et al. 2009). 

In the Afrotropical part of northern Africa only a single 

species, the unionoid Chambardia letourneuxi, is 

extirpated. This species was described for the first time in 

the 19 th century on the basis of early to middle Holocene 

specimens from Lower Egypt, and considered to be 

extinct. In the early 20 th century some live specimens 

were collected in the Delta and misidentified (Graf and 

Cummings 2007). No specimens have been found since 

and it may be assumed that the species is gone. The reason 

for this extirpation is unknown. Chambardia letourneuxi, 

an endemic of the Nile Delta, may have been out 

competed by the much larger Chambardia rubens. 

4.4 Main Threats to Freshwater mollusc 

in northern Africa 

Increasing periods of droughts and 

climatologic destabilisation 

Severe droughts lasting several years and interrupted by 

catastrophic floods have become more the rule than the 

exception in the Palaeartic part of the northern African 

Salinization of the Oued er Rbia catchment area. Photo. Middle Atlas, Morocco. Photo © Pedro Regato 

46 

Region. As a result the beds of the lowland stretches of 

large rivers are often devoid of water and what remains 

becomes heavily polluted by industrial and domestic runoff. 

During the subsequent torrential floods, about every 

5 to 7 years, enormous amounts of sediment are 

transported, further destroying the aquatic habitats 

(siltation). As a result only the upper reaches of the river 

systems in the mountainous regions of the Atlas ranges 

still contain water of good quality for the whole year. 

Water abstraction 

In Maghreb, large-scale river habitat destruction due to 

excessive water abstraction for domestic, industrial and 

agricultural use is a threat that has reached catastrophic 

proportions. Having already begun in the 19 th century 

during French occupation, e.g., the draining of vast parts 

of the Algerian Lake Fetzara for viniculture, it has 

accelerated dramatically since the 1980s. Water 

abstraction is the main reason why endemic lowland 

species, such as Anodonta pallaryi, here listed as Critically 

Endangered (CR), are on the verge of extinction or may 

already be extinct. Overuse of the underground water 

reserves has resulted in the rise of underlying saline waters 

and in the decrease of the freshwater levels. Many artesian 

wells and springs are now dry and the remaining water in 

the aquifers has become mineralized in several regions 

(sulfides). In a region with a unique diversity of

subterranean hydrobiids, this inevitably led to a high 

degree of extinction in this group, whose significance 

and speed we are not able to estimate due to lack of 

research. 

It is said that every drop of the Nile water has already 

been used before it reaches Egypt. Though water 

abstraction is high, the malacofauna of the Nile does not 

seem to be adversely affected. In other countries such as 

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Mauritania, water abstraction 

from the underground waters may lead to the 

disappearance of surface waters and therefore of molluscan 

populations, none of which however, belong to an 

endemic species. 

Pollution 

In Maghreb, agro-industry and large urban agglomerations 

are mainly concentrated in the lower regions where water 

is available. Unfortunately, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

excepted, there exists virtually no water sanitation. The 

effluents and nitrates from chemical fertilisers cause severe 

eutrophication in surface and ground waters. In addition, 

massive amounts of polluted soil are eroded from arable 

lands, causing siltation with sediments containing 

pesticides and fertilizers. The effects of pollution are hence 

as dramatic as those of the water abstraction, not only for 

47 

the surface waters but equally for water quality in the 

aquifers. Pollution of Maghrebian surface waters extends 

to small rivers in the mountain regions. The quality of the 

Nile water is good except for parts of the Nile Delta. 

Salinization 

Salinization is most acute in the shallow coastal aquifers 

of Maghreb due to the fact that agriculture and 

population concentrations are most intense in these 

fertile regions. Research e.g., of the Bou-Areg aquifer 

(north-eastern Morocco) and the Cap Bon aquifer 

(north-eastern Tunisia) have demonstrated that 

salinization is caused by (1) intrusion of seawater, (2) 

backflow of agricultural drainage water with 

concentrated salts and (3) influence of marly gypsumbearing 

deposits. The negative influence on populations 

of underground hydrobiids must be significant. In 

Tunisia for instance, the overexploitation of the Cap 

Bon aquifer led to the salinization of more than 2,800 

freshwater wells (Gaaloul et al. 2003). In Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya the whole shallow coastal aquifer has 

become saline due to seawater intrusion. In inland 

shallow aquifer salinity increase is caused by a 

combination of backflow of agricultural drainage water 

and intrusion from saline water from the underlying 

Continental Intercalaire aquifer. 

Women washing clothes in the Ait Mizane stream, activity that generates water pollution as a result of use of detergents. Photo © Mohamed Ghamizi

Dubost (1986) has calculated that 8-10 tonnes of salt 

accumulate per hectare on agricultural land per year in 

Algeria contaminate the surface waters via erosion. 

Molluscicides 

In the northern African Region the large scale use of 

molluscicides to destroy the intermediate snail host of 

Schistosoma (Bulinus, Biomphalaria) has been confined to 

Egypt. Brown (1994) states on this matter: ’More money 

has been spent on the use of molluscicides in Egypt than in 

any other African country and perhaps even in all other 

African countries combined. During the Egypt-49 Project 

in the Nile Delta, area–wide applications of molluscicides 

(mainly niclosamide) were made in canals and drains from 

1963-70’. In Middle and Upper Egypt about 330,000 

tonnes of niclosamide were used in the year 1984 alone 

(Brown, 1994). How many molluscan populations were 

destroyed in Egypt due to molluscicides is unknown, but 

there is no direct evidence that a species was exterminated. 

Due to the high costs, growing environmental concerns 

(niclosamide also kills fish and amphibians) and the 

rather unsatisfactory results, the intense campaigns were 

stopped in the early 1990s. While Van Damme (1984), 

based on records from 1960-80, noted that there was 

virtually no molluscan life in the Middle and Upper 

48 

Nile, Ibrahim et al. (1999) on the contrary describe an 

abundant and diversified fauna. Quite possibly this 

positive change is correlated with the reduced use of 

molluscicides. 

Habitat loss due to construction of 

physical barriers for species 

Large dams form migration barriers for fish and therefore 

for the ectoparasitic larvae of unionoids (Mutela, 

Coelatura, Nitia, Unio, Potomida, Anodonta, Margaritifera) 

that spread via fish. No case has yet been recorded of a 

northern African bivalve species that has become rare or 

extinct due to the erection of dams. 

Nowadays, the Aswan Dam has a direct positive impact on 

the freshwater malacofauna of the Egyptian Nile and in 

particular of the Nile Delta due to the fact that the sediment 

load carried by the river is greatly diminished and the water 

volume is regulated. Marine water no longer encroaches on 

Delta lakes such as Lake Mariut as it did previously during 

the dry season. A future problem is that the degree of 

erosion presently surpassed the degree of sedimentation in 

the Delta and consequently the stretch of sand bars that 

separates the delta lakes from the sea may vanish. In other 

words, the Delta is likely to shrink in the future. 

A team of Moroccan and Spanish malacologists aided by local youngsters collecting Margaritifera marocana in the Oued Abid (Morocco). After tissue 

samples were taken, the animals of the last viable population of this species were placed back. Photo ©Mohamed Ghamizi

Introduced invasive species 

In the Palaeartic part of the northern African Region the 

only introduced molluscan species appears to be the 

pulmonate snail Physa acuta, which probably came from 

North America and is now found all over Africa. Trials 

have been carried out in Egypt to introduce two American 

species, the ampullariid Marisa cornuarietis and the 

planorbid Helisoma duryi, as competitors of intermediate 

hosts of schistosomes. These species appear to remain 

highly localized and attempts have not been particularly 

successful. The rumour that Biomphalaria glabrata, a 

Neotropical intermediate host of schistosomes had 

escaped from a laboratory in Cairo and was spreading 

along the Nile has not been substantiated by subsequent 

genetic investigations. Finally, the Neartic Lymnaea 

columella, presently found all over the world, has been 

introduced incidentally in Egypt around 1944, but does 

not seem to be particularly common. There are hence no 

introduced molluscan species in the northern African 

region that constitute a threat to the indigenous species. 

The introduction of a number of European and American 

fish, e.g., molluscivores such as domestic carp, in 

Moroccan and Algerian lakes during the second half of 

the 20 th century probably did have significant negative 

effects on the malacofauna, but this impact was never 

studied. 

Collecting 

Probably due to their increasing scarcity, shell collectors’ 

interest for freshwater molluscs, particularly for unionoids, 

has increased in the last years. Several shell dealers presently 

offer Mediterranean freshwater molluscs for sale, mainly 

from Morocco, Portugal and Spain, also occasionally from 

Italy, Israel and Turkey. The genera Melanopsis and 

Theodoxus appear to be the most popular. The trade in 

freshwater molluscs is still far less intense than in marine 

and terrestrial shells and it still remains a highly specialized 

market. An estimate of Melanopsis specimens sold per year 

is probably ca. 150. However, while negligible in 

comparison to the vast amounts of marine shells traded, it 

should be taken into account that some Maghrebian 

freshwater species have been reduced to small relict 

populations due to pollution and water abstraction. 

Extinction by over-collecting may therefore pose a threat 

in synergy with the other dangers, particularly if collectors’ 

interest in freshwater molluscs keeps rising. Unfortunately 

the present taxonomic chaos in northern African species, 

e.g., in species complexes such as M. praemorsa (LC), M. 

magnifica (EN) and M. scalaris (DD) make it difficult to 

assess the impact of collecting on a number of populations 

which may be distinctive species (and are sold as such) but 

presently are not ‘officially’ recognized by scientists. 

49 

4.5 Conclusions and conservation 

recommendations 

The present IUCN survey on northern African molluscs 

has in the first instance revealed that the species richness 

of north-western Africa has been severely underestimated 

and that the Atlantic and Mediterranean region from 

Morocco to Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is a true malacological 

hotspot with a surprisingly high amount of endemic 

molluscs in surface waters as well as in underground 

waters. Sadly, the present study has also revealed that a 

large number of species are on the verge of extinction and 

that due to the taxonomic disarray and lack of investigation 

we can only roughly guess at how many species there are 

and how many are threatened. There seems to be no 

reason for optimism, because freshwater resources in this 

region, with its steep demographic growth, modernized 

industry and agriculture, are being severely depleted and 

both surface and ground waters are being polluted. The 

trend of increasing aridity and global warming strongly 

aggravates the already severe human impact on the aquatic 

ecosystems. 

In Egypt, on the contrary, the molluscan populations in 

the Nile seem to be in good condition, having extended 

their range over the whole Egyptian Nile. This is possibly 

partly due to the decrease in seasonal turbidity and water 

velocity since the building of the Aswan Dam and partly 

by the fact that large scale use of molluscicides has been 

stopped in Middle and Upper Egypt. 

The most urgent conservation recommendations are: 

Inventory of species and taxonomic research 

of freshwater populations in the Maghrebian 

countries; 

Protection of still relatively unpolluted headwaters of 

rivers in the Atlas, Middle Atlas and Anti-Atlas; 

Protection of quality and quantity of aquifers; 

Protection of coastal wetlands; 

Complete ban on introduction of non-indigenous 

molluscivore fish. 


Araujo, R., Toledo, C., Van Damme, D., Ghamizi, M. & 

Machordom, A. 2009. Margaritifera marocana 

(Pallary, 1918): a valid species inhabiting Moroccan 

rivers. Journal of Molluscan Studies 75: 95–101. 

Bodon, M., Ghamizi, M. Giusti, F. 1999. The Moroccan 

stygobiont genus Heideella (Gastropoda, 

Prosobranchia: Hydrobiidae). Basteria, 63: 89-105.

Boeters, H.D. 1976. Hydrobiidae Tunesiens. Archiv für 

Molluskenkunde, 107 (1/3): 89-105. 

Bourguignat, J.R. 1864. Malacologie de l’Algérie. Histoire 

naturelle des animaux. Mollusques terrestres et 

fluviatiles. Paris, Challamel Bastide 2 vol., p 1-372. 

Brown, D.S. 1994. Freshwater snails of Africa and their 

medical importance. London Taylor & Francis. p 

1-608 

Dubost, D. 1986. Nouvelles perspectives agricoles au 

Sahara. In: Bisson, J. & Callot, T. (eds.) Désert et 

montagne au Maghreb, hommage à Jean Dresch. 

Revue de l’Occident Musulman et de la Méditerranée, 

41-42: 339-336. EDISUD, Aix-en-Provence. 

Gaaloul, N., Alexander, H. & Cheng, D. 2003. 

Hydrogeological and hydrochemical investigation of 

Coastal Aquifers in Tunisia - Crisis in overexploitation 

and salinization. Second International Conference on 

Saltwater Intrusion and Coastal Aquifers-Monitoring, 

Modeling and Management. Merida, Mexico, March 

30-April 2, 2003. 13p. 

Ghamizi, M. 1998. Les Mollusques des eaux continentales 

du Maroc: Systématique et Bioécologie. Thèse de 

doctorat. Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech, 

Université Cadi Ayyad, 554 p. 

Ghamizi, M., Bodon, M., Boulal, M. & Giusti, F. 1998. 

A new genus from subterranean waters of the Tiznit 

Plain, southern Morocco (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: 


Ghamizi, M., Vala, J-C & Bouka, H. 1997. Le genre 

Pseudamnicola au Maroc avec description de 

Pseudamnicola pallaryi n. sp. (Gastropoda, 


Glaubrecht, M., 1993. Mapping the diversity: 

geographical distribution of the freshwater snail 

Melanopsis (Gastropoda:?Cerithioidea: Melanopsis) 

with focus on its systematics in the Mediterranean 

Basin. Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen 

Zoologischen Museum und Institute, 90: 41– 97. 

50 

Graf, D. & Cummings, K. 2007. Preliminary review of 

the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) 

of northern Africa with an emphasis on the Nile 

Journal Egyptian German Society of Zoology, 53D: 

89-118. 

Heller, J., Sivan, N., Ben-Ami, F. 2002. Systematics of 

Melanopsis from the coastal plains of Israel (Gastropoda: 

Cerithiodea). Journal of Conchology, 37: 589-606. 

Heller, J. 2007. A historic biogeography of the aquatic 

fauna of the Levant. Biological Journal of the Linnean 

Society, 92 (4): 625-639. 

Ibrahim, A.M., Bishai, H.M., Khalil, M.T. 1999. 

Freshwater Molluscs of Egypt. Publication of National 

Biodiversity Unit Cairo, Egypt Department of Nature 

Protection, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, 

10: 145. 

Kristensen, T. 1985. Guide pratique des gastéropodes 

d’eau douce africains. Espèces présentes en Afrique du 

Nord-Ouest. Charlottenlund, Denmark Danish 

Bilharsiasis Laboratory, 7: 1-21. 

Pallary, P. 1918. Diagnose d’une cinquantaine de 

Mollusques terrestres nouveaux du Nord de l’Afrique 

Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire naturelle de I’Afrique 

du Nord, 9 (7) : 137-152. 

Ramdani, M., Dakki, M., Kharboua, M. El Agbani, M. 

A. & Metge, G. 1987. Les Gastéropodes dulcicoles du 

Maroc. Inventaire commenté. Bulletin de l’Institut 

Scientifique de Rabat, 11: 135-140. 

Van Damme, D. 1984. Freshwater mollusca of Northern 

Africa. Developments in Hydrobiology 25, 164 p, 

Dordrecht, Netherlands. Dr. W. Junk Publishers. 

Van Damme, D. & Van Bocxlaer, B. 2009. Freshwater 

molluscs of the Nile Basin, past and present. p 585- 

630 In: Dumont, H.J. (ed.) The Nile. Origin, 

Environments, Limnology and Human Use Series: 

Monographiae Biologicae, 89. 818 p, Springer, 

Dordrecht.


dragonflies 

Samraoui, B. 1 , Boudot, J.P. 2 , Ferreira, S. 3 , Riservato, E. 4 , Jović, M. 5 , Kalkman, V.J. 6 and Schneider, W. 7 



5.3 Patterns of species richness ............................................................................................................................. 

5.3.1 All species ............................................................................................................................................. 

5.3.2 Threatened species ................................................................................................................................ 

5.3.3 Endemic Odonata ................................................................................................................................ 


5.3.5 Data Deficient species .......................................................................................................................... 

5.4 Major threats to Odonata .............................................................................................................................. 

5.5 Conclusions and conservation recommendations ........................................................................................... 

5.6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 


2 Universite Henry Pincare Nancy I,Boulevard des Aiguillettes LIMOS - UMR 7137, BP 70239 F-4506 - Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Cedex, France. 

3 Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos. Campus Agrário de Vairão. Rua Padre Armando Quintas 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. 

4 Natural History Museum, Njegoљeva 51, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. 

5 Vincent J. Kalkman. National Museum of Natural History – Naturalis. Postbus 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. 

6 Via Maestra 81 T.Q. 28100 Novara, Italy. 

7 Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany. 

51 

52 

56 

58 

58 

60 

60 

60 

62 

64 

65 

67


The Odonata of northern Africa are mainly of Eurasian 

and tropical origin but the region houses a few additional 

south-west Asian species. There are marked differences in 

the dragonfly fauna within distinct areas of the region 

which reflect past and current climates and topography. 

Three distinct ecoregions (the mountain ranges of 

Morocco, the coastal wetlands of Numidia in north-east 

Algeria and the Nile Delta in Egypt) providing a refuge to 

different sets of species have been identified within 

northern Africa. 

Records spanning over a century and a half are used to 

map the spatial distribution of northern African Odonata. 

A total of 83 species has been recorded with 6 now 

believed to be Extinct. One species is only a migrant and 

is therefore classified as Not Applicable. A complete list 

of these species can be found in Appendix 3. The number 

of recorded species for each country/territory within 

northern Africa is given in Table 5.1 (doubtful records 

and/or vagrant specimens such those of Erythromma najas 

and Lestes sponsa in the Maghreb, Sympetrum 

depressiusculum in north-east Algeria and Urothemis 

edwardsii in Tunisia are not included here). The greatest 

concentration of species is found in the Maghreb: Algeria, 

Morocco and Tunisia (Table 5.1). 

Oued Seybouse near Guelma, northeast Algeria. Photo © Boudjéma 

Samraoui 

52 

Table 5.1 Number of Odonata species within the area of 

northern Africa involved. 

Countries Number of recorded species 

Algeria 63 

Morocco 62 

Tunisia 53 

Egypt 33 

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 27 

Mauritania 8 

Chad 4 

Mali 0 

Niger 0 

Sudan 0 

Tunisia shares the majority of its species with Algeria 

whereas Morocco and Algeria have a number of distinct 

species. Lestes dryas, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Pseudagrion 

sublacteum, Oxygastra curtisii, Cordulegaster princeps, 

Libellula quadrimaculata and Zygonyx torridus are found 

in Morocco but not in Algeria, while Lestes numidicus, 

Pseudagrion hamoni, Gomphus lucasii, Lindenia tetraphylla, 

Cordulia aenea, Orthetrum sabina, Acisoma panorpoides, 

Urothemis edwardsii and Rhyothemis semihyalina are, or 

were, found in Algeria but not in Morocco. Orthetrum 

ransonnetii, Selysiothemis nigra and Sympetrum sinaiticum 

were until recently believed not to be present in Morocco, 

but all three have now been found in this country in 

several places and/or years, sometimes at emergence, 

supporting local reproduction (Boudot 2008, Boudot et 

al. 2009, Juillerat and Monnerat 2009). 

The Blue Basker Urothemis edwardsii (Critically Endangered), an 

Afrotropical relict species. Photo © Boudjéma Samraoui

Two suborders occur in northern Africa: the Zygoptera 

(damselflies) include up to 35 species spanning four 

families (Calopterygidae, Lestidae, Coenagrionidae and 

Platycnemididae), and the Anisoptera (dragonflies) 

include 48 species belonging to six families (Aeshnidae, 

Gomphidae, Cordulegastridae, Macromiidae, Corduliidae 

and Libellulidae). The percentage of endemic species is 

Table 5.2 Number of endemic species and total number 

within each Odonata family. 

Suborder Family Number 

of species Number 

of 

endemic 

species 

Zygoptera Calopterygidae 3 1 

Zygoptera Lestidae 6 1 

Zygoptera Coenagrionidae 24 2 

Zygoptera Platycnemididae 2 1 

Total – Zygoptera (damselflies) 35 5 

Anisoptera Aeshnidae 8 0 

Anisoptera Gomphidae 8 1 

Anisoptera Cordulegastridae 2 1 

Anisoptera Macromiidae 1 0 

Anisoptera Corduliidae 2 0 

Anisoptera Libellulidae 27 0 

Total – Anisoptera (dragonflies) 48 2 

Total – Odonata 83 7 

53 

higher among the damselflies (14.3%) compared to the 

dragonflies (4.2%), reflecting the higher dispersal power 

of the latter. In this report, the word “dragonflies” is used 

for both suborders. 

As early as the mid-nineteenth century, the dragonflies of 

northern Africa attracted the interest of naturalists and 

this attraction was sustained and has not abated to this 

day, making the Odonata the best known insect group in 

the region. Systematic records were initiated with the 

“Exploration scientifique de l’Algérie” by Lucas (1849), 

which followed in the wake of the French colonisation of 

Algeria. Lucas was the first to visit the El Kala area, where 

he managed to collect a set of most interesting species 

such as Rhyothemis semihyalina, Urothemis edwardsii, 

Lindenia tetraphylla (Selys in Lucas 1849). 

The male of the Blue Hawker, Aeshna cyanea (Endangered). This species 

is very common in Europe but in Africa it is a glacial relict which is 

confined to small areas in the coastal mountains of the Maghreb. 

Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

Oued Ziatine in Tunisia. This kind of sandy river favours Odonata with burrowed larvae like Gomphidae. Here, a large population of Paragomphus genei 

is settled and emerge almost all round the year. Photo: © Jean-Pierre Boudot

A string of papers of one of the most prominent 

odonatologists followed, covering mainly Algeria but also 

Morocco and Tunisia and spanning the whole of the 

second half of the 19 th century (Selys 1865, 1866, 1871, 

1902; Selys and Hagen 1850). During the same period 

and in the early 20 th century, a whole array of distinguished 

odonatologists visited the area or examined material 

collected by ardent naturalists (Kolbe 1885, McLachlan 

1889, 1897; Martin 1901, 1910; Morton 1905; Ris 1909- 

1919, 1913; Navás 1913, 1922, 1928, 1934). 

The turn of the century also coincided with the French 

penetration of the Sahara, which opened uncharted 

territories to naturalists and diverted their attention to 

the desert (Le Roi 1915, Kimmins 1934, Reymond 1952; 

Nielsen 1956). The second half of the 20 th century 

witnessed many efforts focused first in Morocco (Schmidt 

1957, 1960; Aguesse 1958; Aguesse and Pruja 1957, 

1958) and then in Tunisia and Algeria (Dumont 1977, 

1978a). Much progress was made in furthering our 

knowledge of the fauna of Morocco by Lieftinck (1966), 

Dumont (1972) and Jacquemin and Boudot (1999). 

Recent additions were due to Boudot (2008) and new 

important discoveries included here have just been 

published (Juillerat and Monnerat 2009). 

54 

The male of the Atlas Goldenring, Cordulegaster princeps, a Moroccan 

endemic (Near Threatened). This species is confined to the western 

and central parts of the High and Middle Atlas, where it exists 

sometimes in flourishing populations. However, it is extinct in former 

localities impacted by urbanization and agriculture, due to water 

overconsumption. Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

The female of the Holarctic Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas (Vulnerable). This species is widespread in northern and central Europe but is generally 

confined to mountainous areas in southern Europe. In Africa, it is a glacial relict limited to the Rif and Middle Atlas mountains in Morocco. Photo © 

Jean-Pierre Boudot

Similarly, two major surveys of Odonata in Algeria and 

Tunisia were independently carried out by Samraoui and 

Menaï (1999) and Jödicke et al. (2000) respectively, 

clarifying the status of most species in these two countries. 

Over the last thirty years, the Odonata of northern Africa 

have been under intense scrutiny (Dumont 1976, 2007; 

Carchini 1981; Lavergne-Viala and Thiery 1983; 

Jacquemin, 1984, 1985, 1987a, 1987b, 1991, 1994; 

Jacquemin and Aguesse 1987; Jacquemin and Boudot, 

1986, 1990; Lohmann 1990; Ocharan 1992; Samraoui 

et al. 1993, 2002, 2003; Jödicke 1995; Samraoui and 

Corbet 2000a, b; Jödicke et al. 2004; Samraoui 2009). 

Elements of the dragonfly fauna of Egypt have been 

known since Selys (1887), but this country (Navás 1909, 

Ris 1912, Andres 1928, Morton 1929, Kimmins 1950) 

and the neighbouring Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Ris 1911; 

Navás 1932; Nielsen 1935a, 1935b, 1959) were mainly 

explored by odonatologists in the first half of the 20 th 

century. More efforts were made by Dumont on the fauna 

of Egypt in the second half of the same century (Dumont 

1973, 1974, 1980, 1991; Dumont and Fossati 1990). An 

update and revision of the Odonata from the Libyan 

Arab Jamahiriya, with important additions, is found in 

the recent Atlas of the Mediterranean and North Africa 

(Boudot et al. 2009). 

The Odonata of Mauritania were not known until the 

mid-twentieth century when they were first studied by 

55 

Fraser (1952) and Aguesse and Pruja (1958), before 

Dumont (1976, 1978b) added much to our knowledge 

of this taxon from this part of the world. 

There is little data about Odonata south of the lower Drâa 

valley in Morocco and the Mauritanian borders, and from 

the part of Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan involved in this 

report (Dumont 1976, Navás 1936). All were recently 

synthesized in the recent “Atlas of the Odonata of the 

Mediterranean and North Africa” (Boudot et al. 2009). 

An immature male of Mesocnemis robusta (Critically Endangered). This 

African species is known only from the Nile system in Egypt and Sudan 

and from western Africa in Ghana and Benin. Recent records in northern 

Africa are very rare and are localized in the lower Nile Valley and Delta.. 

Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

The female of the West-Palearctic Southern Damselfly, Coenagrion mercuriale (Endangered). This species is widely distributed in France and in the 

Iberian Peninsula but is steadily decreasing in Italy and in large parts of the Maghreb. In the latter area the largest known populations stand in the 

Middle Atlas and the species either remains scattered or is lacking in other regions. Photo: © Jean-Pierre Boudot


Criteria: Regional scale) 

Within the 82 dragonfly species assessed, almost a 

quarter (24.4%) are threatened with extinction: 7.3% 

of these are Critically Endangered, 8.5% Endangered 

and 8.5% Vulnerable (see table 5.3). Whilst 43 species 

(52.4%) are classified as Least Concern, 8 taxa (9.8%) 

are classified as Near Threatened (Boyeria irene, 

Coenagrion scitulum, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Cordulegaster 

56 

boltonii algirica, C. princeps, Gomphus simillimus 

maroccanus, Onychogomphus costae and Zygonyx torridus), 

5 species (6.1%) as Data Deficient (Enallagma 

cyathigerum, Ischnura evansi, I. senegalensis, Lestes 

numidicus and Orthetrum ransonnetii). The 

circumtropical species Pantala flavescens is a vagrant 

species in northern Africa and is therefore considered as 

Not Applicable for this regional assessment (1.2%). A 

total of 6 species (7.3%) have been assessed as Regionally 

Extinct (see Table 5.3, Figure 5.1, 5.2 and Table 5.4). 

Table 5.3 The number of dragonfly species in each Red List Category in the northern African region. 




(%) 


endemics (%) 

Regionally Extinct (RE) 6** (7.3%) 0 (0%) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 6 (7.3%) 0 (0%) 

Endangered (EN) 7 (8.5%) 1 (14.3%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 7 (8.5%) 1 (14.3%) 



Data Deficient (DD) 5 (6.1%) 1 (14.3%) 

Total number of taxa assessed* 82 (100%) 7 (100%) 


** Agriocnemis sania was recently discovered on the Nile River banks and Delta marshes during the last IUCN 

Pan African workshop in Cairo, in May 2009. This means also that the single old record of A. exilis from the 

Delta marshes, based on a defective specimen, was a misidentification and referred really to A. sania, which is 

closely related and was not formerly described. 

Figure 5.1 The proportions of dragonfly species in each 

regional Red List category in the northern African region. 

Figure 5.2 The proportions of endemic dragonfly species 

in each regional Red List category in the northern African 

region.

Table 5.4 Threatened Odonata species of the northern African region. 

Family Scientific name Common name 

The female of the Afrotropical River Sprite, Pseudagrion sublacteum (Critically Endangered). This Afrotropical species shows a continuous range south 

of the Sahel in Africa and two disjunct areas in Morocco and in the Levant. The latter are regarded as relicts of a former Pan African continuous 

distribution realized during past pluvial periods, more than 6,000 years ago. The species is very rare in Morocco and all its present localities is threatened 

through pollution, water overconsumption and rainfall deficit. Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

57 


Category 

(northern Africa) 

Endemic to 

the region? 

CALOPTERYGIDAE 

Calopteryx virgo 

meridionalis 

Southern Beautiful 

Demoiselle 

CR 

COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion sublacteum River Sprite CR 

CORDULIIDAE Oxygastra curtisii Orange-spotted Emerald CR 

GOMPHIDAE Lindenia tetraphylla Bladetail CR 

LIBELLULIDAE Urothemis edwardsii Blue Basker CR 

PLATYCNEMIDIDAE Mesocnemis robusta - CR 

LIBELLULIDAE Acisoma panorpoides Grizzled Pintail EN 

AESHNIDAE Aeshna cyanea Blue Hawker EN 

CALOPTERYGIDAE Calopteryx exul Glittering Demoiselle EN Yes 

COENAGRIONIDAE Coenagrion mercuriale Southern Damselfly EN 

LIBELLULIDAE Nesciothemis farinosa Black-tailed False-skimmer EN 

COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion niloticum Nile Sprite EN 

COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion nubicum Nubian Sprite EN 

AESHNIDAE Aeshna affinis Blue-Eyed Hawker VU 

AESHNIDAE Aeshna isoceles Green-eyed Hawker VU 

COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion hamoni Maroon Sprite VU 

GOMPHIDAE Gomphus lucasii Algerian Clubtail VU Yes 

LESTIDAE Lestes dryas Emerald Spreadwing VU 

LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum sanguineum Ruddy Darter VU 

LIBELLULIDAE Libellula quadrimaculata Four-spotted Chaser VU

The male of the African Grizzled Pintail, Acisoma panorpoides 

(Endangered). This threatened species shows a string of relict localities 

from north-east Algeria to the Egyptian Western Desert. No recent 

information is available about the status of the two Libyan populations 

(last record in 1936), but the species is still flourishing, although very 

localized, in Algeria and north-western Egypt (post IUCN workshop 

tour, Siwa oasis, May 2009). Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

58 


5.3.1 All species 

In the Maghreb, the high mountain range of Morocco is 

unique in housing a set of Holarctic (Lestes dryas, 

Enallagma cyathigerum, Libellula quadrimaculata) and 

Eurosiberian (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) species. In contrast 

with the Maghreb which possesses a dragonfly fauna 

mainly composed of Palearctic species, the Odonata of 

Egypt are dominated by Afrotropical species owing to the 

key role of the Nile River, which facilitates the crossing of 

the Sahara Desert. 

Many Oriental species, found in Algeria and Tunisia, for 

the time being, have not been recorded in Morocco. This 

may be explained by dispersal with species having failed 

so far to extend their range to the west. In contrast, 

Moroccan species not found in Algeria are mainly 

Holarctic and Eurosiberian taxa confined to high altitude 

sites, and endemics (Figure 5.3). 

Figure 5.3 Distribution of Odonata species in the northern African region, showing the highest number of species in the 

northern Maghreb.

The female of the Holarctic Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata (Vulnerable). This species is very common in Eurasia but is confined to cold 

waters generally in mountainous areas in northern Africa, where it is restricted to Morocco. Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

Figure 5.4 Distribution of endemic species of Odonata, illustrating the high degree of endemicity in the northern 

Maghreb, particularly in Algeria. 

59

5.3.2 Threatened species 

The highest number of threatened species is in the north 

of the Maghreb and in the Nile Valley. Two of the Critically 

Endangered species (Calopteryx virgo meridionalis and 

Lindenia tetraphylla) are already deemed extinct in Algeria. 

Another Critically Endangered species, Urothemis 

edwardsii, found in a single locality in north-east Algeria, 

is teetering on the verge of extinction (Figure 5.5). 

5.3.3 Endemic Odonata 

There are 7 northern African endemic species and among 

these, two (Calopteryx exul and Gomphus lucasii) are 

assessed as threatened, one (Cordulegaster princeps) as 

Near Threatened, another (Lestes numidicus) is Data 

Deficient and 3 (Ischnura saharensis, Enallagma deserti, 

Platycnemis subdilatata) are judged as Least Concern 

(Tables 3 and 4). The northern Maghreb is the area which 

shows the highest number of these northern African 

endemics (Figure 5.4). 

60 


Six species (7.3%) were first assessed as Regionally 

Extinct (Table 5.5). Since then, one of them (Agriocnemis 

sania) was discovered in the lower Nile valley and delta 

during the Cairo Pan African workshop, so that this 

species will have to be reassessed in the future, most likely 

qualifying for Endangered category. Moreover, that 

means that the old record of A. exilis in the Nile Delta, 

based on a defective museum specimen at a time where 

A. sania was not still described, was a misidentification 

and referred indeed to A. sania. Accordingly, only four 

species should be maintained as Regionally Extinct 

(4.9%). Two of them (Ceriagrion glabrum and 

Phyllomacromia picta) were recorded in the past from the 

Nile Valley, where new investigations are urgently needed. 

The two others (Cordulia aenea and Rhyothemis 

semihyalina) are clearly extinct in north-eastern Algeria 

where they were formerly known as Eurosiberian and 

Afrotropical relicts from the last glacial and past pluvial 

period, respectively). 

Figure 5.5 Distribution of threatened species of Odonata in the northern African region, showing the highest number of 

threatened species in the North of Maghreb, followed by the Nile Valley.

Lake Aguelmane Azigza in Khenifra, Morocco. Photo: © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

Table 5.5 Regionally Extinct Odonata species of the northern African region. 

Family Scientific name Common name 

61 


Category (northern 

Africa)* 

COENAGRIONIDAE Agriocnemis sania* - RE (to be reassessed) 

COENAGRIONIDAE Agriocnemis exilis* Little Whisp RE (to be reassessed) 

COENAGRIONIDAE Ceriagrion glabrum Common Pond Damsel RE 

MACROMIIDAE Phyllomacromia picta Darting Cruiser RE 

CORDULIIDAE Cordulia aenea Downy Emerald RE 

LIBELLULIDAE Rhyothemis semihyalina Phantom Flutterer RE 

* Agriocnemis sania was just rediscovered in Africa and the old record of A. exilis from the Nile Delta should be turned to A. sania (see text). 

The Common Pond-damsel, Ceriagrion 

glabrum is considered as Regionally 

Extinct in northern Africa. Photo © 

Elisa Riservato (Socotra, Yemen)

5.3.5 Data Deficient species 

Five species (6.1%) were assessed as Data Deficient, 

namely, Enallagma cyathigerum, Ischnura evansi, I. 

senegalensis, Lestes numidicus and Orthetrum ransonnetii. 

Enallagma cyathigerum is a Eurasian species which is 

known from only 3 localities in the Moroccan Middle 

Atlas. It looks like very similar to the Maghrebian endemic 

E. deserti, and can be hardly identified in the field so may 

be more widespread in the Middle and High Atlas than 

currently believed. In any case, it is a last glacial relict in 

Africa and is probably absent elsewhere. 

Ischnura senegalensis is a typical Afrotropical species which 

crosses the north of Africa thanks to the Nile valley, from 

where it extends to the Near-East. It is also widespread in 

India and Asia up to Japan. In addition, it is present in 

scarce remote oases and gueltas in the Egyptian Western 

Desert, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Mauritania as 

remnant of a former more continuous range dating from 

the ancient pluvial periods of the post-glacial times, 

6,000-10,000 years ago. Although its distribution is well 

understood, population size and trend in northern Africa 

is poorly documented, so that the species was assessed as 

Data Deficient. However, a recent field trip during and 

after the last IUCN Pan African workshop in Cairo (May 

2009) showed that this species is widespread and very 

common on the lower Nile river banks and delta, so that 

the species has to be reassessed, probably as Least Concern, 

in the future. The present status of the species remains 

unknown in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Kufra area) and 

Mauritania. 

Lestes numidicus has been differentiated from other 

members of the L. virens group only in north-east Algeria. 

No information exists about its possible occurrence in 

other areas. Ischnura evansi is an Arabian near endemic** 

typical from desert, semi-desert and steppe areas from 

west Iran to north-west Egypt. No recent information 

was available at the time of the northern African 

assessment about its present status in Africa. However, a 

recent field trip after the last IUCN Pan African workshop 

in Cairo (May 2009), showed that this species remains 

widespread and common in the Siwa oases area, its main 

distribution centre in Africa. It will have to be reassessed, 

either as Near Threatened or Least Concern, in the future, 

depending on landscape management in this area. 

Orthetrum ransonnetii is an uncommon and poorly 

known Irano-Turanian species which was believed until 

62 

A copula of the Arabian Evans Bluetail, Ischnura evansi (Data Deficient). 

This species is restricted to the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding 

countries. Egyptian populations are restricted to the north-west (Siwa 

area) and to the Sinai. An additional African record is on the Red 

Sea coast in Sudan. No recent information was available during the 

elaboration of the African Red List, but further findings in the Siwa area 

shows that the species is presently flourishing in north-west Egypt (post 

IUCN workshop tour, may 2009). Photo: © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

recently to be confined to scarce remote mountains in 

Central Sahara, Arabia and south-west Asia up to 

Afghanistan. However, it may be easily overlooked due to 

its global resemblance in the field with other Orthetrum 

species. Recent findings show that O. ransonnetii occurs 

also in western Morocco on the Saharan fringe (Juillerat 

and Monnerat 2009), in the High Atlas (J.P. Boudot, in 

prep.) and in western central Tunisia (B. Kunz et al. in 

prep.). Similar discoveries in Saudi Arabia (Lambret and 

Boudot 2009) and in the UAE (Feulner et al. 2007) show 

that this species remained largely overlooked and 

undocumented in the past due to its global pattern and 

to its localisation in poorly investigated areas with limited 

access. Due to significant direct human impacts on its 

preferred habitats (water consumption and pollution, 

overgrazing) and due to present climate change (rainfall 

deficit), it may be expected that a future reassessment will 

include it in a more or less threatened category (either 

NT or VU) (See Figure 5.6). 

** Ischnura evansi is cofined to the whole Arabian Peninsula but shows some peripheric localities close to this Peninsula border and therefore cannot be 

considered as strictly endemic to the northern African region

Figure 5.6 Distribution of Data Deficient dragonfly species assessed for the northern Africa region. 

The male of the Eurasian Common Bluet, Enallagma cyathigerum (Data Deficient). This common Eurasian species is known only from three single 

localities in Africa (Middle Atlas, Morocco). As it can be easily misidentified as E. deserti, a large uncertainty remains with respect to its true distribution 

in the Maghreb. Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

63

A young female (left), and male (right) of the African Bluetail, Ischnura senegalensis (Data Deficient). This widespread African species cross the Saharan 

belt thanks to the Nile River. Although no recent information was available during the elaboration of the African Red List, further findings shows that 

the species is common along the lower Nile River and Delta (post IUCN workshop tour, May 2009). Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

5.4 Major threats to Odonata 

Major threats to northern African species include habitat 

degradation, water pollution, water extraction, dam 

construction, exotic fish introduction and drought. 

Clearly, there is a need for northern Africa to establish a 

framework for the protection of inland surface waters 

(temporary ponds, freshwater and salt lakes, wadi and 

estuaries, ground water and coastal waters) similar to the 

Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) implemented 

within the European countries. Global warming can be 

an impetus for northern African countries to take steps 

towards a rational management of water resources. 

Coastal sand dune systems are especially species rich but 

they are equally vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures 

Figure 5.8 Summary of the most important threats to Odonata in northern Africa. 

64 

like water extraction and tourism. Odonata have 

complex life cycles which need aquatic as well as 

terrestrial habitats. Both dunary slacks and alder carrs, 

which play a crucial part in the life history of many 

northern African species, are being degraded at a fast 

pace in Algeria and urgent protective actions are needed 

to avert the loss of threatened species. Intensive coast 

urbanisation for tourism is ongoing in Morocco, 

destroying coastal marshes, and similar projects exist in 

Tunisia. In Egypt, fish farming development in the delta 

is at risk of impacting coastal lakes and marsh systems 

which harbour restricted range species like Agriocnemis 

sania. Throughout the region, present climate change 

and related rainfall deficit lead to increased irrigation 

and river damming which results in the desiccation of 

streams.

Table 5.6 Main threats and conservation status of the northern African endemic species. 

Family Species Main threats 

Gravel pitting in backwater systems destroys larval habitats. Za in Larbaa, Morocco. Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

5.5 Conclusions and conservation 


The Odonata and their habitats are part of the world’s 

natural heritage and this insect order encompasses, 

worldwide, around 6,000 species and subspecies (Grand 

and Boudot 2006). Although the number of species 

present in northern Africa represents less than 2% of the 

world total, the fauna encompasses 7 endemic species 

and shows a number of subspecies and distinct populations 

exhibiting a range of adaptations to local climate and 

habitats (Samraoui et al. 1998a, Samraoui and Corbet 

65 

Red List 

Category 

Calopterygidae Calopteryx exul Water pollution, drought, habitat degradation EN 

Lestidae Lestes numidicus Water extraction, deforestation DD 

Coenagrionidae Ischnura saharensis Drought LC 

Coenagrionidae Enallagma deserti Drought LC 

Platycnemididae Platycnemis subdilatata Water pollution LC 

Gomphidae Gomphus lucasii Water pollution, drought, habitat degradation VU 

Cordulegastridae Cordulegaster princeps Water extraction, drought, habitat degradation NT 

2000b, Samraoui 2009). Their main threats and 

conservation status are summarized in Table 5.6. 

The proportion of threatened species in northern Africa is 

higher (24.4%) than the 10% of the assessed so far 

worldwide species (Clausnitzer et al. 2009). 

The number of threatened species is divided almost evenly 

among Anisoptera (11 species) and Zygoptera (9 species). 

There is also the same share of threatened species among 

running water and standing water habitats (10 species 

each).

The difference in the Afrotropical elements between 

distinct geographic areas may indicate two different 

ancient dispersal pathways. In Algeria, an Afrotropical 

relict pocket is found in the north-east in Numidia 

(Samraoui et al. 1993, Samraoui et al. 1998b), and to a 

lesser extent in Central Sahara, suggesting that 

Afrotropical elements were able in the past, namely 

during the Early Holocene Pluvial Period, 6,000 - 10,000 

years ago, to move north along major watered wadi 

(Tafassasset and the presently fossil Igharghar) and to 

cross the Central Sahara. The latter acted as a water tower 

enabling aquatic species to move from Lake Chad to the 

Saharan Atlas in the north (Samraoui and Samraoui 

2008). In contrast, Afrotropical elements in Morocco 

moved up probably along the Atlantic coast (Dumont 

1982). Further in the east, in Egypt, the Nile River acted 

as an important highway allowing Afrotropical elements 

to reach the Mediterranean shores, during the ancient 

times but probably also more recently, after the arid 

period which it underwent at the end of the Neolithic 

and which is believed to have eliminated most of the 

Palearctic species that should have been in existence in 

Egypt since the previous pluvial period (Dumont 1980, 

1982). 

Lac Tonga, a freshwater marsh within the El Kala National Park, Algeria. Photo © Boudjèma Samraoui 

66 

The conservation status of Odonata, as well as other taxa 

(Samraoui and Samraoui 2008), is a useful indicator for 

assessing the ecological status of northern African 

ecosystems (whether protected or not) and it can be an 

important tool in priority-setting tasks for action plans. 

This assessment is fundamentally a first step towards 

resource management, highlighting the importance of 

some areas for biological diversity and facilitating 

decisions about development proposals. Effective 

ecosystem management can ensure that biological 

diversity will be maintained, thus providing the 

foundation for sustainable development. 

Raising awareness of the population is clearly insufficient 

in northern Africa, where current behaviour is far from 

conservation orientated. Overgrazing, water overconsumption, 

chemical pollution, eutrophication, 

anarchic and careless refuse abandonment, accumulation 

and stocking, gravel pitting in the main water beds have 

greatly increased during the last decades. Raising 

awareness from childhood is often lacking and should be 

established at a large scale to stop the degradation of the 

northern African countries. Such population education 

has just been initiated at Moroccan beaches in recent

years but as this is not a natural trend, results remain 

presently low. 

Within northern Africa, the Maghreb has a high level of 

endemism. Pressure on freshwater habitats is increasing, 

largely in relation to increased demography [x 2.5 in 

Morocco, x 3.1 in Algeria and x 2.3 in Tunisia from 1961 

to 2003 (FAOSTAT 2004 - 2005)]. There is a need to 

develop monitoring for any biodiversity issue, as the latter 

is strongly impacted. The distribution and status of 

dragonflies are fairly well understood in both Morocco 

and Tunisia, thanks to various important publications. 

However, similar knowledge could not be accumulated in 

Algeria, except in the north-east, due to the local political 

situation. Other northern African countries, Egypt and 

even more Libyan Arab Jamahiriya remain poorly 

investigated. Most data are rather old to very old, present 

investigations are rare, in part due to some insecurity 

and/or difficulty to go freely anywhere, and any field 

search give rapidly important records. Local competence 

should be developed through appropriate relations with 

odonatologists from other countries in order to increase 

significantly the amount of information available. 

Accumulating data and determining trends at the middle 

and long term is an urgent need in these countries to 

preserve biodiversity. Desert and semi-desert areas south 

of the Drâa valley on the west, northern Chad, Niger and 

Mauritania produced information on Odonata only 

during scientific expeditions which is not open access. 

Monitoring is quite impossible in these countries, 

although this would be useful in the Saharan mountains. 

To our knowledge, with the exception of Algeria, no 

specialist is present in northern Africa, so that no true 

monitoring is currently done elsewhere than in northeast 

Algeria. There is a need to favour an increase in local 

capacity in biodiversity monitoring through the network 

Here you enter a protected area in the Toubkal National Park (Morocco, 

High Atlas). Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot 

67 

of Universities and through relations with specialists from 

other countries. This will also increase contact between 

people working on freshwater issues in northern Africa. 

A freshwater action plan for the Maghreb is highly 

desirable. It should include an overview of the protected 

areas and the evaluation of the efficiency of the protection, 

and both can be used to determine the main gaps in the 

network of freshwater protection. A species action plan 

for the most endangered species is needed as well, 

including all Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered 

(EN) species. A general legislation derived from the recent 

European environmental laws is presently initiated in 

those of these countries which are trying to develop 

stronger economic relations with Europe. This should be 

accelerated and generalized in all northern African 

states. 


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+ pl.


freshwater crabs 

Cumberlidge, N. 1 


6.1.1 Crab Distribution and Ecoregions ........................................................................................................ 


6.2.1 Case Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 



6.4 Major threats to freshwater crabs ................................................................................................................... 

6.5 Conservation recommendations .................................................................................................................... 

6.6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

1 Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University. Marquette, MI 49855-5376, USA. 

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The northern African region from Morocco to Egypt is 

home to three species of freshwater crabs that belong to 

two genera, Potamon Ortmann, 1896, and Potamonautes 

MacLeay, 1837. These are assigned to two families (the 

Potamidae Ortmann, 1896, and Potamonautidae Bott, 

1970, respectively) (Cumberlidge 1999). All of these 

species have recently been revised, and they now have a 

stable taxonomy (used here) whereby both families are 

included in the superfamily Potamoidea Ortmann, 1896 

(Brandis et al. 2000, Cumberlidge 2009). 

The Potamidae is the largest of all freshwater crab families, 

and includes 95 genera and more than 505 species 

distributed throughout the southern Palaearctic and 

Oriental zoogeographical regions from Morocco as far 

east as Japan, and as far south as Indonesia (Cumberlidge 

et al. 2008, Yeo et al. 2008). The northern African 

representative of this family, Potamon algeriense Bott, 

1959, from Maghreb, is included in the subfamily 

Potaminae Ortmann, 1896, whose members are found 

around the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the 

Himalayas. In fact, P. algeriense in northern Africa 

represents the westernmost extension of this subfamily. 

Potamon algeriense is found in the temperate rivers of 

Maghreb and in seasonally arid freshwater bodies where 

crabs tend to be semi-terrestrial and live in burrows (Bott 

1967, Brandis et al. 2000). 

The Potamonautidae is a predominantly Afrotropical 

family that is represented by 18 genera and 133 species 

(Cumberlidge 1999, Cumberlidge et al. 2008, 

Cumberlidge et al. 2009). The presence of members of 

this family outside the Afrotropical region in northern 

Africa is due to the presence of two species in the Nile 

River that flows north from eastern Africa to the 

Mediterranean Sea (Palaearctic region) (Bott 1955, 

Cumberlidge 1999). More than 70 species of Potamonautes 

are found throughout continental Africa, but only two of 

these are present in the northern African region in 

northern Egypt. These two species of Potamonautes are 

predominantly riverine in habit and do not leave the Nile 

River and its tributaries to forage on land (Bott 1955; 

Cumberlidge 1999, 2009). 

The low species richness and diversity of freshwater crabs 

in northern Africa reported on here is probably valid 

because it is based on large numbers of specimen records 

from throughout the region that have been collected over 

the past 100 years. Despite this, the distribution data 

used here are likely to be incomplete, and further 

72 

collections are necessary to understand the actual 

distribution of these northern African taxa. Nevertheless, 

it is clear that freshwater crabs are absent from the more 

arid regions of the Sahara including Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya, and the desert regions of Morocco, Algeria, 

and Egypt. It is also clear that northern Africa’s freshwater 

crab fauna is also dramatically impoverished compared 

to that of western Africa (29 species, 7 genera) 

(Cumberlidge, 1999), eastern Africa (35 species, 3 

genera) (Bott 1955; Cumberlidge 1997, 1998; Corace et 

al. 2001; Cumberlidge and Vannini 2004; Reed and 

Cumberlidge 2004, 2006), central Africa (24 species, 5 

genera) (Bott 1955, Cumberlidge et al. 2002, 

Cumberlidge and Boyko 2000; Cumberlidge and Reed 

2004), southern Africa (19 species, 1 genus) (Cumberlidge 

and Daniels 2008), and Madagascar (only 15 species, 

but 7 genera) (Cumberlidge et al. 2008, Cumberlidge 

and Meyers 2009). 

The three species of northern African freshwater crabs are 

similar in terms of their breeding strategy (they all have 

direct development from egg to hatchling crabs, and they 

Oued Zegzel in the Moulouya River basin in Morocco, habitat of the 

freshwater crab Potamon algeriense Photo © Jean-Pierre Boudot

all lack larval stages) but they differ in their choice of 

habitat within freshwater ecosystems (Cumberlidge 

1999). These freshwater crabs are omnivores that mostly 

consume plant matter and scavenge detritus, and are 

found wherever year round water is present. Freshwater 

crabs also form an integral part of the food chain in river 

systems because they are vital components of the diet of a 

number of natural piscine, amphibian, reptilian, avian 

and mammalian predators (Collen et al. 2008,a 

Cumberlidge et al. 2009). 

6.1.1 Crab Distribution and Ecoregions 

Freshwater crab distribution patterns, whereby one or 

more species are endemic to an ecoregion, do not conform 

closely to the majority of the six ecoregions found in 

northern Africa (Thieme et al. 2005, Abell et al. 2008). 

Potamon algeriense is the only freshwater crab species that 

is endemic to northern Africa, and this species is found 

only in the northwest Mediterranean ecoregion. Both 

Potamonautes niloticus and P. berardi are found in the 

Lower Nile ecoregion but the distributional range of each 

of these species extends south and includes other 

Afrotropical ecoregions in the Nile River basin (Thieme 

et al. 2005, Abell et al. 2009, Cumberlidge 2009). 



Although there is a need to collect more comprehensive 

information, the available data were sufficient to make 

valid assessments of the conservation status of most 

species. All three species of freshwater crabs found in 

northern Africa have a wide extent of occurrence, and are 

all found in more than one country. For example, 

73 

Potamon algeriense occurs in Morocco, Algeria, and 

Tunisia, Potamonautes niloticus occurs in Egypt, Sudan, 

Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, and P. berardi 

occurs in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya 

(Cumberlidge 2009). 

The conservation status of each of the three species of 

freshwater crabs found in northern Africa is summarized 

in Table 6.1 and 6.3 and is discussed briefly below. 

6.2.1 Case Studies 

1. Algerian River Crab Potamon algeriense (Bott, 

1967) (LC) 

Potamon algeriense is a medium-sized species of river crab 

that occurs in temperate streams and rivers of northern 

Africa that drain into the Mediterranean Sea. Its 

distribution includes three countries: Morocco (in Kenitra 

Table 6.1 The number of crab species in each regional Red List Category in the northern African region (Cumberlidge et 

al. 2009). 




(%) 


endemics (%) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 0 0 

Endangered (EN) 0 0 

Vulnerable (VU) 0 0 

Near Threatened (NT) 0 0 

Least Concern (LC) 3 1 

Data Deficient (DD) 0 0 

Total number of taxa assessed* 3 1 

* Excluding species that are considered Not Applicable. 

The freshwater crab Potamon algeriense is endemic to the streams and 

rivers of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is Least Concern and affected 

by human induced threats such as habitat loss and degradation linked to 

population growth and industrial and agrarian development. Photo © 

Jean-Pierre Boudot

and Fes Provinces), Algeria (in Algiers, Lemdiyya, and 

Bejaia Provinces), and Tunisia (in Jenduba, Beja, 

Kairouan, and Gafsa Provinces). This species is neither 

found in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya nor in Egypt (or 

elsewhere in the Mediterranean region) and it is endemic 

to the Maghreb of northern Africa (Bott 1967, Brandis et 

al. 2000). The past distributional range of this species has 

been uncertain because of its unstable taxonomy whereby 

past authors considered it to be a subspecies of the eastern 

Mediterranean species P. fluviatilis that is found in Italy 

and Greece (Bott 1967, Pretzmann 1976). Potamon 

algeriense was not recognized as a valid species until 

relatively recently (Cumberlidge 1998, Brandis et al. 

2000). The present population levels of P. algeriense are 

estimated to be stable based on the relatively high number 

of localities (more than 30) in the three countries where 

this species is known to occur. However, despite its 

relatively wide distribution many of these localities are 

discontinuous and fragmented and there may be cause 

for concern for the future stability of some of its isolated 

subpopulations. For example, in parts of its range (such 

as Fez and Kenitra Provinces in Morocco) P. algeriense has 

not been seen for many years, and here it might be 

74 

threatened (or may even be in danger of extirpation). 

The Sebou River in Fez and Kenitra Provinces is the most 

polluted river in all of Morocco due to water pollution 

from industrial and domestic sources, and might be 

described as a dead river from a biological point of view. 

These rapid anthropogenic changes that affect habitat 

(such as water diversion, drainage, habitat disturbance, 

and pollution), are especially hard on those crab 

populations found near centres of human population. 

Potamon algeriense was collected in 2009 from several 

localities in the Moulouya catchment (by the project 

UICN/ABHM) where it is threatened by water diversion 

(as at Zegzel), water pollution (as at l’Oued Zebra), or by 

violent floods and mud slides (as l’oud Za). (pers. comm. 

from Mohammed Melhaoui, University Mohamed I, 

Morocco) 

Despite the local extirpation of P. algeriense in parts of 

Morocco, healthy populations of this species have been 

found recently in a number of new localities in other 

regions of that country. For example, P. algeriense has 

been collected from the from Oued Zegzel (Beni Snassen) 

from Branche south west, Arougene, Zaoui, My Ahmed, 

Figure 6.1 Distribution map of the freshwater crabs P. bernardi, P. niloticus and P. algeriensis in the northern African 

region.

My Idriss, and Grotte Chameau, Tazaghine (Bas Zegzel), 

and from Oued Cherraa (Zegzel at Berkane). It has also 

been reported to occur recently in the Bassin de l’Oued 

Za (haut plateaux) from the southern affluents of Oued 

Za (Melga El Widan, Oulad Lefkir) near the confluence 

with the Moulouya River and its tributaries, as well as 

Oued Za (Guefait), Ammont Oued Za; and Oued Charef 

(from the spring at Ain Bni Mathar). Additional recent 

localities include the basin of the Moulouya River (Oued 

Zebra, from a small affluent of the Moulouya River, and 

from near Zaio (Mohammed Melhaoui pers comm.). 

Other records from the literature include the basin of the 

Oued Laou (Rif) in a small Oued near Chefchaouen, as 

well as from the basin of the Oued Oum Rbia (Middle 

Atlas), and near the road to Khénifra 4 km before El-Borj 

(Middle Atlas) (Aymerich 2002). 

This species is also found at high altitudes in the Middle 

Atlas from two localities: (1) Lac Ouiouane, 68 km from 

Khénifra, at 1,600 m asl, and (2) near Oued Oum Rbia 

close to lake Bin El Widan (Middle Atlas south of Meknes) 

75 

in a region rich in water resources that includes the origins 

of the rivers that drain into the Mediterranean Sea and 

the Atlantic Ocean; this species is also present in the 

region of Khénifra where it has colonized small 

watercourses (Figure 6.1). 

2. Nile River Crab Potamonautes niloticus (H. Milne 

Edwards, 1837) (LC) 

Potamonautes niloticus is a large and conspicuous river 

crab found in the Nile River in Egypt. This species is 

easily recognized by a row of distinct spines along the 

anterior margins of its carapace. Its presence in the Lower 

Nile in Egypt represents the northern-most extension of 

the range of this species, which has a wide distribution 

throughout the entire length of the Nile and its tributaries 

and is known to occur in more than 60 localities in six 

countries (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and 

Rwanda). Potamonautes niloticus is endemic to the Nile 

River basin and it has never been found outside this 

system and has not been reported to occur in Tanzania, 

despite its presence in Lake Victoria (Reed and 

Potamonautes niloticus is an African endemic freshwater crab found in the streams and rivers of the Nile River from Cairo in Egypt to Rwanda in East 

Africa. Although this species is assessed as Least Concern in northern Africa, it is possible that populations near centres of human settlements might be 

in the future threatened by water diversion, pollution and over-harvesting for food. Photo © Neil Cumberlidge

Cumberlidge 2006, Cumberlidge 2009) (Figure 6.1). 

Potamonautes niloticus occurs in a range of aquatic habitats 

including the major channels of the Nile itself and its 

lowland tributaries, in small and large lakes associated 

with the river basin, as well as in small clear fast-flowing 

mountain streams with rocky beds, and sluggish warm 

lowland streams with muddy bottoms (Bott 1955; 

Williams 1964; Cumberlidge 1997, 1998). This species is 

completely dependent on aquatic habitats and it never 

leaves the water whether it is found in streams, rivers, or 

lakes. In the southern parts of its range in Kenya and 

Uganda, Potamonautes niloticus serves as a host for the 

aquatic larvae of the biting blackfly, Simulium sp., that 

are the vectors of Onchocerca volvulus, the parasite that 

causes river blindness in humans (Crosskey 1990). There 

is no evidence that P. niloticus is associated with this 

disease in the northern part of its range in Egypt and the 

Sudan. Potamonautes niloticus is listed as Least Concern 

(LC) in view of its wide distribution (it is known to occur 

in more than 60 localities and in six countries), estimated 

stable population size and abundance (it supports smallscale 

local fisheries in Lake Victoria in Uganda and 

Kenya), and the lack of known widespread threats. Crab 

populations may nevertheless be under threat in the 

future from rapid anthropogenic changes affecting their 

habitat such as water diversion, pollution, and it could 

also suffer population declines from over-harvesting in 

Lake Victoria. Recent surveys of freshwater ecosystems in 

Egypt in the Nile River from Cairo to Aswan failed to 

find either Potamonautes niloticus or P. berardi and it is of 

some concern that our only records of the presence of 

these species in Egypt are now over 90 years old. These 

specimens were collected at a time before the Aswan Dam 

and cataracts on the Nile River, and before the human 

population of the country increased to its present levels 

with it’s accompanying demands for water and farmland 

that may both impact freshwater habitats negatively. 

3. Berard’s River Crab Potamonautes berardi 

(Audouin, 1826) (LC) 

Potamonautes berardi is a common river crab recognized 

by its uniform brown colour, its small size at maturity, 

and the smooth margins of its anterior carapace. This 

species is widely distributed throughout the basin of the 

Nile River and its tributaries in Egypt and south along 

the Nile River basin in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, 

Tanzania, and Rwanda (Williams 1976; Cumberlidge 

1997, 1998). Potamonautes berardi is endemic to the 

Nile River basin and it has never been found outside this 

system (Cumberlidge 2009). Potamonautes berardi was 

listed as Least Concern (LC) in view of its wide 

distribution (it is known to occur in more than 21 

76 

Potamonautes berardi is endemic to the African continent and classified 

as Least Concern due to its wide distribution throughout the basin of the 

Nile River in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. The major 

and future threats to this species include habitat loss and degradation due 

to industrial and agrarian development. Photo © Neil Cumberlidge 

localities in five countries), estimated stable population 

size and abundance, and the lack of known widespread 

threats. Crab populations may nevertheless be under 

threat in the future from rapid anthropogenic changes 

affecting its habitat such as water diversion, drainage, 

habitat disturbance, and pollution, especially those crab 

populations found near centres of human population in 

Egypt (Figure 6.1). 


The Nile River basin in northern Egypt is where two 

common and widespread Afrotropical species (P. berardi 

and P. niloticus) come into close proximity with (but are 

not sympatric with) the widespread Palaearctic species 

Potamon potamios, which is an eastern Mediterranean 

taxon whose range extends south into the Sinai Peninsula 

(Brandis et al. 2000). Because of this juxtaposition the 

freshwater crab species list for Egypt includes three 

species in two genera and two families (but none is 

endemic to that country), and although this list is short, 

it is the richest in northern Africa (Cumberlidge et al. 

2009). However, P. potamios is not discussed here because 

the Sinai Peninsula lies outside of the northern African 

region as defined in the present work. 

Only one of the species dealt with in the present study (P. 

algeriense) occurs exclusively in northern Africa (from 

Morocco to Tunisia). The other two species in northern 

Africa are on the northern end of a wider distributional 

range that extends into Egypt. The range of each of the 

two potamonautid species extends south along the Nile 

River basin into east Africa. The taxonomic diversity of 

northern Africa (two genera, three species) is lower than 

that of the Mediterranean region as a whole (two genera 

and 12 species), and lower than the whole of the rest of 

continental Africa (five genera, 120 species) and 

Madagascar (7 genera, 14 species). Species diversity 

within the northern African region clearly depends on 

the availability of permanent surface water and the low

Table 6.2. Number of species of freshwater crabs per country that occur in the northern African region* 

Country No. Species Family Species 

Morocco 1 Potamidae Potamon algeriense 

Algeria 1 Potamidae Potamon algeriense 

Tunisia 1 Potamidae Potamon algeriense 

Egypt 2(3) Potamonautidae Potamonautes niloticus, 

Potamonautes berardi 

Potamon potamios (not 

discussed here) 

* Northern African countries with no freshwater crabs are not displayed in this table. The number in parentheses is total number of species found in Egypt 

number of species of freshwater crabs found there is 

typical of arid ecosystems such as those found in northern 

Africa. The distributional data indicate that there is a 

low degree of endemism in northern Africa’s freshwater 

crab fauna at the species level (1 out of 3, 33%), but not 

at the genus and family levels (0 out of 2 (0%) 

(Cumberlidge et al. 2008). The majority of species (2 out 

of 3, 66%) occur in Egypt, only 33% of the region’s 

species are found in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, 

whereas Libyan Arab Jamahiriya completely lacks 

freshwater crabs (Table 6.2). 

The generally low species richness in the countries of 

northern Africa is not entirely unexpected because these 

countries include vast areas of arid land in the form of 

sahel and desert ecosystems. Nevertheless, it is still likely 

that at least some of the apparent species poverty reported 

on here may be due to under-sampling. For example, the 

lack of records of any species of freshwater crabs below 

the Draa River basin and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya may be 

real or it may equally be an artefact resulting from undercollection. 

Further exploration is needed throughout 

northern Africa where it is probable that the species- 

77 

count for the freshwater crab fauna of the region will 

increase as taxonomic discrimination improves and 

collection efforts intensify. 


No species of freshwater crab from the northern African 

region is known to have been extirpated and none are 

Extinct (EX) or Extinct in the Wild (EW). 

6.4 Major threats to crabs in northern 

African freshwater ecosystems 

Threats to crabs in northern African freshwater ecosystems 

include habitat destruction driven by increasing 

agriculture and industrial development, the alteration of 

fast flowing rivers for the creation of hydroelectric power, 

and the drainage of wetlands for farming and other uses 

(Collen et al. 2008, Cumberlidge et al. 2009). In 

addition, excessive water abstraction leaves rivers with 

little or no flow in the drier months, and sedimentation 

associated with farming activities further decreases 

habitat quality. Potential future threats to aquatic 

Table 6.3. Summary of the Red List categories and the distribution of the species of freshwater crabs found in northern 

Africa. ** 

Species RL Category Range (km 2 ) # Loc PA Zone 

Potamonautes niloticus LC > 1,000,000 > 60 Y NILE 

Potamonautes berardi LC > 1,000,000 > 21 Y NILE 

Potamon algeriense LC > 500,000 > 23 N MAGR 

** Range = estimation of species distribution range based on distribution polygon of all known specimens; #Loc = Number of 

discontinuous localities from which the species was collected; PA = found in a protected area; Y = yes, N = no, NILE = Nile River basin, 

MED = Mediterranean region, MAGR= Maghreb. See text for taxonomic authorities.

communities in rivers associated with cities and towns 

tend to be polluted by sewage, industrial and general 

waste, and agricultural pesticides used by farmers may 

prove to be lethal to freshwater crabs once more research 

has been carried out. All of the above combine to increase 

the overall level of threat to range-restricted endemic 

species of freshwater crabs, and the careful management 

of water resources in the future will have the biggest 

impact on their survival. 

6.5 Conservation recommendations 

None of the three species of freshwater crabs from 

northern Africa are currently assessed as threatened, and 

the region’s freshwater crab fauna does not appear to be in 

immediate trouble when compared with other assessed 

freshwater groups, such as fish, molluscs, and dragonflies, 

found in the same freshwater habitats. The three northern 

African freshwater crabs assessed as Least Concern have a 

wide distribution in the lowland rivers and wetlands of 

the region and so far have proved to be relatively tolerant 

to changes in land-use affecting freshwater ecosystems. 

The persistence of these more adaptable species in lowland 

rivers and streams that are already disturbed and visibly 

polluted in parts is encouraging. Loss of natural vegetation 

and pollution as a result of land development and 

agriculture is, however, likely to affect the lowland rivers, 

and many of the wholly aquatic species that live here 

could be vulnerable. Even species assessed as LC could 

suffer catastrophic declines should there be abrupt 

changes in land development, hydrology, or pesticide-use 

regimes. The on-going human-induced loss of habitat in 

many parts of the region is a primary cause for concern 

for the long-term survival of this fauna. 

Significant areas of this region still remain insufficiently 

explored and new species of freshwater crabs are sure to 

be discovered as collection efforts in the remote areas 

intensify and taxonomic skills become more refined. 

Although taxonomic knowledge has advanced 

considerably in recent years and museum collections of 

freshwater crabs have improved, a great deal of work still 

needs to be done. There is a need for surveys to discover 

new species, refine species distributions, define specific 

habitat requirements, describe population levels and 

trends, and identify specific threats to northern Africa’s 

important freshwater crab fauna. 


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Bott, R. 1967 Potamidae (Crustacea, Decapoda) aus 

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Cumberlidge, N. 1998. The African and Madagascan 

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Cumberlidge, N., Boyko, C.B. 2000. Freshwater crabs 

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Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central 

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taxonomy of Potamonautes obesus (A Milne-Edwards, 

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(Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from 

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Reed, S.K., Cumberlidge, N. 2006. Taxonomy and 

biogeography of the freshwater crabs of Tanzania, East 

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P.A., Lehner, B. 2005. Freshwater ecoregions of Africa 

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Daniels, S.R., Campos, M. 2008. Global diversity of 

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Chapter 7. Status and distribution of 

aquatic plants 

Rhazi, L. 1 and Grillas, P. 2 



7.2.1 Endemic species ................................................................................................................................... 

7.2.2 Extirpated Species ................................................................................................................................ 

7.2.3 Data Deficient Species .......................................................................................................................... 

7.3 Patterns of species richness ............................................................................................................................ 

7.3.1 All aquatic plant species ........................................................................................................................ 

7.3.2 Endemic species ................................................................................................................................... 

7.3.3 Threatened species ................................................................................................................................ 

7.3.4 Regional biodiversity hotspots for aquatic plants .................................................................................. 

7.4 Major threats to aquatic plants of northern Africa ......................................................................................... 

7.4.1 Major threats ........................................................................................................................................ 

7.4.2 Specific threats to aquatic plants in northern Africa .............................................................................. 

7.5 Recommendations for conservation ............................................................................................................... 

7.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................... 

7.7 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

1 Université Hassan II Aïn Chock, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Aquatique et Environnement, BP 5366, Maarif Casablanca, Morocco. 

2 Tour du Valat, Centre de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France. 

81 

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88 

92 

92 

94 

94 

95 

96 

96 

96 

98 

99 

100

7.1 Overview of the regional flora 

Northern Africa is known for the richness (approximately 

8,000 species), taxonomic diversity and high number of 

endemic species of its flora (Maire 1952-1987, Médail 

and Quézel 1997; Médail and Myers 2004). This richness 

is due to geographical position and to the history of its 

geology and climate. At the crossroads between the Euro- 

Siberian and tropical regions, northern Africa contains 

floristic elements of both regions (see for example Raven 

1973, Quézel 1983, Quézel and Medail 1995, Médail and 

Myers 2004). Northern Africa is also a major contributor 

to the Mediterranean Basin hotspot (Mittermeier et al. 

2004) as it contains 4 of the 11 regional biodiversity 

hotspots (Médail and Quézel 1997): the Moroccan High 

and Middle Atlas, the Betico-Rifan complex, the Cyrenaica 

coastal region of Lybia (Médail and Quézel 1997) and the 

Kabylias–Numidia–Kroumiria region, stretching from 

the Algerian sector to the Tunisian border (Véla and 

Benhouhou 2007). There is a high level of specific and 

sub-specific endemism in northern Africa (Fennane and 

Ibn Tattou 1998, Neffati et al. 1999, Véla and Benhouhou 

2007, Boulos 1995), particularly in regions of plate 

collision (mountain ranges and large tectonic fault lines), 

due to population isolation caused by barriers to dispersal, 

and to the climatic and geological record of the region 

(Quezel 1983; Pons and Quézel 1985; Médail and Quézel 

1997, 1999; Blondel and Aronson 1999). 

Temporary pool in Mamora forest (Salé, Morocco). Photo © Patrick Grillas 

82 

The Pond Water-Crowfoot Ranunculus peltatus is a species of the 

Ranculaceae family that is widely distributed in northern Africa and 

listed as Least Concern in the region. Photo © Serge Muller 

In northern Africa, there is a good representation of 

aquatic and wetland habitats, very diverse in their size, 

hydrological regime, water quality, and position within 

catchment. They make a significant contribution to the 

regional flora and constitute a refuge for unusual plant 

species, with the addition of Euro-Siberian elements 

which have persisted beyond the last glacial period, the 

presence of aquatic environments compensating for the 

aridity of the climate. 

Aquatic vascular plant inventories have been undertaken 

within the context of habitat conservation and wetlands

Temporary stream in Ben Abid forest (Rabat, Morocco). Photo © Patrick 

Grillas 

floristic biodiversity in northern Africa over the last ten 

years. The inventories focused on the vegetation of 

wetlands in Morocco (Hammada et al. 2002, Hammada 

et al. 2004), Tunisia (Ghrabi-Gammar et al. 2009) and 

eastern Algeria (Samraoui and de Bélair 1997, de Belair 

2005). A list is available for Egypt (Boulos unpublished 

data), but no inventory has been done for aquatic plants 

in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. 

For the northern African Freshwater Biodiversity 

Assessment project, 645 species and sub-species of 

83 

aquatic plants (Cook 1996) have been listed in northern 

Africa, based on catalogues, monographs, flora from the 

different countries and existing publications. The list 

includes 31 species of macro-algae from the Characeae 

family. A total of 521 aquatic plants have been assessed 

for northern Africa, including 12 non-indigenous taxa. 

These plants are predominantly perennials (72%), of 

which 70% are hemicryptophytes-geophytes and 2% are 

chamaephytes-phanerophytes; 28% are annuals. The 

main habitats on which these species depend are 

temporary and permanent marshes and rivers, as well as 

temporary ponds and permanent lakes. These aquatic 

plants belong to 67 families (Table 7.1), of which the 

most highly represented are the Cyperaceae (84 species), 

the Poaceae (59), the Asteraceae (33), the Juncaceae (28) 

and the Apiaceae (26) (Fig. 7.1). The number of 

threatened species (CR, EN and VU) is significant for 

the Cyperaceae (18), the Poaceae (12), the Apiaceae (7) 

and the Polygonaceae (6) (Fig. 7.1). 

Of all the taxons assessed, 14% are endemic to northern 

Africa (i.e., 75 species). Nearly half (45%) of the endemic 

species belong to 5 families: Asteraceae, Apiaceae, 

Plumbaginaceae, Plygonaceae and Scrophulariaceae 

(Table 7.1). 

Figure 7.1 Number of Threatened, Non-Threatened or Data Deficient aquatic plants for each Family in the northern 

African region. Families with the lowest number of species where excluded from the graph for simplification

Marsh with Salicornia herbacea (north of Sidi Boughaba reserve, Morocco). Photo © Serge Muller 

Table 7.1 Total number of aquatic species, number of threatened species and of endemics per family 

Family Number of species 

84 

Number of threatened 

species 

Number of endemic 

species 

CYPERACEAE 84 18 1 

POACEAE 59 12 1 

ASTERACEAE 33 2 12 

JUNCACEAE 28 5 2 

APIACEAE 26 7 8 

POLYGONACEAE 18 6 5 

RANUNCULACEAE 18 4 3 

POTAMOGETONACEAE 16 0 0 

SCROPHULARIACEAE 16 4 4 

LYTHRACEAE 12 1 0 

ONAGRACEAE 11 4 3 

CALLITRICHACEAE 9 1 1 

LAMIACEAE 9 1 1 

ALISMATACEAE 8 2 0 

BRASSICACEAE 8 4 3 

HYDROCHARITACEAE 8 4 0 

LEMNACEAE 8 2 0 

FABACEAE 7 3 2 

LENTIBULARIACEAE 7 4 1 

BORAGINACEAE 6 1 2 

CAMPANULACEAE 6 2 2 

CARYOPHYLLACEAE 6 2 2 

MARSILEACEAE 6 3 1 

PLUMBAGINACEAE 6 2 5

Family Number of species 

85 


species 

Number of endemic 

species 

PRIMULACEAE 6 1 2 

TYPHACEAE 6 0 0 

GENTIANACEAE 5 0 1 

ORCHIDACEAE 5 2 2 

CONVOLVULACEAE 4 2 1 

CRASSULACEAE 4 0 1 

HALORAGACEAE 4 0 0 

NYMPHAEACEAE 4 3 0 

RUBIACEAE 4 1 0 

VERBENACEAE 4 0 0 

ZANNICHELLIACEAE 4 1 0 

AMARANTHACEAE 3 0 0 

ELATINACEAE 3 2 0 

EUPHORBIACEAE 3 1 1 

ISOETACEAE 3 1 0 

JUNCAGINACEAE 3 0 0 

MOLLUGINACEAE 3 0 1 

PTERIDACEAE 3 3 0 

SALICACEAE 3 0 0 

CERATOPHYLLACEAE 2 0 0 

IRIDACEAE 2 1 1 

MENYANTHACEAE 2 2 0 

PLANTAGINACEAE 2 2 1 

PORTULACACEAE 2 0 0 

ROSACEAE 2 0 1 

SELLAGINELLACEAE 2 0 1 

VAHLIACEAE 2 0 0 

ADIANTACEAE 1 0 0 

BLECHNACEAE 1 1 0 

BUTOMACEAE 1 1 0 

CHARACEAE 1 0 0 

GUTTIFERAE 1 0 1 

HYACINTHACEAE 1 0 0 

ILLECEBRACEAE 1 0 0 

OSMUNDACEAE 1 0 0 

PARNASSIACEAE 1 0 0 

PODOSTEMACEAE 1 0 0 

RESEDACEAE 1 1 1 

RHAMNACEAE 1 1 0 

SALVINIACEAE 1 0 0 

SAXIFRAGACEAE 1 1 0 

TRAPACEAE 1 1 0 

VIOLACEAE 1 0 1 

Total 521 122 75


criteria at Regional Levels) 

Out of the 509 species assessed in northern Africa 

(excluding the 12 introduced species classified as Not 

Applicable), 122 (24%) are threatened at regional level 

(Table 7.1): 68 species (13.4%) are Vulnerable, 27 (5.3%) 

are Endangered and 27 (5.3%) are Critically Endangered 

(Fig. 7.2; Table 7.4). Over half (65.7%) are not threatened, 

with 52.3% in the Least Concern category and 13.4% in 

the Near Threatened category (Table 7.2; Fig. 7.2). 

7.2.1 Endemic species 

75 species of aquatic plants assessed are endemic to 

northern Africa (14%). Nearly half of these endemic 

species (44%; 33 species) are threatened: 16 species 

(21%) are Vulnerable, 7 (9%) are Endangered and 10 

Table 7.2 Number of aquatic plant species in each regional Red List Category in the northern African region 



86 


(%) 


endemics (%) 



Endangered (EN) 27 (5.3%) 7 (9.3%) 

Vulnerable (VU) 68 (13.4%) 16 (21.3%) 

Near Threatened (NT) 68 (13.4%) 21 (28%) 

Least Concern (LC) 266 (52.3%) 12 (16%) 

Data Deficient (DD) 52 (10.2%) 9 (12%) 

Total number of taxa assessed 509 (100%) 75 (100%) 

Figure 7.2 Proportion of plant species in each regional Red 

List Category in the northern African region 

The Critically Endangered Pilularia minuta is a small amphibious 

fern growing in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Its populations are in 

decline in northern Africa as a result of its very small and fragmented 

area of distribution as well as due anthropogenic threats on its habitat, 

temporary pools. Photo © Serge Muller 

Figure 7.3 Proportion of endemic aquatic plant species in 

each regional Red List Category in the northern African 

region

(13%) are Critically Endangered (Table 7.2; Fig. 7.3). 

Most threatened endemics in the region occur in Morocco 

(29.3%; 21 species), which is characterised by a high 

number of strict endemics (i.e., 40 species occuring only 

in Morocco) (Table 7.3). The other threatened endemic 

species are found either in Algeria (4%; 3 species) or 

spanning the Moroccan-Algerian border (4%; 3 species) 

or the Algerian-Tunisian border (4%; 3 species) (Table 

7.2). 

The level of endemism in aquatic plants is much lower 

(14%, Table 7.1: 75/509) than that existing within the 

Mediterranean hotspot as a whole (52%, 11,700 out of 

22,500) (Médail and Myers 2004). A lower level of 

endemism is expected in wetland plants because of the 

connectivity between sites and populations. The 

connectivity within river catchments is due to hydrochory, 

a common strategy in aquatic plants. Dispersal between 

river catchments by water birds is a very important process 

(Figuerola et al. 2002, Figuerola et al. 2005, Brochet et al. 

2009), with millions of migrating water birds visiting 

wetlands of the African and Euro-Siberian continents 

twice a year (Berthold 1993). 

The Lesser Marshwort Apium inundatum is a perennial species that grows in the dayas of the siliceous mountains of Tunisia and less commonly in 

Morocco and Algeria. It is Vulnerable in northern Africa, and major threats are habitat loss and pollution due to agricultural development. Photo © 

Laila Rhazi 

87 

The clover fern Marsilea strigosa grows in poorly mineralized temporary 

pools of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. It is Endangered in northern 

Africa, where it is facing several threats such as overgrazing, water 

extraction, and habitat loss due to changes in land-use related to 

agriculture and the construction of road infrastructures. Photo © Serge 

Muller

Waterbirds in an islet of Typha angustifolia in the Ramsar Site of Sidi 

Boughaba Reserve (Morocco). Photo © Patrick Grillas 

The northern African species Eryngium atlanticum is Near Threatened 

and endemic to temporary pools on sandy substratum (dayas) of the 

Atlantic Moroccan region. Water pollution and extraction as a result of 

urban and agricultural development close to large cities are the main 

threats to this species. Photo © Laila Rhazi 

88 

7.2.2 Extirpated Species 

One (0.2% of the total) of the aquatic species assessed, 

Laurembergia tetrandra (Haloragaceae), a tropical plant 

of central Africa and South America, has become extinct 

in the northern African region. In northern Africa, this 

species was only found in Algeria (in the Black Lake of 

the El Kala region). This lake was destroyed in 1990- 

1991 due to water extraction for agriculture; subsequent 

fires completed the destruction of the ecosystem, 

including the aquatic plants seed bank (de Bélair and 

Samraoui 1994). 

Despite habitat loss in northern Africa (Blondel and 

Médail 2009), in particular the degradation of freshwater 

environments and wetlands, the extinction rate of aquatic 

plants remains low. It may be an under-estimate because 

of the lack of recent data in some regions. Moreover, the 

increasing pressure on freshwater resources (Nilsson et al. 

2005) and on wetlands could rapidly increase this 

number, as many species are in a very precarious 

situation. 

7.2.3 Data Deficient Species 

Insufficient data was available (for example, on distribution, 

number of locations, and status of populations) to assess 

the conservation status of 52 species (10%). They were 

therefore assigned to the Data Deficient (DD) category. 

The high number of species with insufficient data 

underlines the current gaps in the knowledge of the 

Table 7.3 Total number of strict endemic and endemic aquatic plants (i.e., occuring only in one country or shared between 

northern African countries) in each Red List category 

CR EN VU NT LC DD 

Number of 

Threatened 

endemic 

% of Threatened 

endemic 

(CR,EN,VU) 

Morocco 40 3 7 12 11 7 22 29,3 

Algeria 3 3 3 4 

Tunisia 1 1 1 1,3 

Libya 2 1 1 1 1,3 

Egypt 7 7 0 0 

Morocco + Algeria 8 3 2 2 1 3 4 

Algeria + Tunisia 7 3 4 3 4 

Morocco + Algeria + Tunisia 5 4 1 0 0 

Algeria + Tunisia + Libya 1 1 0 0 

Algeria + Tunisia + Libya + Egypt 1 1 0 0 

Total 75 10 7 16 21 12 9 33 44%

wetland vegetation and the need for further investigation. 

Amongst the species with insufficient data, 9 species are 

endemic to the northern African region and are 

characterised by a restricted distribution, placing them at 

greater risk of extinction; there are 7 species endemic to 

Table 7.4 Threatened species of aquatic plants of the northern Africa region 

89 

Egypt (Sonchus macrocarpus, Homognaphalium crispatulum, 

Glinus runkewitzii, Rumex aegyptiacus, Persicaria obtusifolia, 

Primula boveana, Veronica kaiseri), one endemic to Libyan 

Arab Jamahiriya (Sedum bracteatum) and one endemic to 

the Moroccan-Algerian region (Limonium battandieri). 

Family Species Red List status 

Endemic to the region? 


ASTERACEA Pulicaria filaginoides CR Yes 

CONVOLVULACEAE Convolvulus durandoi CR Yes 

CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis cioniana CR 

CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus mucronatus CR 

CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus triqueter CR 

ELATINACEAE Elatine alsinastrum CR 

FABACEAE Lotus benoistii CR Yes 

FABACEAE Vicia fulgens CR Yes 

HYDROCHARITACEAE Vallisneria spiralis CR 

IRIDACEAE Romulea antiatlantica CR Yes 

ISOETACEAE Isoetes setacea CR 

JUNCACEAE Juncus maroccanus CR Yes 

JUNCACEAE Juncus tingitanus CR 

LAMIIACEAE Mentha cervina CR 

LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia minor CR 

MARSILEACEAE Marsilea minuta CR 

MARSILEACEAE Pilularia minuta CR 

MENYANTHACEAE Nymphoides peltata CR 

NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea caerulea CR 

NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea lotus CR 

ONAGRACEAE Epilobium numidicum CR Yes 

ORCHIDACEAE Serapias stenopetala CR Yes 

POACEAE Micropyropsis tuberosa CR 

POLYGONACEAE Rumex algeriensis CR Yes 

POLYGONACEAE Rumex tunetanus CR Yes 

PRIMULACEAE Lysimachia vulgaris CR 

RUBIACEAE Oldenlandia capensis CR 

APIACEAE Carum asinorum EN Yes 

BRASSICACEAE Rorippa amphibia EN 

BUTOMACEAE Butomus umbellatus EN 

CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche mathezii EN Yes 

CONVOLVULACEAE Ipomoea sagittata EN 

CYPERACEAE Carex elata EN 

CYPERACEAE Carex laevigata EN 

CYPERACEAE Carex fissirostris EN Yes 

CYPERACEAE Carex illegitima EN 

CYPERACEAE Rhynchospora modesti-lucennoi EN 

FABACEAE Genista ancistrocarpa EN 

HYDROCHARITACEAE Hydrocharis morsus-ranae EN 

JUNCACEAE Juncus mogadorensis EN Yes 

JUNCACEAE Juncus sorrentini EN 

LENTIBULARIACEAE Pinguicula lusitanica EN




MARSILEACEAE Marsilea strigosa EN 

MENYANTHACEAE Menyanthes trifoliata EN 

ORCHIDACEAE Dactylorhiza maurusia EN Yes 

POACEAE Glyceria fluitans EN 

POACEAE Leptochloa ginae EN Yes 

POACEAE Phalaris caesia EN 

POACEAE Spartina maritima EN 

PTERIDACEAE Thelypteris interrupta EN 

SCROPHULARIACEAE Bacopa monnieri EN 

SCROPHULARIACEAE Gratiola linifolia EN 

SCROPHULARIACEAE Scrophularia eriocalyx EN Yes 

TRAPACEAE Trapa natans EN 

ALISMATACEAE Baldellia repens VU 

ALISMATACEAE Damasonium polyspermum VU 

APIACEAE Apium inundatum VU 

APIACEAE Apium repens VU 

APIACEAE Carum lacuum VU Yes 

APIACEAE Eryngium corniculatum VU 

APIACEAE Eryngium variifolium VU Yes 

APIACEAE Oenanthe pimpinelloides VU 

ASTERACEAE Cirsium ducellieri VU Yes 

BLECHNACEAE Woodwardia radicans VU 

BORAGINACEAE Coldenia procumbens VU 

BRASSICACEAE Cardamine pratensis VU Yes 

BRASSICACEAE Lepidium violaceum VU Yes 

BRASSICACEAE Rorippa hayanica VU Yes 

CAMPANULACEAE Campanula alata VU 

CAMPANULACEAE Campanula mairei VU Yes 

CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia doumerguei VU Yes 

CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia embergeri VU Yes 

CYPERACEAE Blysmus compressus VU 

CYPERACEAE Carex acutiformis VU 

CYPERACEAE Carex maritima VU 

CYPERACEAE Carex paniculata VU 

CYPERACEAE Carex pseudocyperus VU 

CYPERACEAE Carex riparia VU 

CYPERACEAE Cyperus microbolbos VU 

CYPERACEAE Cyperus papyrus VU 

CYPERACEAE Eleocharis acicularis VU 

CYPERACEAE Mariscus hamulosus VU 

ELATINACEAE Elatine brochonii VU 

EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia nereidum VU Yes 

HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas horrida VU 

HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas pectinata VU 

JUNCACEAE Juncus subnodulosus VU 

LEMNACEAE Lemna trisulca VU 

LEMNACEAE Wolffia arrhiza VU 

LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia inflexa VU 

LENTIBULARIACEAE Pinguicula fontiqueriana VU Yes 

90




LYTHRACEAE Lythrum baeticum VU 

NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea alba VU 

ONAGRACEAE Epilobium angustifolium VU 

ONAGRACEAE Epilobium atlanticum VU 

ONAGRACEAE Epilobium mirei VU Yes 

PLANTAGINACEAE Littorella uniflora VU 

PLANTAGINACEAE Plantago lacustris VU Yes 

PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium duriaei VU Yes 

PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium ornatum VU Yes 

POACEAE Agrostis tenerrima VU 

POACEAE Alopecurus aequalis VU 

POACEAE Catabrosa aquatica VU 

POACEAE Glyceria declinata VU 

POACEAE Molinia caerulea VU 

POACEAE Puccinellia convoluta VU 

POACEAE Puccinellia festuciformis VU 

POLYGONACEAE Persicaria bistorta VU 

POLYGONACEAE Persicaria lanigera VU 

POLYGONACEAE Polygonum amphibium VU 

POLYGONACEAE Rumex palustris VU 

PTERIDACEAE Pteris incompleta VU 

PTERIDACEAE Thelypteris palustris VU 

RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus flammula VU 

RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus lateriflorus VU 

RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus penicillatus VU 

RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus tripartitus VU 

RESEDACEAE Reseda battandieri VU Yes 

RHAMNACEAE Frangula alnus VU 

SAXIFRAGACEAE Chrysosplenium dubium VU 

SCROPHULARIACEAE Gratiola officinalis VU 

ZANNICHELLIACEAE Althenia orientalis VU 

Elatine brochonii is a small plant species whose growth is very dependant on high light levels and water availability. It is Vulnerable in northern 

Africa and present in Morocco and Algeria, where it is subjected to drainage, overgrazing, human disturbance for vehicles and grazing animals, and 

competition with woody plants. Photo © Patrick Grillas 

91


7.3.1 All aquatic plant species 

The highest number of species is found in Morocco, with 

388 species, 9 of which occur in the Saharan part of the 

country, and in Algeria (331). The numbers are lower in 

Tunisia (239), Egypt (226) and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

(133). The number of aquatic species found in the small 

areas of Mauritania and Sudan included in the project is 

very low and not significant (4 and 2 species respectively) 

(Table 7.5). 

Table 7.4 Threatened species of aquatic plants of the 

northern Africa region* 

Countries 

Number of recorded 

species 

Morocco 388 74.5 % 

Algeria 331 65.0 % 

Tunisia 239 47.0 % 

Egypt 226 44.4 % 

Libya 133 26.1 % 

* Data from Mauritania and Sudan have been excluded due to lack of 

available information. 

Temporary stream in Ben Abid forest (Rabat, Morocco) © Patrick Grillas 

% 

92 

The spatial distribution pattern of species richness shows 

high species richness in the Mediterranean part of the 

region in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, in the Cyrenaica 

region of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the coastal area, and 

the Nile in Egypt (Fig. 7.4). The zones with very high 

species richness (between 78 and 196 species) are mainly 

the mountains and the littoral areas (Fig. 7.4): the Rif 

mountains, the Middle and High Atlas and the Atlantic 

plains of Morocco; the Oran area with the Tlemcen 

mountains, the mountains of Great and Little Kabylia 

and Numidia, the High Plateau of Constantine and the 

littoral plains of Algeria; the Kroumirie mountains, the 

Mogods, the north-east area, Cap Bon and the Medjerda 

valley in Tunisia; the Nile delta and the Upper Nile in 

Egypt (Fig. 7.4). In the southern and arid regions of these 

countries, close to the Sahara, species richness is low. 

Aquatic plant species richness is governed by climate and 

biogeography. Species richness is largely dependent on 

rainfall and on the size of river catchments, which 

determine the extent of wetland habitat. These habitats 

are mostly found in the north of the Maghreb, where 

they are very varied (from lakes, rivers, and wetlands, to 

ponds and peat bogs), and in the Lower Nile Valley, but 

are rare in the Saharan zone (oases).

Figure 7.4 Distribution map of species richness for aquatic plants of the northern African region 

Figure 7.5 Distribution map of endemic species richness for aquatic plants of the northern African region 

93

7.3.2 Endemic species 

Endemic aquatic species (75) are found mainly in the 

Mediterranean part of the Maghreb, where their richness 

and abundance correspond well with the “biodiversity 

hotspots” (Verlaque et al. 1997, Médail and Quézel 1997, 

Véla and Benhouhou 2007). They are concentrated in 

Morocco (Atlas range, Rif range), western Algeria and an 

area containing Tunisia and eastern Algeria (Kabylias– 

Numidia–Kroumiria). It seems there are no aquatic 

endemic species in the Libyan biodiversity hotspot 

(Cyrenaica). To the east and south of the study area, the 

number of endemic aquatic plants is very low (Fig. 7.5). 

Endemic aquatic plants are mostly confined to the high 

mountains of Morocco and Algeria (such as Jbel Toubkal, 

over 4,000 m high), which are absent from other northern 

African countries (Tunisia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 

Egypt, Mauritania and Sudan). They have been found, 

but to a lesser extent, in the littoral plains with higher 

rainfall and in the Nile Delta. 

7.3.3 Threatened species 

The most threatened aquatic species are found in the 

Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal zones, from north 

Morocco to Kroumiria. The level of threat is particularly 

94 

high in the north of Morocco (coastal plain and Rif) and 

to the east of the Maghreb. A dominant feature of these 

areas is the presence of temporary ponds, marshes, streams 

and lakes, all home to many threatened species, including 

a fairly high proportion of endemics (Fig. 7.6). In these 

areas, the major threats to aquatic plants are directly linked 

to land use (drainage of wetlands for agriculture, 

Oldenlandia capensis is Critically Endangered in northern Africa, where 

it is present in Morocco and Algeria. It is under high risk of extinction 

due to the small size and number of its populations, which are severely 

fragmented and facing threats such as heavy trampling by people and 

catlle grazing as well as water pollution among others. Photo © Serge 

Muller 

Figure 7.6 Distribution map of threatened species richness for aquatic plants of the northern African region

deforestation of river catchments, coastal urbanisation) 

and with the exploitation of water resources for 

agriculture. 

7.3.4 Regional biodiversity hotspots for 

aquatic plants 

There are three identifiable aquatic biodiversity hotspots 

in northern Africa (Fig. 7.7), established on the basis of 

total aquatic plant species richness (Fig. 7.4) as well as 

endemic species richness (Fig. 7.5). These hotspots 

correspond to zones with high aquatic (>104) and 

endemic (>10) species richness; they should be prioritised 

in relation to regional biodiversity conservation. They 

are: 

1. The Betico-Rifan arc, stretching across northern 

Morocco and western Algeria. It comprises the 

southern part of the Rif, the mountains of the 

Oriental region of Morocco and the Oran area with 

the Tlemcen mountains in Algeria; 

95 

2. 

The Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains; 

3. The Kabylias–Numidia–Kroumiria complex, which is 

vast and stretches from the Algerian sector (Mitidja) 

to the Kroumiria region in Tunisia. 

These aquatic plant biodiversity hotspots correspond, 

on the whole, to those identified in this region by 

Médail and Quézel 1997 and Véla and Benhouhou 

2007 for the whole vegetation. The difference lies in 

the absence of the hotspot in Mediterranean Cyrenaica 

(Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Médail and Quézel 1997), 

which is due to the low representation of wetlands in 

this region. There is a small area of endemic species 

richness in the Atlantic plains of Morocco (Fig. 7.7; 

AP), but this does not represent a biodiversity hotspot. 

This richness may be due to the abundance and diversity 

of wetlands in this region, particularly temporary 

ponds and species-rich marshes, and probably to 

populations spreading from the two neighbouring 

hotspots (the Atlas and the Rif). 

Figure 7.7 Map of the three regional biodiversity hotspots for endemic aquatic plants in northern Africa. (1) the Betico- 

Rifan arc; (2) Middle and High Atlas; (3) Kabylias–Numidia–Kroumiria (AP: Atlantic plains of northern Morocco); this 

map has been obtained by combining the zones where aquatic species richness is greater than 104, of which 10 at least are 

endemic to northern Africa.

7.4 Major threats to aquatic plants of 


7.4.1 Major threats 

Aquatic plants in the northern African region are 

threatened mainly by habitat loss and degradation, and 

more generally by the direct and indirect impact of human 

activities (Blondel and Aronson 1995). Species intrinsic 

factors, such as restricted distribution, low dispersal rate 

and low recruitment rate, are main factors in the 

conservation of aquatic plants. Similarly, natural disasters 

constitute a relevant threat (Fig. 7.8). 

7.4.2 Specific threats to aquatic plants in 


Habitat loss and degradation 

The main threat for 95% of the aquatic plants which have 

been assessed as threatened (CR, EN, VU) in the region 

is habitat loss and degradation, due to underground water 

extraction, pumping surface waters directly into wetlands, 

agricultural development and intensification, and 

infrastructure development. In northern Africa, 

anthropogenic pressure on freshwater resources and 

wetlands is high (Plan Bleu 2009), mainly due to 

population growth and the littoralisation of the 

population. Mediterranean rivers are among the most 

Figure 7.8 Main threats to aquatic plants in the northern African region 

96 

engineered in the world (Nilsson et al. 2005), the demands 

made on freshwater resources in northern Africa are very 

high (Plan Bleu 2009, Halls et al. 2006), and the pressure 

is increasing (Plan Bleu Outlook 2025). As a result, there 

is a marked decrease in water resources available for 

wetlands and fluvial ecosystems. Agricultural water 

requirements play a large part in the pressure on water 

resources, using over 80% of the total share (Plan Bleu 

2009). The overexploitation of underground and surface 

waters is the main threat to many aquatic plants assessed 

as threatened in the region. Excessive extraction (from 

the Black Lake in Algeria) was the main cause for the 

extinction at regional level of Laurembergia tetrandra 

(Haloragaceae). Water and soil pollution by pesticides 

Filling of a temporary pool by building rubble in the area of Benslimane 

(Maroc). Photo © Laila Rhazi

and fertilisers is one of the main threats to some 52% of 

the species assessed as threatened in the region. 

Aquatic habitats are also under heavy pressure from 

agricultural improvement, urbanisation (Morocco, 

Algeria and Tunisia, for example) and infrastructure 

development (roads, motorways, and tourism). These 

threats are causing the irreversible loss and degradation of 

aquatic habitats. Approximately 28% of the wetlands in 

Tunisia have disappeared during the past 100 years 

(Hughes et al. 1990); and some sites, such as Lake 

Burullus in Egypt, have greatly decreased in surface area 

(Meininger 1990). 

Human disturbance 

Leisure activities and tourism are the main forms of 

human disturbance, placing 39% of species assessed as 

threatened in the region at risk. The aquatic habitats most 

at risk from these activities are those found in coastal 

zones and mountains, where people enjoy going fishing, 

hunting and camping. Examples of this are two endemic 

orchid species (Dactylorhiza maurusia: EN; Serapias 

stenopetala: CR), which are commonly picked by people, 

and two species at the limit of their range in Morocco, 

threatened by the high level of tourist activity around 

Tangier (Gratiola linifolia: EN; Littorella uniflora: VU). 

97 

Intrinsic factors 

Intrinsic factors of the population are considered a threat 

for many species (102, of which 48 have been assessed as 

threatened). These factors increase the risk of extinction. 

For example, some species are particularly vulnerable to 

stochastic extinction because their distribution is limited 

to a very small number of sites. They are, for example, 

endemics (Lotus Benoistii: CR; Romulea antiatlantica: 

CR; Juncus maroccanus: CR; Plantago lacustris: VU; 

Epilobium numidicum: CR; Pulicaria filaginoides: CR) 

and species at the limit of their range (Juncus tingitanus: 

CR ; Isoetes setacea: CR ; Marsilea minuta: CR ), a low 

dispersal rate (Nymphaea lotus: CR), a low recruitment 

rate (Serapias stenopetala: CR ; Genista ancistrocarpa: EN) 

and large population fluctuations, are posing a threat to 

48% of the species assessed as threatened in the region. 

Natural disasters and climate change 

Twelve species assessed as threatened in the region, 

including three endemics, Epilobium numidicum (CR), 

Pulicaria filaginoides (CR), Scrophularia eriocalyx (EN), 

are at risk from drought. It is likely that the increase in 

intensity and frequency of droughts is due to climate 

change. According to Plan Bleu 2009, northern Africa is 

the Mediterranean area the most vulnerable to the effects 

of climate change because of the decrease in rainfall and 

Water extraction through pumping in one temporary pool in Benslimane cork oak forest (Morocco) . Photo © Laila Rhazi

The roots, stems, seed and leaves of Phragmites australis (Least Concern) 

have been used for human consumption, as well as for tatching roofs and 

for its medicinal properties. Photo © Faouzi Maamouri 

increase in desertification. This is critical in the case of 

aquatic habitats and rare and endemic species populations. 

Annual species found in seasonal wetland habitats show 

resilience to drought because their persistent seedbanks 

can cushion its effects. But the impact of worsening 

droughts is not yet known. Perennial species of Euro- 

Siberian origin and “glacial relics” are particularly at risk 

from climate change; this is the case for Nymphaea alba 

(very rare in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) and 

Menyanthes trifoliata (only found in the peat bogs of the 

Rif mountains in Morocco). 

Only one endemic species in Morocco, Pinguicula 

fontiqueriana (VU), which is found in very small 

populations, is threatened by frequent landslides in the 

Atlas Mountains. 

Changes in vegetation dynamics of native 

species 

Approximately 10% of aquatic species are threatened by 

the vegetation dynamics of other native species which, 

given certain ecological conditions, invade the area and 

become more competitive, thus preventing other species 

from growing. For example Isoetes setacea (CR), Elatine 

brochonii (VU), Pilularia minuta (CR), Littorella uniflora 

(VU), found in the regions temporary ponds, are being 

threatened by the spread of the helophytic Bolboshoenus 

maritimus and Inula viscosa (Grillas et al. 2004, Rhazi et 

al. 2009). 

Trade 

The trade in aquatic plants is not a major threat. Most of 

the species collected in the field are common perennials 

(LC) generally used for craft (Juncus maritimus, Juncus 

acutus, Phragmites australis, Typha latifolia) and decoration 

(Ceratophyllum demersum is used for aquariums). A few 

98 

The Water fern Azolla filiculoides is an invasive species, native to the 

American continent, affecting aquatic plant species of the northern 

African region. Photo © Patrick Grillas 

species assessed as threatened at regional level are used 

locally for food (Butomus umbellatus: EN), for medicinal 

purposes (Gratiola officinalis: VU; Persicaria bistorta: VU; 

Mentha cervina: CR; Bacopa monnieri: EN), or for cultural 

reasons (Trapa natans: EN; Genista ancistrocarpa: EN). 

Invasive species 

Invasive exotic plant species are also a threat to aquatic 

plants. One Critically Endangered species, Utricularia 

minor, and three vulnerable species (Najas horrida, Najas 

pectinata and Utricularia inflexa) are threatened by 

invasive species (Azolla filiculoides; Salvinia natans). This 

is particularly noticeable in Egypt, where many invasive 

species from tropical countries in Africa enter via the 

Nile. 

7.5 Recommendations for conservation 

Wetland conservation is crucial to the long-term 

conservation of aquatic plants in northern Africa. Wetland 

conservation must address sustainable development, 

notably by the integrated management of habitats and 

natural resources, combining the rational use of resources, 

particularly water, with the preservation of wetland 

ecosystem services, and biodiversity. This can be achieved 

by each country applying its own existing legislation in 

order to reduce habitat loss (legislation on impact 

assessments and coastal legislation for example) and by 

strengthening existing protection measures (including 

increasing protected areas and the creation of microreserves). 

It also requires a better acknowledgment of the 

importance of wetlands, their ecosystem services and 

their biodiversity. This objective can only be achieved if 

the public and the decision-makers are aware of the issues. 

Identifying priorities also gives conservation more weight 

in negotiating with the main players in development.

Conservation should focus on the hotspots identified for 

their species-richness and levels of endemism, where the 

designation of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) can provide 

a basis for their management. Beyond the hotspots 

focusing on endemic species and species richness, all 

wetlands need better conservation to help maintain their 

function within the landscape. 

The level of knowledge about northern African wetlands 

is currently insufficient to ensure their conservation. The 

gaps are numerous, and revision of data on taxonomy, 

species distribution and population status of plant species, 

particularly in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Algeria, but 

also more generally for the whole region is required. 

Further understanding of the links between ecosystem 

function and species demography is also necessary in 

order to obtain useful data for the rational management 

of habitats and species. To achieve this, research needs to 

be taken seriously; this requires decision makers 

responsible for development in relevant countries to 

understand its importance and the international 

community to support the increase in research capacity 

in many countries. 

99 

7.6 Conclusions 

Centre for Environmental Education in the Sidi Boughaba (Morocco). Photo © Patrick Grillas 

This assessment of the status of aquatic plants in northern 

Africa according to the IUCN Red List criteria is the first 

step towards their conservation. The main conclusions 

are: 

24% (i.e., 122 species) of the aquatic flora in the 

region are under threat. This is an indicator of the 

condition of wetlands in the region. 

The level of endemism is 14% (75 species), and 44% 

of those (33) are threatened at regional level; their 

Red List conservation status corresponds to their 

extinction risk at global level because of the lack of 

geographical continuity beyond the region. 

There is a lack of information for 10% of the aquatic 

flora, 12 % of which consists of species endemic 

to the region. This highlights the need for more 

field investigations. Setting up a northern African 

observatory for aquatic plants would facilitate 

information sharing (species distribution, population

status, and threats) and remedy the information gaps. 

This applies particularly to Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

and Egypt where none of the nine endemics recorded 

have been surveyed. Without surveys it is not possible 

to forecast the future decline or extinction of species 

and make adjustments to their conservation status. 

Habitat loss and degradation is the main threat for 

95% of the aquatic species in the region. Yet the 

extinctions recorded remain low (0.2%); only one 

species has become extinct in the region, Laurembergia 

tetrandra (Haloragaceae). This is due to the resilience 

of aquatic plants to perturbation, and increases the 

chances of success of species restoration programmes 

in degraded habitats. Intensifying global changes may 

cause a rapid increase in threats to aquatic plants, due 

as much to climate change as to direct anthropogenic 

pressure. 

All the biodiversity hotspots for aquatic plants of 

northern Africa are found in Morocco, Algeria and 

the extreme north-west of Tunisia. It is therefore 

100 

critical that local and regional decision-makers and 

international bodies all work closely together for the 

successful conservation of the biodiversity of aquatic 

habitats. 


The Sidi Bou Ghaba Reserve is one of the 24 Ramsar sites of Morocco. Photo © Patrick Grillas 

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Chapter 8. Regional synthesis for all 

data 

García, N. 1 , Abdul Malak, D. 1 , Cuttelod, A. 1 , Boudot, J.P. 2 , Samraoui, B. 3 , Cumberlidge, N. 4 , Rhazi, L. 5 , 

Grillas, P. 6 , Van Damme, D. 7 and Kraiem, M. 8 


8.1.1 Centres of species richness .................................................................................................................... 

8.1.2 Distribution of threatened species ........................................................................................................ 

8.1.3 Distribution of endemic species ............................................................................................................ 

8.1.4 Distribution of Extirpated species ......................................................................................................... 

8.2 Regional Threats ............................................................................................................................................ 

8.2.1 Habitat loss and degradation ................................................................................................................ 

8.2.2 Pollution .............................................................................................................................................. 

8.2.3 Natural Disasters .................................................................................................................................. 

8.2.4 Human disturbance .............................................................................................................................. 

8.2.5 Changes in native species dynamics ...................................................................................................... 

8.2.6 Harvesting (over-exploitation) .............................................................................................................. 

8.2.7 Invasive alien species ............................................................................................................................ 

8.3 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

This chapter is a synthetic analysis of the regional 

assessments of the entire set of freshwater species evaluated 

- freshwater fish, molluscs, crabs, dragonflies and selected 

aquatic plants. The objective of presenting these results is 

to provide updated knowledge on the status of the 

freshwater biome at the regional level. Dissemination of 

this information to decision makers, resource managers 

and scientists will allow them to better understand the 

status of biodiversity in their region. It should be taken 

into consideration in environmental conservation and 

development planning for wetland ecosystems at regional, 

national and site levels in the future. 


Out of the 896 taxa considered in the region, 19 were not 

assessed because they are introduced or wandering species. 

Among the 877 remaining species and subspecies that 

were evaluated, 247 (28%) are categorized as threatened 

with extinction, out of which 61 (7%) are Critically 

Endangered (CR), 72 (8%) are Endangered (EN) and 


2 Faculté des Sciences, Universite Henry Pincare Nancy I,Boulevard des Aiguillettes LIMOS - UMR 7137, BP 70239 F-4506 - Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, 

Cedex, France. 


4 Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University. Marquette, MI 49855-5376, USA. 

5 Université Hassan II Aïn Chock, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Aquatique et Environnement, BP 5366, Maarif Casablanca, Morocco. 

6 Tour du Valat, Centre de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France. 

7 University of Gent, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, B 9000 Ghent, Belgium. 

8 INSTM- Salammbô. 28, rue du 2 mars 1934 - 2025 Salammbô. Tunis, Tunisia. 

103 

103 

105 

106 

106 

108 

108 

109 

111 

111 

111 

112 

112 

113 

113 

114 (13%) are Vulnerable (VU). Of the total number of 

taxa assessed, 9% is Near Threatened (NT), while 42% is 

Least Concern (LC) (Table 8.1). A relatively high 

percentage of species (14%) are classified as Data Deficient 

(DD), which means that due to insufficient available 

knowledge on these species, they were not assigned to any 

of the Red List Categories. These species might qualify 

for a threatened category when more data become 

available and few of them, especially among the molluscs, 

are thought to be already extinct in the region. 

At the level of the northern African freshwater biome, 

45% of the regional freshwater molluscs, 27% of the 

freshwater fishes, 24% of the dragonflies and 24% of the 

aquatic plants are under risk of extinction (See Table 8.1 

and chapters 3 to 7 for more information about each 

taxonomic group). 

The number of Extinct and Regionally Extinct species 

should be noted, the taxonomic groups most affected by 

regional extinction are the freshwater molluscs, fish and

plants. In total, 18 (2%) of the species which are native to 

northern Africa are already extinct at the global level, and 

32 (around 4%) are no longer present at the regional 

scale. If these data are compared to similar evaluations in 

eastern Africa (Darwall et al. 2005), where less than 1% 

of the freshwater species were found to be extinct, or in 

the case of southern Africa (Darwall et al. 2008) where no 

extinction was recorded; northern Africa is the region 

with the highest known rate of extinction of freshwater 

species in the continent. These results are directly related 

to the high concentration of human activities in the area 

(and to the lack of adequate management) as well as to 

the limited dispersal capacity of some freshwater groups 

such as the molluscs, which are often restricted to a single 

catchment or lake. In addition, an important number of 

Regionally Extinct freshwater fish have areas of 

distribution restricted to the Nile River, and are therefore 

threatened by the changes in the hydrological regime 

associated with the construction of the Aswan Dam in 

Egypt. Future studies may demonstrate that the freshwater 

crab species P. niloticus and P. berardi in the northern 

African region may need to be reassigned from LC to one 

of the IUCN categories of threat, as the presence of these 

species in the Nile River north of the Aswan dam is based 

on museum material collected between 1830 and 1922. 

The absence of present records for either one of these 

species in this region correlates with expanding habitat 

104 

disturbance and increased pollution associated with 

growing human populations. Crab populations in the 

Nile may have also been impacted by the introduction of 

North American crayfish species (Procambarus clarkii and 

P. zonangulus) into the river basin in Cairo in the 1980s 

and by the subsequent spread of crayfish as far south as 

Qena (pers. com. Prof. Mohamed Reda Ali Fishar, National 

Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt). 

It should be noted that the majority of the 124 

freshwater species assessed as Data Deficient (DD), due 

to lack of information, are aquatic plants (52 species; 

6% of the regional total), freshwater fish (41 taxa; 5%), 

and freshwater molluscs (26 taxa; 3%) compared to the 

odonata and the crabs, which are the well known group 

with only 5 and none species listed as Data Deficient, 

respectively. In addition, the relatively small number of 

freshwater crab species found in the region is confirmed 

(3 species that belong to 2 genera and 2 families), but 

with some uncertainty about their continued presence 

in some parts of their known distributional range. 

23% of the species (199 species) are endemic to the 

northern Africa region, i.e., they do not exist anywhere 

else in the world, and therefore their regional Red List 

status corresponds also to their risk of extinction at the 

global level. Almost half of these endemic species (94 

Table 8.1 Summary of Red List Category classifications for all northern African freshwater species at the regional scale by 

taxonomic groups. 

Taxon EX RE CR EN VU NT LC DD NA 

Total species* 

(%) 


species (%) 

Fish 1 23 1 8 26 2 26 41 0 128 (15%) 35 (27%) 

Molluscs 17 2 27 30 13 5 35 26 6 155 (18%) 70 (45%) 

Dragonflies 0 6 6 7 7 8 43 5 1 82 (9%) 20 (24%) 

Crabs 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 (0%) 0 (0%) 

Aquatic plants 0 1 27 27 68 68 266 52 12 509 (58%) 122 (24%) 

Total species 18 32 61 72 114 83 373 124 19 877 (100%) 247 (28%) 

IUCN Red List Categories: EX – Extinct (worldwide), RE – Regionally Extinct, CR – Critically Endangered, EN – Endangered, VU – Vulnerable, NT – Near 

Threatened, LC – Least Concern, DD – Data Deficient, NA – Not applicable (e.g. vagrant species not normally resident in the region). 

* Excludes those species classified as Not Applicable (NA). 

Table 8.2 Summary of Red List Category classifications for endemic northern African freshwater species at the regional 

scale by taxonomic groups. 

Taxon Endemics EX EW CR EN VU NT LC DD NA 

Total species 

(%) 


species (%) 

Fish 1 0 1 2 7 2 12 6 0 31 (16%) 10 (32%) 

Molluscs 15 0 22 20 7 2 1 18 0 85 (43%) 49 (58%) 

Dragonflies 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 1 0 7 (4%) 2 (29%) 

Crabs 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 

Aquatic plants 0 0 10 7 16 21 12 9 0 75 (38%) 33 (44%) 

Total Endemics 16 0 33 30 31 26 29 34 0 199 (100%) 94 ( 47%) 

IUCN Red List Categories: EX – Extinct (worldwide), EW – Extinct in the Wild, CR – Critically Endangered, EN – Endangered, VU – Vulnerable, NT – Near 

Threatened, LC – Least Concern, DD – Data Deficient, NA – Not applicable (e.g. vagrant species not normally resident in the region).

species) are threatened with extinction: 33 (17%) are 

Critically Endangered; 30 (15%) Endangered and 31 

(16%) are Vulnerable at global level (Table 8.2). 

The regional Red List status of all species assessed that are 

compiled in this report can be found on the website 

http://iucnredlist.org/initiatives/freshwater. 

8.1.1 Centres of species richness 

River basins containing the highest species richness across 

the five taxonomic groups (freshwater fish, molluscs, 

aquatic plants, dragonflies and freshwater crabs) were 

identified by mapping species distributions to create the 

corresponding distribution maps. A small number of 

Data Deficient species could not be mapped and were, 

therefore, excluded from the analysis. 

The most important areas that can be highlighted as 

having the highest numbers of freshwater assessed 

species are: The Middle and High Atlas, and the Riff 

mountains to the northeastern lowlands and estuaries 

of Morocco, Subtropical Numidia at the eastern 

105 

Mediterranean coast of Algeria and Tunisia, including 

the surrounding areas from Kabylia to Kroumirie, and 

the Nile River basin in Egypt, predominantly the 

Lower Nile (Figure 8.1). 

Area 1: The Middle and High Atlas, and the Rif 

mountains to the northeastern lowlands and estuaries of 

Morocco. The Rif and Atlas Mountains in Morocco 

together with their Atlantic draining river system support 

an estimated 55 species of dragonflies (67% of the 

regional total*), 283 species of aquatic plants (56% of the 

regional total), 38 taxa of freshwater molluscs (24% of 

the regional total) 8 fish (6% of the regional total) and 1 

crab (33% of the regional total). 

Area 2: Subtropical Numidia at the eastern 

Mediterranean coast of Algeria and Tunisia, including 

the surrounding areas from Kabylia to Kroumirie, 

support an estimated 52 species of dragonflies (63% of 

the regional total), 261 species of aquatic plants (51% of 

the regional total), 1 crab species (33% of the regional 

total), 24 freshwater molluscs (15% of the regional total) 

and 6 fishes (5% of the regional total). 

Figure 8.1 Distribution of river basins according to the level of biodiversity they contain in fish, molluscs, odonata, 

aquatic plants and freshwater crabs 

* Regional total refers to the total number of taxa for each group within the northern Africa assessment region.

Area 3: The Egyptian Nile River, especially the Lower 

Nile, supports an estimated 2 species of crabs (67% of the 

regional total), 28 species of dragonflies (34% of the 

regional total), 170 species of aquatic plants (33% of the 

total), 37 species molluscs (24% of the regional total) and 

31 of freshwater fish (24% of the regional total). 

8.1.2 Distribution of threatened species 

On the western side of the Mediterranean basin, the 

Mediterranean and Northern Atlantic coasts of 

Morocco, as well as the Riff and parts of the High and 

Middle Atlas Mountains, are the most important areas 

in terms of the number of freshwater threatened species 

present. More to the east, the areas that reach a similar 

level of species richness are the east of Algeria (Numidia), 

and the north of Tunisia (Kroumirie, north of the 

Medjerda river), in addition to the Egyptian Nile River 

Basin on the eastern side of the region, with Lake Nasser 

just downstream (that is located outside the study region) 

(Figure 8.2). 

Area 1: The northern Morocco and the Atlas Mountains 

support a 53% of the regionally threatened freshwater 

taxa (130 species and subspecies), including 81 aquatic 

106 

plants, 35 freshwater molluscs, 10 odonates and 4 

freshwater fish. 

Area 2: The northern coasts of Algeria and Tunisia 

support a 25% of the threatened taxa (61 species and 

subspecies), including 44 plants, 9 odonates, 6 molluscs 

and 2 freshwater fish. 

Area 3: The Nile River basin, in the southeast part of the 

assessment region, supports a 13% of the threatened taxa 

(32 species and subspecies), including 21 freshwater fish, 

6 aquatic plants, 1 mollusc and 4 odonates. 

8.1.3 Distribution of endemic species 

Endemicity in the region is strongly linked to aquatic plants, 

freshwater molluscs, and freshwater crabs, which are the 

groups with the highest proportions of unique species. Most 

northern African endemic species are located in the Middle 

and High Atlas and, generally to a lower degree, in the 

Betico-Rifan arc in Morocco, the Kabylia–Numidia 

region in Algeria and the Kroumiria Mountains in Tunisia 

(Figure 8.3). 54% of the freshwater species endemic to the 

northern Africa region are present in these areas together: 36 

molluscs, 51 aquatic plants, 9 odonata, 11 fish and 1 crab. 

Figure 8.2 Distribution map showing concentrations of threatened species of the fish, molluscs, odonates and aquatic 

plants taxonomic groups

Figure 8.3 Distribution map showing areas of high endemicity of the fish, molluscs, odonates, aquatic plants and 

freshwater crabs 

Figure 8.4 Distribution map showing areas of high number of Extinct or Regional Extinct species of freshwater fish, 

molluscs and odonates 

107

A significant part of these areas were theoretically placed 

under protection during the recent decades thanks to the 

creation of National Parks and Natural Reserves [Toubkal 

(High Atlas), Talassemtane (Rif), Tazekka and Ifrane 

(Middle Atlas), El-Kala National Park, Biosphere Reserve, 

several Ramsar sites (Numidia), amongst others]. 

Practically, the protection is often low and the degradation 

may be very strong due to over irrigation in some areas, 

swamp fires and destruction, over-grazing and water 

pollution. As a result, species like the African Urothemis 

edwardsii (Odonata), which has a single breeding site in 

Numidia is now on the verge of extinction after the 

degradation of Lake Oubeîra and the destruction of Lac 

Noir (de Bélair and Samraoui 1994). Similarly, the 

Maghrebian endemic, Calopteryx exul (Odonata), is 

highly endangered due to the alteration of river systems 

throughout northern Africa due to pollution and the 

dessication of rivers as a result of water over-extraction for 

agricultural and domestic use. 

8.1.4 Distribution of Extirpated species 

The River Nile basin stands out for being the region 

where more northern African species have gone extinct 

(Figure 8.4). In total, 28 species have been recorded as 

Centre for Environmental Education in Sidi Boughaba (Morocco). Photo © Patrick Grillas 

108 

Extinct or Regionally Extinct in this area, including 23 

freshwater fish, 3 odonata and 2 molluscs. 

8.2 Regional Threats 

Threats to freshwater species in northern Africa are similar 

to those in other regions of the continent for the same 

biome. These analysis reveal that the freshwater biome is 

also strongly threatened not only at the regional scale, but 

also at the global scale. All taxonomic groups were 

evaluated by specialist groups, who took into consideration 

the past, ongoing and future impacts leading to species 

extinctions and agreed on the main causes of decline for 

freshwater dependant species at the regional level. At the 

northern African scale, habitat loss and degradation 

induced by human activities appeared to be the most 

important threat, together with pollution. In addition, 

natural disasters (especially drought and strong highflow 

events) are known to be severely affecting freshwater 

species and have a direct effect on populations. This 

threats are expected to worsen in the future due to the 

increasing effects of climate change. Other threats of 

relevance are human disturbance, changes in the native 

species dynamics, harvesting, invasive alien species and 

intrinsic factors.

Figure 8.5 Major threats to freshwater species in northern Africa 

8.2.1 Habitat loss and degradation 

Habitat loss and degradation are by far the main threats 

to freshwater biodiversity in northern Africa. The two 

main factors leading to habitat loss and degradation are 

related to excessive water abstraction for domestic, 

industrial and agricultural use and to the development of 

infrastructure. The habitat of lowland species is particularly 

affected by the intensification of agriculture, with its 

increased demand for water (in particular for irrigation) 

as well as the drainage of most of wetlands in the region. 

Overuse of underground water has resulted in an increase 

of underlying saline waters and led in many occasions to 

the disappearance of surface water bodies. Numerous 

permanent rivers and lakes are thus now becoming 

seasonal and are no longer suitable for most species that 

require a constant availability of water for their survival. 

Although there is a relatively small number of large river 

systems in the region, many of these are highly regulated 

by dams, as shown in the Figure 8.6. The construction of 

dams blocks migratory routes and modifies the 

hydrological landscapes (such as the flow and level 

control, water temperature, oxygen content and sediment 

load). This is particularly critical at certain times of the 

year (during the reproduction period for example) or in 

certain areas (spawning zones, habitat refuges, etc.). 

Amongst the northern African freshwater fish considered, 

dams are a major cause of decline for threatened species, 

109 

Palm trees inundated as a result of the construction of a dam in the 

Middle Atlas, Morocco © Pedro Regato 

affecting almost 14% (122 sp.) of the freshwater species 

assessed, including 26 regionally threatened fish, 3 

odonates, 3 molluscs and 2 aquatic plants. 

Unfortunately, the changes in biodiversity caused by 

dams are invariably uniform for the majority of the 

groups, ultimately resulting in common species replacing 

rare ones. For example, when dams are built on wadis 

that feed salt lakes, more bird species such as coots, 

moorhens, mallards and little grebes are present. These 

common freshwater species are replacing salt lakes 

specialists like Slender-billed Gulls, Avocets, Shelducks 

and Gull-billed Terns, showing an assumed increase in 

“biodiversity” that hides a real decline in “natural” 

biodiversity.

Water pollution in wetland areas as a result of detergents used for washing clothes (Morocco) Photo ©. Laila Rhazi 

Figure 8.6. Location of large and secondary dams in the northern Africa region. Source: FAO Aquastat (2007). 

110

However, there are known exceptions for other taxonomic 

groups such as Odonata. For these species, the construction 

of dams may lead to the local extinction of lotic species 

(living in running waters) if a reserved water flow is not 

maintained downstream of dams, whereas the dam lake 

itself may favour the settlement of lentic species (those 

that develop in steady waters). In this particular case there 

would be a change of species presence and distribution in 

the region favouring common Odonata species 

disappearance and rare species development. 

In total, 207 threatened freshwater taxa are at risk of 

extinction due to habitat loss and degradation in northern 

Africa - 114 plants, 49 molluscs, 32 fish and 12 odonata. 

Threatened odonata, such as the Maghrebian endemic 

Calopteryx exul, are highly endangered due to the 

alteration of river systems through pollution and 

dessication of rivers as a result of water over extraction for 

agricultural and domestic use throughout northern 

Africa. 

In the Maghreb, large-scale river habitat destruction due 

to excessive water abstraction for domestic, industrial and 

agricultural use is a threat that has reached catastrophic 

proportions. The human population has grown along the 

riparian corridors and the intensification of agriculture 

has led to habitat loss due to groundwater extraction for 

irrigation. This has been found to affect 34% of the 

threatened freshwater species. In addition to this threat, 

other main factors affecting northern African threatened 

species related to habitat degradation are infrastructure 

development and agricultural practices, affecting about 

50% and 43% of the total threatened species 

respectively. 

8.2.2 Pollution 

Pollution was identified as the second most important 

cause of freshwater species extinction in the region. In 

total, more than half of the regionally threatened 

freshwater fauna and flora assessed (52 molluscs, 41 

aquatic plants, 31 fish and 15 odonates) were found to 

be threatened by water pollution. This alteration of 

freshwater quality is a negative result directly related to 

uncontrolled waste disposal from agricultural, industrial 

and domestic human activities that, in the majority of 

the cases, are also linked to soil pollution. In areas where 

the impact is higher, worsening of the freshwater quality 

has led to heavy pollution and eutrophication of surface 

and ground waters. New standards of legal thresholds of 

fertilizers should be applied in northern Africa to reduce 

the effect of chemicals on groundwater pollution (UNEP 

111 

2006). These legal thresholds should be re-evaluated in 

most northern African countries and adapted to the 

actual knowledge and technologies. Human populations 

are increasing along freshwater systems and so is the 

degree of contamination: high concentrations of 

detergents from washing clothes and sheep wool end up 

in the rivers. Furthermore, a massive amount of polluted 

soil is eroded and pollutants are leached from surrounding 

arable lands, contributing as well to the high levels of 

pollution. 

8.2.3 Natural Disasters 

Droughts are becoming more frequent and their severity 

and extent are increasing in the region, already the most 

affected by water scarcity of the entire African continent 

(UNEP 2006). On the other hand, important flooding 

episodes are also becoming more common in the region, 

carrying enormous amounts of sediment and destroying 

the aquatic habitats. These trends will only worsen with 

climate change in the northern African region, especially 

on the borders of the Sahara, which is considered one of 

the most vulnerable areas to desertification (Blue Plan 

2009). As a matter of fact, the distribution of several 

species, especially the molluscs, already shows a tendency 

to move northwards. These species might soon reach the 

physical limit of the Mediterranean Sea that will prevent 

them from continuing their movement, subjecting them 

to possible extinction. Up to 26% of the threatened 

species assessed are currently affected by drought, a 

tendency that is likely to continue in the future with the 

expected rise of temperatures in this region due to climate 

change. 

It should be noted that alarming climatologic events have 

been occurring more frequently in recent years in the 

region. Some examples are the spread of the summer 

drought to December of 2009 in the Sous valley (western 

Morocco between the high Atlas and the Anti- Atlas) as 

well as the sucession of catastrophic rainfall and highflow 

events in eastern Morocco and Algeria in the winter and 

spring of the same year, leading to the destruction of 

many orange orchards (Boudot, pers comm.). 

8.2.4 Human disturbance 

Human disturbance as a result of tourism and outdoor 

recreational activities was identified as a relevant cause of 

threat affecting 24 aquatic plant species (11% of the 

regional total threatened species of this group): for 

example, the endemic plant Serapias stenopetala, assessed 

as Critically Endangered was found in the Brabtia Animal

Fisherman at the old port of the Ghar El Melhah lagoon in Tunisia © Faouzi Maamouri 

Park within the El Kala National Park (Algeria), where it 

is threatened by associated recreation and tourism 

activities. 

Some threatened endemic species are directly affected by 

the increasing number of visitors to the sites where species 

grow through infrastructures (building of paths, tracks 

and roads). This is, for example, the case of the freshwater 

plants Dactylorhiza maurusia (EN), Carex fissirostris (EN), 

Rorippa hayanica (VU) and Carum lacuum (VU), and a 

newly discovered underground freshwater snail. On the 

other hand, some species are more vulnerable to human 

disturbance as they can easily be destroyed by trampling 

and disturbance of dune systems even if there is no 

construction, like the aquatic plant Limonium duriaei, a 

Vulnerable species only found in salt marshes of Algeria 

and Morocco. 

8.2.5 Changes in native species dynamics 

Due to changes in certain ecological conditions, some 

native aquatic plant species might not be favoured when 

112 

in competition with other native species. This could result 

in the reduction of their distribution from areas where 

they were previously found. The European eel, Anguilla 

anguilla, the freshwater mollusc, Margaritifera marocana, 

and 11 aquatic plant species, are threatened by this 

ecological pressure. This stress predominantly affects 

aquatic plants, which live on the ground being therefore 

more likely to compete for space, light and soil nutrients. 

For example, Isoetes setacea (CR), Elatine brochonii (VU), 

Pilularia minuta (CR), Littorella uniflora (VU), found in 

temporary ponds, are being threatened by the spread of 

the helophytic Bolboshoenus maritimus and Inula viscose 

which are now favoured by changes from traditional to 

more modern land uses (Grillas et al. 2004, Rhazi et al. 

2009). 

8.2.6 Harvesting (over-exploitation) 

Over-fishing for food is threatening at least 5 species of 

freshwater fish in the region, some of them are 

commercialized at local and national level but others, 

such as the European eel Anguilla anguilla (EN), are

exported. In addition, the Nile robber Alestes dentex (VU), 

the Nile perch Lates niloticus (DD), the Tiger fish 

Hydrocynus forskahlii (LC) and the barbell Barbus bynni 

bynni (LC) are affected by over-exploitation. Enforcement 

of the control measures to ban over-fishing or illegal 

practices (such as ban exploitations during closed season 

and the use of illegal techniques) is strictly needed. 

In addition, 23 aquatic plants are threatened by overharvesting 

(4% of the regional total), and amongst them 

6 threatened species: Mentha cervina (CR), Bacopa 

montinneri (EN), Gratiola officinalis (VU) and Periscaria 

bostorta (VU) are collected for medicinal purposes; 

Butomus umbellatus (EN) for food; Genista ancistrocarpa 

(EN), collected locally for food; and the two Data 

Deficient (Anacamptis palustris and Anacamptis laxiflora). 

8.2.7 Invasive alien species 

Invasive alien species have a considerable impact on some 

indigenous species, through competition for resources 

(for example, the CR Aphanius saourensis is affected by 

the introduction of the North American mosquitofish 

Gambusia holbrooki), predation (for example, the CR 

Moroccan endemic Anodonta pallaryi is affected by the 

introduction of the invasive molluscivore fish Louisiana 

red crayfish Procambarus clarkii that is rapidly spreading 

through Mediterranean Europe), as well as food 

competitors or hybridisation (for example, the DD Salmo 

macrostigma is affected by hybridisation with an 

introduced trout species). Amongst the aquatic plants, 

Utricularia inflexa (VU), is threatened by competition 

with exotic plants (e.g., Azolla filliculoides, Salvinia 

natans), in addition to invasive competitors (e.g., Paspalum 

113 

paspalodes), which are a problem in parts of the range of 

Eleocharis acicularis. More specific threats affecting 

northern African freshwater species are commented on in 

each of the taxonomic group’s chapters. 


Bélair G. & Samraoui B. 1994. Death of a lake: Lac Noir 

in northeastern Algeria. Environmental Conservation 

21: 169-172). 

Darwall, W., Smith, K., Lowe, T. and Vié, J.-C. 2005. 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity 

in Eastern Africa. IUCN SSC Freshwater Biodiversity 

Assessment Programme. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland 

and Cambridge, UK. viii + 36 pp. 

Darwall, W.R.T., Smith, K.G., Tweddle, D. and Skelton, 

P. (eds) (2009). The Status and Distribution of 

Freshwater Biodiversity in Southern Africa. Gland, 

Switzerland: IUCN and Grahamstown, South Africa: 

SAIAB. viii+120pp. 

Grillas, P., Gauthier, P., Yavercovski, N. & Perennou, C. 

2004. Mediterranean Temporary Pools: (1). Issues 

Relating to Conservation, Functioning and 

Management. Tour du Valat, Arles. 

Rhazi, M., Grillas, P., Rhazi, L., Charpentier, A. & 

Médail, F. 2009. Competition in microcosm between 

a clonal plant species (Bolboschoenus maritimus) and a 

rare quillwort (Isoetes setacea) from Mediterranean 

temporary pools of southern France. Hydrobiologia 

634: 115-124 

UNEP. 2006. Africa Environmental Outlook 2: Our 

Environment, Our Wealth. United Nations 

Environmental Programme. 542 pp.

Freshwater fish of the Lepomis genus, and introduced alien species in the northern African region 

114

Chapter 9. Conclusions and 


García, N. 1 , Abdul Malak, D. 1 , Cuttelod, A. 1 

9.1 Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) and environmental flows ......................................................... 

9.2 Sustainable agricultural techniques and waste/sewage management ............................................................... 

9.3 Enforce legislation ......................................................................................................................................... 

9.4 Habitat and species conservation ................................................................................................................... 

9.5 Raising awareness through biodiversity information ...................................................................................... 

9.6 Data deficiency and research .......................................................................................................................... 

9.7 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 

Even if the northern African region is not exceptional in 

terms of the number of species of its freshwater fauna and 

flora, the importance of this report relies in highlighting 

the high level of threat and endemism of the freshwater 

species present in this region. 

Freshwater habitats are under great pressure in northern 

Africa, due to the increasing water demands for agriculture, 

industrial development and drinking. This is clearly 

reflected in the high proportion of freshwater species 

under threat. As a matter of fact, 28% of all the species 

assessed at the regional scale is currently threatened with 

extinction. When compared with the percentages of the 

taxonomic groups that have been comprehensively 

assessed at the global level (such as birds - 12% threatened, 

mammals - 23% threatened, amphibians - 32% 

threatened) (Baillie et al. 2004), this figure is very high, 

stressing the fact that freshwater species are facing serious 

challenges and therefore requiring special conservation 

actions. 

Furthermore, northern African freshwater biodiversity 

displays a high concentration of distinctive species, 

especially of molluscs and aquatic plants, which cannot 

be found in any other place of the world. However, this 

valuable natural patrimony is at high risk, as one fifth 

(21%) of its freshwater species is facing serious risks of 

extinction highlighting the responsabiliy of northern 

African countries to develop and implement conservation 

actions for these irreplaceable species. 


115 

The alarming status of freshwater species in the region is 

an indicator of the degraded status of their habitat urging 

for an integrated management plan that will guarantee 

the survival of these resources. This chapter describes the 

main conservation priorities identified by the experts for 

all the taxonomic groups assessed in this project durig the 

review workshop held in Porto (Portugal) in October 

2007. 

9.1 Integrated River Basin Management 

(IRBM) and environmental flows 

115 

116 

116 

116 

116 

117 

117 

River basins are closed systems where biotic and abiotic 

parts are interrelated and interact. Thus, activities directly 

related to human development, such as water and gravel 

extraction or pollution have direct consequences on the 

quality of the fauna and flora of the freshwater bodies. It 

is therefore essential to consider the ecological 

requirements of the freshwater species when planning 

and managing the hydrological resources ensuring by this 

the maintenance of goods and services that those 

ecosystems provide. 

Intregrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is a key 

measure to ensure the future of rivers and wetlands in 

northern Africa. The process of IRBM aims at integrating 

the conservation of water and land resources within the 

management of freshwater ecosystems. There is an 

essential need to carry joined multidisciplinary actions 

among stakeholders aiming at conserving, developing

and restoring their natural resources, and in parallel 

providing beneficial outcomes at the social level enhancing 

livelihoods in the region. The basic principles of IRBM 

are explained along with a number of example case studies 

at: http://www.gwptoolbox.org/ 

Environmental flows refer to “the water regime provided 

within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain 

ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing 

water uses and where flows are regulated” (Dyson et al. 

2003). Environmental flows are another important 

process that provides critical contribution to river health, 

economic development and poverty alleviation. They 

ensure the continued availability of the many benefits 

that healthy river and groundwater systems bring to 

society. 

Dam authorities should be encouraged to provide this 

continuous “reserved flow” or “environmental flow” for 

the river up and downstream. 

According to this concept, habitat restoration of spawning 

areas below dams and the construction of fish ladders and 

pathways for migratory species are highly recommended 

providing the means to complete their life cycles in 

addition to some additional assistance of some critical 

stocks to move over dams. 

9.2 Sustainable agricultural techniques 

and waste/sewage management 

Reducing water pollution relies mainly in diminishing 

the use of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture, which 

are currently used at very high levels in northern Africa 

harming its fauna and flora. This problem is only resolved 

when linked to a change in the legislation applied to these 

practices. In addition, future initiatives should be taken 

to increase the waste water treatment facilities available 

and to ensure that their capacity and action are adapted 

to the needs. 

In relation to water overexploitation, more efficient 

irrigation techniques such as the use of drip instead of 

sprinklers, and practices such as night irrigation as an 

alternative to reduce evaporation are recommended to 

prevent depletion and continuous reduction of the water 

table resources. 

9.3 Enforce legislation 

Enforcement of the current legislation is urgent, in 

particular preventing over-harvesting of fish stocks by 

116 

avoiding the use of illegal fishing techniques and ensuring 

the compliance with the current closed season obligations. 

In addition, legislation to protect threatened freshwater 

species (such as dragonflies or molluscs) and their critical 

habitats must be reinforced to prevent these highly 

threatened species to disappear, causing major losses of 

fundamental ecosystem services, like water purification. 

9.4 Habitat and species conservation 

Key Biodiversity Areas, i.e., areas with a high number of 

threatened and endemic species (Langhammer et al. 

2007).should be identified and protected and management 

plans should be developped and implemented, in order 

to prevent the decline in species under high threat of 

extinction and in habitat quality. These actions will help 

in habitat restoration as wetlands react relatively well and 

quickly to conservation actions. 

As an exceptional mean for selected highly threatened 

species, it would be recommended to promote captive 

breeding projects and translocation of populations/ 

subpopulations to similar habitats where conditions are 

favored. 

9.5 Raising awareness through 

biodiversity information 

Freshwater ecosystems are vital to the livelihood and 

economies of the northern African countries. However, 

their importance is often largely under-estimated, by 

local people as well as by decision makers, and they are 

often considered as “waste” areas. Raising awarness 

campaigns to invert this tendency and to promote the 

sustainable use and management of northern African 

wetlands are crucial for the future of these vulnerable 

ecosystems. 

Effective educational programmes with special focus on 

children need to be implemented in order to raise 

awareness about the importance of freshwater species, 

their habitats’ conservation and the threats increasingly 

faced by this biome. Moreover, educational projects 

oriented to all the population levels about the value of 

water and the need of more efficient techniques for the 

utilization of this resource are needed. Due to the rapid 

development of the region, it is fundamental to provide 

politicians, legislators and other relevant stakeholders 

with key biodiversity information about the status of 

freshwater ecosystems and the importance of its 

integration in short and long term decision-making and 

planning.

Students from the Sciences Faculty of the Cadi Ayad University studying the biodiversity of a stream in Morocco (educational ecoservice). Photo 

©Mohamed Ghamizi 

9.6 Data deficiency and research 

This effort to produce IUCN Red List assessments for 

northern African freshwater species has confirmed that 

there is a significant lack of information on the status of 

many species in the region. Fourteen percent of species 

assessed were categorized as Data Deficient, indicating 

that there is not enough information to enable accurate 

assessment of their extinction risk. This is often due to a 

lack of research, or because species are (or have become) 

rare, or have a limited geographic distribution. Therefore, 

they may be especially vulnerable to anthropogenic 

threats. 

Research efforts focusing on species for which there is 

currently little knowledge must be dramatically 

increased. A Data Deficient listing does not mean that 

these 124 species are not threatened. In fact, as 

knowledge improves, such species are often found to be 

amongst the most threatened (or suspected as such from 

available evidence). It is therefore essential to direct 

research efforts and funding towards these species as 

well as those in threatened categories (Cavanagh and 

Gibson 2007). 

117 

As a result, research is needed in order to improve the 

knowledge on freshwater species, in particular regarding 

taxonomy, population trends, distribution range and 

threats. Genetic studies should be encouraged as 

numerous sub-species in the region might in fact prove 

to be true species, endemic to the region and facing a 

high degree of threat than what was previously thought. 

There is a significant proportion of the region that is 

still lacking reliable information, notably in Algeria and 

the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. This fact should be taken 

into consideration together with the results of the 

present evaluation. A conservation measure that appears 

essential to all taxonomic groups is to support new 

research projects on mid-term investigation as a mean 

to predict future species decline or extinction and to 

evaluate the impact of the conservation actions 

implemented. 


Baillie, J.E.M., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Stuart, S.N. (eds.) 

2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A 

Global Species Assessment. IUCN Gland, Switzerland 

and Cambridge, UK. xxiv + 191 pp.

Cavanagh, Rachel D. and Gibson, Claudine. 2007. 

Overview of the Conservation Status of Cartilaginous 

Fishes (Chondrichthyans) in the Mediterranean Sea. 

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain. vi + 

42 pp. 

Dyson, M. Bergkamp, G. and Scanlon, J. (eds.). 2003. 

Flow: The Essentials of Environmental Flows. IUCN, 

Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv+118 pp. 

Langhammer, P.F., Bakarr,M.I., Bennun, L.A., Brooks, 

T.M., Clay, R.P., Darwall,W., De Silva, N., Edgar, 

G.J., Eken, G., Fishpool, L.D.C., Fonseca, G.A.B. da, 

Foster, M.N., Knox, D.H., Matiku, P., Radford, E.A., 

Rodrigues, A.S.L., Salaman, P., Sechrest, W., and 

Tordoff, A.W. (2007). Identification and Gap Analysis 

of Key Biodiversity Areas: Targets for Comprehensive 

Protected Area Systems. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 

The Mouloya River Basin Case Study 

Integrating biodiversity information to define the downstream 

flow needs from river regulation infrastructure (hydropower 

and irrigation dams) that would be required to maintain 

downstream biodiversity values and ecosystem functions. The 

project was carried out in close collaboration with the 

Moulouya River Basin Agency (ABHM), and regional partners 

(University of Oujda) and stakeholders. Some of the main 

outcomes are: 

Raise awareness and understanding on the state of 

biodiversity of the Moulouya through the event “Moulouya 

Caravan”, an itinerary exhibition that ran along different 

localities of the river basin targeting local decision 

makers, schools, universities, and NGOs, including the 

dissemination of field guides on the freshwater flora and 

fauna present in the Moulouya region. 

Training of the local freshwater experts and managers 

involved in the Moulouya Basin on the use of GIS 

techniques; 

Carry out regional freshwater biodiversity assessment 

in collaboration with the IUCN Dragonfly Specialist 

Group; 

Publication of a document with recommendations from 

scientific findings to the integration of this biodiversity 

knowledge in environmental planning and share findings 

and recommendations of the project with regional 

freshwater biodiversity experts and decision makers; 

Put in place of a monitoring network for the biodiversity 

in the region . 

118 

Cavanagh, Rachel D. and Gibson, Claudine. 2007. 

Overview of the Conservation Status of Cartilaginous 

Fishes (Chondrichthyans) in the Mediterranean Sea. 

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain. vi + 

42 pp. 

Dyson, M. Bergkamp, G. and Scanlon, J. (eds.). 2003. 

Flow: The Essentials of Environmental Flows. IUCN, 

Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv+118 pp. 

Langhammer, P.F., Bakarr,M.I., Bennun, L.A., Brooks, 

T.M., Clay, R.P., Darwall,W., De Silva, N., Edgar, 

G.J., Eken, G., Fishpool, L.D.C., Fonseca, G.A.B. da, 

Foster, M.N., Knox, D.H., Matiku, P., Radford, E.A., 

Rodrigues, A.S.L., Salaman, P., Sechrest, W., and 

Tordoff, A.W. (2007). Identification and Gap Analysis 

of Key Biodiversity Areas: Targets for Comprehensive 

Protected Area Systems. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

Appendix 1. Red List status of northern 

African freshwater fish 

Order Family Scientific name 

119 

IUCN Red 

List Category 

(Northern Africa) 


List Criteria 

ANGUILLIFORMES ANGUILLIDAE Anguilla anguilla EN A4bd 

ANGUILLIFORMES OPHICHTHIDAE Dalophis boulengeri DD 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Alestes baremoze RE 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Alestes dentex VU B2ab (ii,iii,v) 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Brycinus macrolepidotus RE 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Brycinus nurse DD 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Hydrocynus brevis RE 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Hydrocynus forskahlii LC 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Hydrocynus vittatus DD 

CHARACIFORMES ALESTIIDAE Micralestes acutidens RE 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Citharinus citharus citharus VU B2ab (i,ii,iii) 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Citharinus latus VU B2ab (iii) 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Distichodus engycephalus RE 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Distichodus rostratus RE 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Ichthyborus besse besse RE 

CHARACIFORMES CITHARINIDAE Nannocharax niloticus RE 

CLUPEIFORMES CLUPEIDAE Alosa alosa RE 

CLUPEIFORMES CLUPEIDAE Alosa fallax RE 

CYPRINIFORMES COBITIDAE Cobitis maroccana VU B2ab (iii); D2 Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus anema RE 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus antinorii DD Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus bynni bynni LC 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus callensis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus deserti NT B2b (i,ii,iii) Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus figuiguensis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus fritschii LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus harterti VU A2ace Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus issenensis VU 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus ksibi VU 

B1ab (ii,iii); 

D2 

B1ab (ii,iii); 

D2 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus labiosa LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus lepineyi LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus leptopogon DD Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus magniatlantis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus massaensis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus moulouyensis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus nasus NT Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus neglectus RE 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus pallaryi LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus paytonii VU B2ab (iii) Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus perince VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus pobeguini DD 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus reinii VU B2ab (iii) Yes 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

Yes 

Yes


120 


List Category 



List Criteria 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus setivimensis LC Yes 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus stigmatopygus DD 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Barbus yeiensis DD 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Chelaethiops bibie EN B2ab (i,ii,iii) 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Labeo coubie EN B2ab (iii) 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Labeo niloticus LC 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Leptocypris niloticus EN 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Pseudophoxinus callensis LC 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Pseudophoxinus punicus EN 

B1ab (i,ii,iii) 

+ 2ab (i,ii,iii) 

B1ab (iii) + 

2ab (iii) 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Raiamas senegalensis EN B2ab (iii) 

CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE Varicorhinus maroccanus DD Yes 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius apodus DD Yes 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius desioi DD Yes 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius dispar dispar LC 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius fasciatus LC Yes 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES CYPRINODONTIDAE Aphanius saourensis CR 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES POECILIIDAE Aplocheilichthys pfaffi DD 

CYPRINODONTIFORMES POECILIIDAE Micropanchax loati RE 

B1ab 

(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

+ 2ab 


LEPIDOSIRENIFORMES PROTOPTERIDAE 

Protopterus aethiopicus 

aethiopicus 

DD 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES ARAPAIMIDAE Heterotis niloticus RE 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES GYMNARCHIDAE Gymnarchus niloticus DD 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Hyperopisus bebe bebe RE 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Marcusenius cyprinoides VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus caschive VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus hasselquistii RE 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus kannume VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Mormyrus niloticus RE 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Petrocephalus bane bane VU 

B1ab (i,ii,iii) 

+ 2ab (i,ii,iii) 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Petrocephalus bovei bovei RE 

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES MORMYRIDAE Pollimyrus isidori isidori VU 

B1ab (ii,iii) + 

2ab (ii,iii) 

PERCIFORMES ANABANTIDAE Ctenopoma kingsleyae DD 

PERCIFORMES BLENNIIDAE Salaria fluviatilis LC Yes 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Haplochromis bloyeti VU B2ab (iii) 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Haplochromis desfontainii EN 

B2ab 


Yes 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Haplochromis wingatii DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Hemichromis bimaculatus EN B2ab (ii,iii) 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Hemichromis fasciatus DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Hemichromis letourneuxi DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Oreochromis aureus LC 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Oreochromis ismailiaensis DD Yes 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE 

Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor 

multicolor 

DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

Yes 

Yes


121 


List Category 



List Criteria 


Sarotherodon melanotheron 

heudelotii 

DD 


Sarotherodon melanotheron 

melanotheron 

DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Tilapia guineensis DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Tilapia ismailiaensis DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Tilapia rendalli DD 

PERCIFORMES CICHLIDAE Tilapia zillii LC 

PERCIFORMES LATIDAE Lates niloticus DD 

PERCIFORMES MONODACTYLIDAE Monodactylus argenteus DD 

POLYPTERIFORMES POLYPTERIDAE Polypterus bichir bichir RE 

POLYPTERIFORMES POLYPTERIDAE Polypterus senegalus senegalus DD 

SALMONIFORMES SALMONIDAE Salmo akairos VU D2 Yes 

SALMONIFORMES SALMONIDAE Salmo macrostigma DD Yes 

SALMONIFORMES SALMONIDAE Salmo pallaryi EX Yes 

SILURIFORMES ARIIDAE Arius latiscutatus DD 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Amarginops rueppelli DD 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Auchenoglanis biscutatus VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Auchenoglanis occidentalis VU B2ab (ii,iii) 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Bagrus bajad LC 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Bagrus docmak LC 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Chrysichthys auratus auratus LC 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus DD 

SILURIFORMES BAGRIDAE Clarotes laticeps RE 

SILURIFORMES CLARIIDAE Clarias anguillaris DD 

SILURIFORMES CLARIIDAE Clarias gariepinus LC 

SILURIFORMES CLARIIDAE Heterobranchus bidorsalis VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES CLARIIDAE Heterobranchus longifilis VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES MALAPTERURIDAE Malapterurus electricus VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Chiloglanis niloticus DD 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Mochokus niloticus VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis batensoda RE 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis caudovittatus DD 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis clarias VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis filamentosus DD 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis frontosus DD 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis membranaceus RE 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis nigrita DD 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis schall LC 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis serratus VU B2ab (iii) 

SILURIFORMES MOCHOKIDAE Synodontis sorex DD 

SILURIFORMES SCHILBEIDAE Parailia pellucida DD 

SILURIFORMES SCHILBEIDAE Schilbe mystus LC 

SILURIFORMES SCHILBEIDAE Schilbe uranoscopus VU B2b (ii,iii) 

SILURIFORMES SCHILBEIDAE Siluranodon auritus RE 

TETRAODONTIFORMES TETRAODONTIDAE Tetraodon lineatus DD 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


African freshwater molluscs 


122 


Category (North 

Africa)* 

MESOGASTROPODA AMPULLARIIDAE Lanistes carinatus LC 


Criteria 

MESOGASTROPODA AMPULLARIIDAE Lanistes varicus VU D2 

MESOGASTROPODA AMPULLARIIDAE Pila ovata LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ancylus fluviatilis LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ancylus strictus VU B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia clessiniana DD 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia iselli DD 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia lhotelleriei DD Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia pallaryi DD Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia platyrhynchus DD Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA ANCYLIDAE Ferrissia sp. indet. DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA BITHYNIIDAE Bithynia connollyi DD 

MESOGASTROPODA BITHYNIIDAE Bithynia leachi EX 

MESOGASTROPODA BITHYNIIDAE Bithynia tentaculata RE 

MESOGASTROPODA BITHYNIIDAE Gabbiella senaariensis LC 

VENEROIDA CORBICULIDAE Corbicula fluminalis LC 

UNIONOIDA ETHERIIDAE Etheria elliptica CR B2ab(iii) 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Attebania bernasconii CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE 

Belgrandia (?) sp. nov. 

wiwanensis (nomen nudum) 

VU D2 Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Belgrandiella (?) nana DD Yes 


Belgrandiella (?) sp. nov. 

ramdanii (nomen nudum) 

CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Belgrandiella (?) seminium DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) limnopsis EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) mauritanica EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) microcochlia EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) punica EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Bythinella (?) sordida DD Yes 


Bythinella (?) sp. nov. 

tiznitensis (nomen nudum) 


MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia bodoni EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia costata CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia gofasi EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia janai EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia mellalensis CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 


Giustia meskiensis (nomen 

nudum) 

EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia midarensis EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Giustia saidai CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 


Heideella (?) sp. nov. boulali 

(nomen nudum) 


MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) dolichia DD Yes 


Heideella (?) sp. nov. 

kerdouensis (nomen nudum) 

CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes


123 



Africa)* 


Criteria 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Heideella (?) sp. nov. knidirii EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 


Heideella (?) sp. nov. salahi 

(nomen nudum) 



Heideella (?) sp. nov. valai 

(nomen nudum) 

CR B1ab(iii)+2a Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Heideella andraea VU D2 Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Heideella andreae 

Heideella sp. nov 


MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE makhfamanensis (nomen 

nudum) 



Horatia sp. nov. aghbalensis 

(nomen nudum) 



Horatia sp. nov. haasei 

(nomen nudum) 


MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia (?) elachista DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia (?) gracilis EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia (Peringia) recta LC Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia brondeli NT Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia djerbaensis VU Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia joossei NT 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia maroccana EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia minoricensis EN B2ab(iii) 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia musaensis LC 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia sordida DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Hydrobia ventrosa LC 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Iglica soussensis CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Maroccopsis agadirensis EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria (?) letourneuxiana EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria (?) perforata DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria cf. balearica EN B2ab(iii) 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria cf. zopissa CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 


Mercuria sp. nov 

mirlheftensis (nomen nudum) 


MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria punica CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Mercuria similis LC 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola cf. spirata EN B2ab(iii) 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) barratei EX Yes 


Pseudamnicola (?) 

constantinae 

DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) desertorum EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) doumeti EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) globulina EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) latasteana EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) luteola DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) oudrefica EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) ragia EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola (?) singularis EX Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola conovula VU B2ab(iii) 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola dupotetiana NT 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola leprevieri CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola meluzzii VU Yes


124 



Africa)* 


Criteria 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Pseudamnicola pallaryi CR B2ab(iii) Yes 


Pseudoislamia sp. nov. 

yacoubii (nomen nudum) 

NT Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Semisalsa (?) arenaria DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Semisalsa aponensis CR B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Semisalsa aponensis LC 

MESOGASTROPODA HYDROBIIDAE Semisalsa stagnorum LC 

UNIONOIDA IRIDINIDAE Aspatharia chaiziana DD 

UNIONOIDA IRIDINIDAE Chambardia letourneuxi EX Yes 

UNIONOIDA IRIDINIDAE Chambardia rubens LC 

UNIONOIDA IRIDINIDAE Mutela dubia LC 

UNIONOIDA IRIDINIDAE Mutela rostrata LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE 

Lymnaea (?) Stagnicola 

maroccana 

EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Galba) truncatula LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Lymnaea) stagnalis EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 


Lymnaea (Pseudosuccinea) 

columella 

NA 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Radix) natalensis LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea (Radix) peregra LC 


Lymnaea (Stagnicola) 

palustris 

EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA LYMNAEIDAE Lymnaea auricularia EX 

UNIONOIDA MARGARITIFERIDAE Margaritifera marocana CR A2c; C1 Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis arbalensis DD Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis brevicula CR B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis cariosa DD 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis chlorotica CR 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2a 

b(i,ii,iii,iv) 

Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis letourneuxi EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis magnifica EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis mourebeyensis EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis praemorsa LC 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis saharica CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis scalaris EN A2c Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis subgraëllsiana VU D2 Yes 

MESOGASTROPODA MELANOPSIDAE Melanopsis turgida DD Yes 

ARCHAEGASTROPODA NERITIDAE Theodoxus maresi DD Yes 

ARCHAEGASTROPODA NERITIDAE Theodoxus marteli VU B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) Yes 

ARCHAEGASTROPODA NERITIDAE Theodoxus meridionalis EN 



ARCHAEGASTROPODA NERITIDAE Theodoxus niloticus LC 

ARCHAEGASTROPODA NERITIDAE Theodoxus numidicus VU 



Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA PHYSIDAE Physa acuta LC 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Eupera ferruginea DD 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium amnicum RE 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium casertanum LC 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium milium CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium nitidum CR B2ab(iii) 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium personatum VU B2ab(iii) 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


125 



Africa)* 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium pirothi NT 


Criteria 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium subtruncatum EN B2ab(iii) 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Pisidium tenuilineatum CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Sphaerium hartmanni LC 

VENEROIDA PISIDIIDAE Sphaerium maroccanum DD Yes 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Africanogyrus coretus LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Anisus spirorbis EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Armiger crista EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Biomphalaria alexandrina LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Biomphalaria glabrata NA 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Biomphalaria pfeifferi LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Bulinus forskalii LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Bulinus truncatus LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Gyraulus costulatus DD 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Gyraulus ehrenbergi LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Gyraulus laevis VU B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Helisoma duryi NA 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Hippeutis complanatus EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Planorbarius metidjensis LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Planorbis planorbis LC 

BASOMMATOPHORA PLANORBIDAE Segmentorbis angustus VU D2 

MESOGASTROPODA PLEUROCERIDAE Cleopatra bulimoides LC 

MESOGASTROPODA THIARIDAE Melanoides tuberculata LC 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Anodonta lucasi CR 



UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Anodonta pallaryi CR B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) Yes 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Coelatura aegyptiaca LC 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Nitia teretiuscula LC 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Potomida littoralis EN 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Unio durieui EN 

UNIONOIDA UNIONIDAE Unio foucauldianus CR 

MESOGASTROPODA VALVATIDAE Valvata nilotica DD 

MESOGASTROPODA VIVIPARIDAE Bellamya unicolor LC 

A2c; 

B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

A2c; 

B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

A2c; B1ab(i,ii,ii 

i,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,ii 

i,iv,v) 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes


African Odonata 


126 


List Category 


IUCN Red List Criteria 

Odonata CALOPTERYGIDAE Calopteryx exul EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

Odonata CALOPTERYGIDAE Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis LC 

Odonata CALOPTERYGIDAE Calopteryx virgo CR 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Lestes barbarus LC 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv); 

C2a(i); D 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Lestes dryas VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Lestes numidicus DD Yes 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Lestes virens LC 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Lestes viridis LC 

ODONATA LESTIDAE Sympecma fusca LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Agriocnemis exilis RE 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Agriocnemis sania RE 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ceriagrion glabrum RE 

Odonata COENAGRIONIDAE Ceriagrion tenellum LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Coenagrion caerulescens LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Coenagrion mercuriale EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i) 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Coenagrion puella LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Coenagrion scitulum NT 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Enallagma cyathigerum DD 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Enallagma deserti LC Yes 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Erythromma lindenii LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Erythromma viridulum LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura evansi DD 

Odonata COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura fountaineae LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura graellsii LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura pumilio LC 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura saharensis LC Yes 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Ischnura senegalensis DD 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion hamoni VU D2 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion niloticum EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion nubicum EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion sublacteum CR B2ab(iii) 

ODONATA COENAGRIONIDAE Pseudagrion torridum LC 

Odonata COENAGRIONIDAE Pyrrhosoma nymphula NT 

ODONATA PLATYCNEMIDIDAE Mesocnemis robusta CR 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii, 

iv,v) 

ODONATA PLATYCNEMIDIDAE Platycnemis subdilatata LC Yes 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Aeshna affinis VU B2ab(ii,v) 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Aeshna cyanea EN B2ab(i,iii) 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Aeshna isoceles VU B2ab(i,ii,iii) 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Aeshna mixta LC 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Anax ephippiger LC 

ODONATA AESHNIDAE Anax imperator LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


127 


List Category 


ODONATA AESHNIDAE Anax parthenope LC 

Odonata AESHNIDAE Boyeria irene NT 

IUCN Red List Criteria 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Gomphus lucasii VU A3c; C1 Yes 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Gomphus simillimus NT 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Lindenia tetraphylla CR 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Onychogomphus costae NT 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Onychogomphus forcipatus LC 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Onychogomphus uncatus LC 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Paragomphus genei LC 

ODONATA GOMPHIDAE Paragomphus pumilio LC 

ODONATA CORDULEGASTRIDAE Cordulegaster boltonii NT 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv); 

C2a(i); D 

Odonata CORDULEGASTRIDAE Cordulegaster princeps NT Yes 

ODONATA CORDULIIDAE Cordulia aenea RE 

ODONATA CORDULIIDAE Oxygastra curtisii CR B2ab(iii,iv); C2a(i) 

ODONATA MACROMIIDAE Phyllomacromia picta RE 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Acisoma panorpoides EN A2c; B2ab(iii) 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Brachythemis leucosticta LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Crocothemis erythraea LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Diplacodes lefebvrii LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Libellula quadrimaculata VU D2 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Nesciothemis farinosa EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) 

Odonata LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum brunneum LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum cancellatum LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum chrysostigma LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum coerulescens LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum nitidinerve LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum ransonnetii DD 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum sabina LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Orthetrum trinacria LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Pantala flavescens NA 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Rhyothemis semihyalina RE 

Odonata LIBELLULIDAE Selysiothemis nigra LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum fonscolombii LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum meridionale LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum sanguineum VU C1 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum sinaiticum LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Sympetrum striolatum LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Trithemis annulata LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Trithemis arteriosa LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Trithemis kirbyi LC 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Urothemis edwardsii CR 

ODONATA LIBELLULIDAE Zygonyx torridus NT 

A2ac; B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii 

,iv,v); C1+2a(ii); D 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


African freshwater crabs 


128 


(North Africa)* 


Criteria 

Endemic to 

the region? 

DECAPODA POTAMIDAE Potamon algeriense LC Yes 

DECAPODA POTAMONAUTIDAE Potamonautes berardi LC 

DECAPODA POTAMONAUTIDAE Potamonautes niloticus LC


African aquatic plants 


129 


List Category 


PTERIDALES ADIANTACEAE Adiantum capillus-veneris LC 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Alisma gramineum NT 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Alisma lanceolatum LC 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Alisma plantago-aquatica LC 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Baldellia ranunculoides NT 


Criteria 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Baldellia repens VU B2ab(ii,iii); C2a(i) 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Caldesia reniformis DD 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Damasonium bourgaei NT B2b(ii,iii) 

ALISMATALES ALISMATACEAE Damasonium polyspermum VU B2b(iii,iv); D2 

CARYOPHYLLALES AMARANTHACEAE Alternanthera nodiflora DD 

CARYOPHYLLALES AMARANTHACEAE Alternanthera pungens NA 

CARYOPHYLLALES AMARANTHACEAE Alternanthera sessilis LC 

BLECHNALES BLECHNACEAE Woodwardia radicans VU D2 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Coldenia procumbens VU D2 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Myosotis atlantica NT Yes 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Myosotis debilis NT 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Myosotis decumbens LC Yes 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Myosotis laxa LC 

LAMIALES BORAGINACEAE Myosotis welwitschii LC 

ALISMATALES BUTOMACEAE Butomus umbellatus EN B2ab(ii,iii) 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche brutia LC 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche cribrosa DD 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche lusitanica DD 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche mathezii EN 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche obtusangula LC 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche pulchra DD 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche regis-jubae DD 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche stagnalis LC 

CALLITRICHALES CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche truncata LC 

B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2a 

b(ii,iii,iv,v) 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Campanula alata VU B2ab(ii) 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Campanula dimorphantha DD 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Campanula mairei VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Solenopsis bicolor NT Yes 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Solenopsis laurentia LC 

CAMPANULALES CAMPANULACEAE Sphenoclea zeylanica DD 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Cerastium perfoliatum LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia doumerguei VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia embergeri VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia marina LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Spergularia tangerina LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES CARYOPHYLLACEAE Stellaria alsine LC 

NYMPHAEALES CERATOPHYLLACEAE Ceratophyllum demersum LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

Yes


130 


List Category 


NYMPHAEALES CERATOPHYLLACEAE Ceratophyllum muricatum LC 

CHARALES CHARACEAE Chara vulgaris LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Ambrosia maritima LC 


Criteria 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Bellis caerulescens LC Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Bellis prostrata NT 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Blainvillea acmella DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Ceruana pratensis LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Cirsium chrysacanthum NT Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Cirsium ducellieri VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Conyza aegyptiaca DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Doellia bovei DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Ethulia conyzoides DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Flaveria bidentis DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Gnaphalium uliginosum LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Grangea maderaspatana DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Homognaphalium crispatulum DD Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Homognaphalium pulvinatum DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Hypochaeris angustifolia LC Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Lactuca virosa LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pluchea dioscoridis LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pluchea ovalis NT 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pseudoconyza viscosa DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pulicaria arabica LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pulicaria filaginoides CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pulicaria inuloides LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pulicaria laciniata LC Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Pulicaria vulgaris LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Scorzoneroides atlantica LC Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Senecio aegyptius DD 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Senecio giganteus NT Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Sonchus macrocarpus DD Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Sonchus maritimus LC 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Sonchus mauritanicus NT Yes 

ASTERALES COMPOSITAE Sphaeranthus suaveolens DD 

SOLANALES CONVOLVULACEAE Convolvulus durandoi CR B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

SOLANALES CONVOLVULACEAE Cressa cretica LC 

SOLANALES CONVOLVULACEAE Ipomoea carnea DD 

SOLANALES CONVOLVULACEAE Ipomoea sagittata EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv) 

ROSALES CRASSULACEAE Crassula alata LC 

ROSALES CRASSULACEAE Crassula tillaea LC 

ROSALES CRASSULACEAE Crassula vaillantii NT 

ROSALES CRASSULACEAE Sedum bracteatum DD Yes 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Cardamine pratensis VU D2 Yes 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Coronopus squamatus LC 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Lepidium violaceum VU B2ab(iii) Yes 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Nasturtium officinale DD 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Rorippa amphibia EN B2ab(iii) 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Rorippa hayanica VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


131 


List Category 


CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Rorippa indica LC 

CAPPARALES CRUCIFERAE Sisymbrella aspera LC 


Criteria 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Blysmus compressus VU D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Bolboschoenus maritimus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex acuta LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex acutiformis VU B2ab(ii); D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex demissa LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex distans LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex divisa LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex divulsa LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex echinata LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex elata EN 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex extensa LC 

B1ab(ii,iii,iv)+2ab 

(ii,iii,iv) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex fissirostris EN B1ab(iii,v) Yes 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex flava LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex hirta LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex hispida LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex hordeistichos NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex illegitima EN B1ab(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex laevigata EN B1ab(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex lepidocarpa LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex mairii NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex maritima VU D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex muricata LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex nigra LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex otrubae LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex ovalis LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex pachystylis LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex paniculata VU B2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex pendula LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex pseudocyperus VU B2ab(ii,iii); D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex punctata LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Carex riparia VU B2ab(iii); D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cladium mariscus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus alopecuroides LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus articulatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus bulbosus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus capitatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus compressus DD 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus difformis LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus digitatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus esculentus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus fuscus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus imbricatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus laevigatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus longus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus maculatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus michelianus NT 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


132 


List Category 



Criteria 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus microbolbos VU D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus papyrus VU D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus rotundus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Cyperus schimperianus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis acicularis VU B1b(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis caduca DD 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis geniculata NA 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis multicaulis NT B2b(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis palustris LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis parvula NA 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis quinqueflora LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Eleocharis uniglumis NT D2 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis bisumbellata LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis cioniana CR B2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis sieberiana NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis squarrosa NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fuirena ciliaris LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Fuirena pubescens NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Isolepis cernua LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Isolepis pseudosetacea LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Isolepis setacea LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Kreczetoviczia caespitosa NA D 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Mariscus hamulosus VU B2ab(ii,iii,iv)c(iv) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Pycreus flavescens LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Pycreus flavidus NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Pycreus mundtii LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Pycreus polystachyos LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Rhynchospora modesti-lucennoi EN 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus corymbosus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus lacustris LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus litoralis LC 

B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v); 

C2a(i) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus mucronatus CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus praelongatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus subulatus LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus supinus NT 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenoplectus triqueter CR 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Schoenus nigricans LC 

CYPERALES CYPERACEAE Scirpoides holoschenus LC 

B1ab(iv)+2ab(iv); 

C2a(ii); D 

THEALES ELATINACEAE Elatine alsinastrum CR B2ab(iii) 

THEALES ELATINACEAE Elatine brochonii VU B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

THEALES ELATINACEAE Elatine macropoda NT 

EUPHORBIALES EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia cuneifolia LC 

EUPHORBIALES EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia nereidum VU B2ab(iii) Yes 

EUPHORBIALES EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia paniculata LC 

GENTIANALES GENTIANACEAE Centaurium candelabrum LC Yes 

GENTIANALES GENTIANACEAE Centaurium pulchellum LC 

GENTIANALES GENTIANACEAE Centaurium spicatum LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


133 


List Category 


GENTIANALES GENTIANACEAE Cicendia filiformis LC 

GENTIANALES GENTIANACEAE Exaculum pusillum NT 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Aeluropus lagopoides LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Aeluropus littoralis LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Agrostis reuteri LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Agrostis stolonifera LC 


Criteria 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Agrostis tenerrima VU B2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Alopecurus aequalis VU D2 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Alopecurus arundinaceus LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Alopecurus bulbosus NT 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Antinoria agrostidea LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Arundo donax LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Brachiaria deflexa DD 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Brachiaria eruciformis LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Brachiaria mutica LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Catabrosa aquatica VU B2ab(iii); D2 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Crypsis aculeata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Crypsis acuminata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Crypsis alopecuroides LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Crypsis schoenoides LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Crypsis vaginiflora NT 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Echinochloa colona LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Echinochloa pyramidalis LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Glyceria declinata VU D2 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Glyceria fluitans EN B2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Glyceria notata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Glyceria spicata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Hemarthria altissima NT 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Imperata cylindrica LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Leersia hexandra LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Leersia oryzoides LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Leptochloa fusca LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Leptochloa ginae EN B1ab(iii) Yes 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Leptochloa panicea LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Micropyropsis tuberosa CR 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab 

(i,ii,iii,v) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Molinia caerulea VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Panicum coloratum LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Panicum hygrocharis DD 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Panicum repens LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Paspalidium geminatum LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Paspalidium obtusifolium LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris aquatica LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris arundinacea LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris brachystachys LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris caesia EN B2ab(ii,iii,v) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris coerulescens LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris elongata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris paradoxa LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


134 


List Category 


CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phalaris truncata LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phragmites australis LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Phragmites mauritianus LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Poa dimorphanta LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Polypogon maritimus LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Polypogon monspeliensis LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Polypogon viridis LC 


Criteria 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Puccinellia convoluta VU B1ab(iv)+2ab(iv) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Puccinellia festuciformis VU B2ab(iii); D2 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Saccharum spontaneum LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Sorghum halepense LC 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Spartina maritima EN B2ab(iii) 

CYPERALES GRAMINEAE Sphenopus divaricatus LC 

THEALES GUTTIFERAE Hypericum afrum NT Yes 

HALORAGALES HALORAGACEAE Laurembergia tetrandra RE 

HALORAGALES HALORAGACEAE Myriophyllum alterniflorum LC 

HALORAGALES HALORAGACEAE Myriophyllum spicatum LC 

HALORAGALES HALORAGACEAE Myriophyllum verticillatum LC 

LILIALES HYACINTHACEAE Cathissa broteroi LC 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Hydrocharis morsus-ranae EN B2ab(i,ii); D2 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas graminea DD 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas horrida VU A2be+4be 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas marina LC 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas minor LC 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Najas pectinata VU D2 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Ottelia alismoides LC 

HYDROCHARITALES HYDROCHARITACEAE Vallisneria spiralis CR B2ab(iii) 

CARYOPHYLLALES ILLECEBRACEAE Illecebrum verticillatum LC 

LILIALES IRIDACEAE Iris pseudacorus LC 

LILIALES IRIDACEAE Romulea antiatlantica CR B2ab(iii) Yes 

ISOETALES ISOETACEAE Isoetes histrix LC 

ISOETALES ISOETACEAE Isoetes setacea CR B2ab(iii) 

ISOETALES ISOETACEAE Isoetes velata LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus acutiflorus NT 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus acutus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus anceps LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus articulatus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus bufonius EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus bulbosus NT 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus capitatus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus conglomeratus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus effusus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus foliosus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus fontanesii LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus gerardi LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus heterophyllus NT 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus inflexus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus littoralis LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus maritimus LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


135 


List Category 



Criteria 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus maroccanus CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus punctorius LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus pygmaeus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus sorrentini EN 

B1ab(ii,iv)+2ab 

(ii,iv) 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus sphaerocarpus NT B1ab(iv)+2ab(iv) 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus squarrosus NA 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus striatus NT 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus subnodulosus VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus subulatus LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus tenageia LC 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus tingitanus CR B2ab(ii,iii,v) 

JUNCALES JUNCACEAE Juncus valvatus NT 

NAJADALES JUNCAGINACEAE Triglochin bulbosa NT 

NAJADALES JUNCAGINACEAE Triglochin maritima NA 

NAJADALES JUNCAGINACEAE Triglochin palustris NA 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Lycopus europaeus LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha aquatica LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha cervina CR B2ab(iii) 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha gattefossei NT Yes 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha longifolia LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha pulegium LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha spicata LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Mentha suaveolens LC 

LAMIALES LABIATAE Teucrium scordium LC 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Acacia nilotica NA 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Cullen americanum NT 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Cullen plicatum LC 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Dichrostachys cinerea DD 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Genista ancistrocarpa EN 

B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2a 

b(ii,iii,iv,v) 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Lotus benoistii CR B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

FABALES LEGUMINOSAE Vicia fulgens CR B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Lemna aequinoctialis LC 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Lemna gibba LC 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Lemna minor LC 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Lemna trisulca VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Spirodela polyrhiza NA 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Spirodela punctata LC 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Wolffia arrhiza VU D2 

ARALES LEMNACEAE Wolffiella huyalina LC 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Pinguicula fontiqueriana VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) Yes 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Pinguicula lusitanica EN B2ab(iv) 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia australis NT 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia gibba NT 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia inflexa VU D2 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia minor CR B2ab(iii) 

ARALES LENTIBULARIACEAE Utricularia vulgaris LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Ammannia auriculata LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Ammannia baccifera LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


136 


List Category 


MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Ammannia senegalensis LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum acutangulum LC 


Criteria 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum baeticum VU B2ab(iii)c(ii,iii,iv) 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum borysthenicum LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum hyssopifolia LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum junceum LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum portula LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum salicaria LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum thymifolia LC 

MYRTALES LYTHRACEAE Lythrum tribracteatum LC 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Marsilea aegyptiaca LC Yes 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Marsilea capensis NA 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Marsilea crenulata DD 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Marsilea minuta CR B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Marsilea strigosa EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) 

MARSILEALES MARSILEACEAE Pilularia minuta CR B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

SOLANALES MENYANTHACEAE Menyanthes trifoliata EN B2ab(iii) 

SOLANALES MENYANTHACEAE Nymphoides peltata CR D 

CARYOPHYLLALES MOLLUGINACEAE Corrigiola litoralis LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES MOLLUGINACEAE Glinus lotoides LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES MOLLUGINACEAE Glinus runkewitzii DD Yes 

NYMPHAEALES NYMPHAEACEAE Nuphar lutea NA B1ab(i)+2ab(i) 

NYMPHAEALES NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea alba VU 

B1ab(iii)+2ab 

(iii,iv) 

NYMPHAEALES NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea caerulea CR B2b(i,ii,iii)c(ii,iv) 

NYMPHAEALES NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea lotus CR 

B1b(i,ii,iv)+2b 

(i,ii,iv) c(ii,iv) 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium angustifolium VU D2 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium atlanticum VU D2 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium hirsutum LC 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium mirei VU D2 Yes 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium numidicum CR B2ab(iii) Yes 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium obscurum NT 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium parviflorum LC 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium psilotum NT Yes 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Epilobium tetragonum LC 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Ludwigia palustris NT 

MYRTALES ONAGRACEAE Ludwigia stolonifera LC 

ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE Anacamptis laxiflora DD 

ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE Anacamptis palustris DD 

ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE Dactylorhiza elata NT 

B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+ 

2ab (i,ii,iii,iv,v) 

ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE Dactylorhiza maurusia EN B1ab(iii) Yes 

ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE Serapias stenopetala CR C2a(i)b Yes 

OSMUNDALES OSMUNDACEAE Osmunda regalis LC 

ROSALES PARNASSIACEAE Parnassia palustris LC 

PLANTAGINALES PLANTAGINACEAE Littorella uniflora VU D2 

PLANTAGINALES PLANTAGINACEAE Plantago lacustris VU B2ab(ii,iii) Yes 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium battandieri DD Yes 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium cymuliferum NT Yes 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


137 


List Category 



Criteria 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium duriaei VU B2ab(iii) Yes 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium duriusculum DD 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium mouretii NT B1ab(iii) Yes 

PLUMBAGINALES PLUMBAGINACEAE Limonium ornatum VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

PODOSTEMALES PODOSTEMACEAE Tristicha trifaria DD 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria bistorta VU B1ab(iii,v) 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria hydropiper LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria lanigera VU D2 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria lapathifolia LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria limbata NT 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria obtusifolia DD Yes 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria salicifolia LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Persicaria senegalensis LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Polygonum amphibium VU 

B1ab(iii)+2ab 

(ii,iii) 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex aegyptiacus DD Yes 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex algeriensis CR B2ab(ii,iii); D Yes 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex conglomeratus LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex crispus LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex dentatus NT 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex ginii NT Yes 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex palustris VU B2ab(iii); D2 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex pulcher LC 

POLYGONALES POLYGONACEAE Rumex tunetanus CR 

CARYOPHYLLALES PORTULACACEAE Montia fontana LC 

CARYOPHYLLALES PORTULACACEAE Portulaca oleracea LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Groenlandia densa LC 

B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab 

(ii,iii) 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton coloratus NA B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton crispus LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton hoggarensis DD 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton lucens LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton natans LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton nodosus LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton panormitanus LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton pectinatus LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton perfoliatus NT 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton polygonifolius NT 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton pusillus NT 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton schweinfurthii NT 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton trichoides LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Ruppia cirrhosa LC 

NAJADALES POTAMOGETONACEAE Ruppia maritima LC 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Anagallis crassifolia NT 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Anagallis tenella LC 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Lysimachia cousiniana NT Yes 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Lysimachia vulgaris CR B1ab(ii)+2ab(ii) 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Primula boveana DD Yes 

PRIMULALES PRIMULACEAE Samolus valerandi LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region? 

Yes


138 


List Category 



Criteria 

PTERIDALES PTERIDACEAE Pteris incompleta VU C2a(i) 

PTERIDALES PTERIDACEAE Thelypteris interrupta EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) 

PTERIDALES PTERIDACEAE Thelypteris palustris VU B2ab(iii) 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Aquilegia vulgaris LC Yes 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus aquatilis LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus aurasiacus LC Yes 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus dyris LC Yes 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus ficaria LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus flammula VU D2 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus granatensis LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus hederaceus LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus lateriflorus VU D2 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus ophioglossifolius LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus peltatus LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus penicillatus VU D2 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus repens LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus rionii LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus sardous LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus sceleratus LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus trichophyllus LC 

RANUNCULALES RANUNCULACEAE Ranunculus tripartitus VU 

B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); 

D2 

CAPPARALES RESEDACEAE Reseda battandieri VU B1ab(iii); D2 Yes 

RHAMNALES RHAMNACEAE Frangula alnus VU B1ab(i)+2ab(i) 

ROSALES ROSACEAE Potentilla maura NT Yes 

ROSALES ROSACEAE Potentilla supina LC 

RUBIALES RUBIACEAE Galium debile LC 

RUBIALES RUBIACEAE Galium elongatum LC 

RUBIALES RUBIACEAE Galium uliginosum DD 

RUBIALES RUBIACEAE Oldenlandia capensis CR 

SALICALES SALICACEAE Salix atrocinerea LC 

SALICALES SALICACEAE Salix mucronata DD 

SALICALES SALICACEAE Salix pedicellata LC 

SALVINIALES SALVINIACEAE Salvinia natans DD 

B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab 

(ii,iii) 

ROSALES SAXIFRAGACEAE Chrysosplenium dubium VU D2 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Bacopa monnieri EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Gratiola linifolia EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Gratiola officinalis VU D2 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Jamesbrittenia dissecta NT 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Limosella aquatica NT 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Linaria fallax NT Yes 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Peplidium maritimum DD 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Scrophularia auriculata LC 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Scrophularia eriocalyx EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) Yes 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Scrophularia tenuipes NT Yes 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica anagallis-aquatica LC 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica anagalloides LC 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica catenata LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?


139 


List Category 



Criteria 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica kaiseri DD Yes 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica rubrifolia DD 

SCROPHULARIALES SCROPHULARIACEAE Veronica scardica DD 

SELAGINELLALES SELLAGINELLACEAE Selaginella balansae LC Yes 

SELAGINELLALES SELLAGINELLACEAE Selaginella denticulata LC 

MYRTALES TRAPACEAE Trapa natans EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Sparganium erectum NT 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Sparganium natans DD 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Typha angustifolia LC 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Typha domingensis DD 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Typha elephantina LC 

TYPHALES TYPHACEAE Typha latifolia LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Apium crassipes NT 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Apium graveolens LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Apium inundatum VU B2ab(i) 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Apium nodiflorum LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Apium repens VU B2ab(ii,iii) 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Berula erecta LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Carum asinorum EN B2ab(iii) Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Carum foetidum NT 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Carum jahandiezii NT Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Carum lacuum VU B2ab(iii) Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Chaerophyllum atlanticum NT Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Eryngium atlanticum NT Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Eryngium corniculatum VU D2 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Eryngium maroccanum NT Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Eryngium pusillum LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Eryngium variifolium VU B1ab(iii) Yes 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Hohenackeria polyodon NT 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Hydrocotyle vulgaris LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe crocata LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe fistulosa LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe globulosa LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe lachenalii LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe peucedanifolia LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe pimpinelloides VU B1a+2ab(ii) 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Oenanthe silaifolia LC 

APIALES UMBELLIFERAE Peucedanum munbyi NT Yes 

ROSALES VAHLIACEAE Vahlia dichotoma DD 

ROSALES VAHLIACEAE Vahlia digyna DD 

LAMIALES VERBENACEAE Clerodendrum acerbianum LC 

LAMIALES VERBENACEAE Phyla nodiflora LC 

LAMIALES VERBENACEAE Verbena officinalis LC 

LAMIALES VERBENACEAE Verbena supina LC 

VIOLALES VIOLACEAE Viola maroccana LC Yes 

NAJADALES ZANNICHELLIACEAE Althenia orientalis VU B2ab(iii) 

NAJADALES ZANNICHELLIACEAE Zannichellia obtusifolia DD 

NAJADALES ZANNICHELLIACEAE Zannichellia palustris LC 

NAJADALES ZANNICHELLIACEAE Zannichellia peltata LC 

Endemic 

to the 

region?

Appendix 6. CD 

Please find the Cd on the inside cover of the back of the book, including the species summaries, distribution maps and 

spatial data. 

140

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Regional Assessments 

Freshwater Africa 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Eastern Africa. Compiled by William R.T. Darwall, Kevin G. 

Smith, Thomas Lowe, Jean-Christophe Vié, 2005. 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Southern Africa. Compiled by William R.T. Darwall, Kevin G. 

Smith, Denis Tweddle and Paul Skelton, 2009. 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Western Africa. Compiled by Smith, K.G., Diop, M.D., Niane, 

M. and Darwall, W.R.T., 2009. 

Mediterranean 

The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fish Endemic to the Mediterranean Basin. Compiled by Kevin G. Smith and 

William R.T. Darwall, 2006. 

The Status and Distribution of Reptiles and Amphibians of the Mediterranean Basin. Compiled by Neil Cox, Janice 

Chanson and Simon Stuart, 2006. 

Overview of the Cartilaginous Fishes (Chondrichthyans) in the Mediterranean Sea. Compiled by Rachel D. Cavanagh and 

Claudine Gibson, 2007. 

The Status and Distribution of Dragonflies of the Mediterranean Basin. Compiled by Elisa Riservato, Jean-Pierre Boudot, 

Sonia Ferreira, Milos Jovic, Vincent J. Kalkman, Wolfgang Schneider and Boudjéma Samraoui, 2009. 

The Status and Distribution of Mediterranean Mammals. Compiled by Helen J, Temple and Annabelle Cuttelod, 2009. 

Europe 

The Status and Distribution of European Mammals. Compiled by Helen J. Temple and Andrew Terry, 2007. 

European Red List of Amphibians. Compiled by Helen J. Temple and Neil Cox, 2009. 

European Red List of Reptiles. Compiled by Neil Cox and Helen J. Temple, 2009. 

European Red List of Saproxylic Beetles. Compiled by Ana Nieto and Keith N.A. Alexander, 2010. 

European Red List of Butterflies. Compiled by Chris van Swaay, Annabelle Cuttelod, Sue Collins, Dirk Maes, Miguel 

López Munguira, Martina Šašić, Josef Settele, Rudi Verovnik, Theo Verstrael, Martin Warren, Martin Wiemers and 

Irma Wynhoff, 2010. 

European Red List of Dragonflies. Compiled by Vincent J. Kalkman, Jean-Pierre Boudot, Rafał Bernard, Klaus-Jürgen 

Conze, Geert De Knijf, Elena Dyatlova, Sónia Ferreira, Miloš Jović, Jürgen Ott, Elisa Riservato and Göran Sahlén, 

2010. 

141

THE IUCN RED LIST 

OF THREATENED SPECIES 

IUCN-MED 

Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia 

Marie Curie, 22 

29590 - (Campanillas) Malaga, Spain 

uicnmed@iucn.org 

Tel +34 95 202 84 30 

Fax +34 95 202 81 45 

www.iucn.org/mediterranean 

Core support to the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean 

Cooperation is provided by:

NOR THERN AFRICA - IUCN

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