Revisiting the Freshwater Ichthyofauna in Sayap Substation, Kinabalu Park: A Thirty-One-Year Update
Thirty-one-year update of freshwater fish in Sayap Substation
Keywords:
Biodiversity shifts, conservation, protected area, Sabah, UNESCO World Heritage SiteAbstract
The Sayap Substation in Kinabalu Park, located at 1000 meters above sea level (m asl) lies within a transition zone of sub-montane and lowland forests. Given the dearth of long-term monitoring data to study the possible effects of environmental changes on fish populations, this study provides a 31-year update on ichthyofauna since the first survey conducted in 1992. Five stations were selected near the previous study locations where fish samples were caught via electrofishing and selected environmental parameters were collected concurrently. A total of 258 individuals from two families, four genera, and seven species of fish were recorded in the present survey. Gastromyzontidae (six species, 96.7% of total abundance) was the most dominant family, followed by Cyprinidae (one species, 3.3% of total abundance) in this transition zone. Notably, community composition has shifted over 31 years; genus Parhomaloptera that was dominant in 1992 has disappeared, replaced by Glaniopsis and Protomyzon Glaniopsis composition decreased from 58.9% in 2007 to 30.6% in 2023, with Protomyzon becoming more prevalent. The shifts in community structure coupled with significantly higher water temperature and total suspended solids values serve as early warning signs that the ecological integrity of freshwater systems in Sayap Substation may be under stress. It is imperative to conduct regular monitoring of the freshwater habitat in Kinabalu Park, to identify emerging threats and develop appropriate strategies for conserving the freshwater fish population.
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