LAND WATER ECOTONE EFFECTS IN RESERVOIRS ON THE FISH FAUNA

The morphology and function of one tropical and 25 temperate reservoir s are examined in relation to their effect upon the nature of the land /water interface and, further, to what extent the features of these ec otones satisfy the ecological requirements of the reservoir fish speci es throughout their life cycle during spawning, larval, juvenile and a dult stages. The two main conclusions are that (1) reservoir fish spec ies are especially dependent upon land/water ecotones during their ear ly life history and (2) there exists a strong relationship between the extent of the littoral area and the nature of the fish stocks. Severa l examples are given to show that manipulation of the land/water ecoto ne is a major tool for the management of reservoirs advantageously for their major functions.