June, 2000 
! 
SHALLOW WATER FISHES OF THE EAST (INDIAN OCEAN) AND 
NORTH EAST (GULF OF ADEN) COAST OF SOMALIA 
B.Q. Mann & P.J. Fielding 
Oceanographic Research Institute 
P O Box 10712. Marine Parade 4056. Durban. South Africa 
Although by no means an author it alive 
work, this checklist describes some of 
the inshore marine fish species found 
along the east and north-east coasts 
of Somalia, and is therefore a useful 
addition to marine faunal surveys in 
an area which has been relatively 
poorly studied. A total of 96 species 
from 46 families was recorded in the 
Indian Ocean between Bannadohe and 
Dudura. while 34 species belonging to 
17 families were recorded during a 
single dive in the Gulf of Aden, near 
Bosaso. This paper provides 
verification of the distributions of some 
of the fish species compiled from the 
literature by Sommer et al. (1996) as 
well as a number of new fish 
distribution records. 
INTRODUCTION 
The Somali maritime zone is one of 
the largest in the western Indian Ocean 
and has one of the most important large 
marine ecosystems (the Somali Current 
Marine Ecosystem) in the Indian 
Ocean. A feature of this ecosystem is 
the seasonal upwelling and consequent 
high productivity resulting from the 
Somali Current. The coastline is 
approximately 3.300 km long and is 
divided into two major coastal areas. 
The north coast is bordered by the Gulf 
of Aden and is about 1.300 km. while 
the 2.000 km east coast forms the 
western edge of the Indian Ocean. The 
continental shelf is relatively narrow 
in most places and rarely exceeds 15 
km in width although it extends to 80 
km offshore in the north-east region 
around Haafun Along the east coast, 
the south-west monsoon occurs from 
May to August, and the strong winds 
generate a fast flowing current which 
travels in a north-easterly direction 
during this period. As the surface 
current approaches the Horn of Africa, 
it deviates away from the coast, and 
the water in the coastal zone is replaced 
by cold, nutrient rich, up-welled water, 
which results in high productivity in 
the area. During the north-cast 
monsoon (Dccembcr-February). 
current reversal takes place, but the 
south-westerly current is not as strong 
as the north-easterly current, and no 
upwelling takes place (Sommer et al. 
1996, Baars et al. 1998). During the 
inter-monsoon periods (October- 
November and March-April). the 
winds arc relatively light and the seas 
settled. 
Little biological or ecological work 
has been done in recent times along 
the Somali coast because of the civil 
war that raged during the early 1990s 
