Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 2006 Volume 1(2):21-26

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON FISH DIVERSITY OF ULU TUNGUD, MELIAU RANGE,

SANDAKAN, SABAH

AMIRRUDIN AHMAD, SYED AHMAD RIZAL TN. NEK

Unit Penyelidikan Ekosistem Air Tawar (UPEAT), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology,
Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia,21300, Terengganu D.I., Malaysia

MOHD. AZMI AMBAK

Institute of Tropical Aquaculture,Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM), 21030 Kuala Terengganu,
Terengganu

Abstract An extension survey on ichthyofauna was carried out at the Ansuan River, Meliau River,
Tungud River and several unnamed streams within the vicinity of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve,
Meliau from 14th December to 21st December 2004. Nineteen species belonging to five families
were recorded. The fish fauna was dominated by Cyprinidae (47%) followed by Balitoridae (36%)
and other families. Rasbora cf. sumatrana (Cyprinidae) and Nemacheilus olivaceus (Balitoridae)
when present are the most common species. Several specimens of the genus Gastromyzon and
Glaniopsis are yet to identified to the species level The surveyed areas are relatively disturbed by
human activities particularly logging and plantations but most of the streams and rivers visited
during the survey are having relatively clear water and good visibility.

KEYWORDS: Freshwater fish, abundance, Cyprinidae, Sabah

Introduction

The freshwater fishes of the state of Sabah was probably better known and well documented
based on the works of Inger & Chin (1962) and a subsequent supplementary chapter by P. K.
Chin (see Inger & Chin 1990). Despite the publication on their major works, no further
comprehensive collections were made in the recent years to document the fish diversity of the
State but only small collections at the localized areas (see Chin & Samat 1992, Chin & Samat
1995) which revealed some significant finding. Long-term ecological study of fishes at the
Danum Valley Field Center (DVFC) area has shown that rare species could opportunistically
collected to give a better picture of the total species richness and diversity (Martin-Smith and Tan,
1998). Their study have resulted a significant contribution to understanding ichthyofauna of the
eastern Sabah, especially for the Danum Valley vicinity on the inter- and intra-catchment
variability.
Magurran (1988) stated that a short-term collection over a period of only a few days can
miss rare or seasonally abundant species. Constant collections over the same geographic area
over a long period of time are crucial to develop the species accumulation curve but, long-term
studies normally required large financial support, huge amount of money that most of the time,
cannot be possible to obtain. Species accumulation curve seldom be reached over a short period
of time, more often show extremely long tail (Martin-Smith and Tan, 1998) with additional
species being recorded long after collection begins. Therefore, any opportunities to survey even a
localize area is greatly appreciated and sometimes are important to document any biological
diversity present at the time of collection.
Correspondence: Amirrudin Ahmad Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kolej
Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia ,21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu D.I., Malaysia

KUSTEM, 2006
Amirrudin Ahmad et al. 22

Such studies were conducted in many different areas such as Tabin Wildlife Reserved (Sungai
Segama), Crocker Range, Maliau Basin and Kinabalu Parks (Goose 1972, Samat 1990) has
produced an interesting finding.
Samat & Chin (1996) produced a checklist of balitorid fish of Sabah consist of 19 species
and briefly discuss on its biogeography, with some taxonomic notes, species composition and
ecomorphology. Study on balitorid loach particularly on Gastromyzon is currently on-going
(Kelvin K.P. Lim pers. comm.). Studies conducted at Danum Valley (see Martin-Smith 1998,
Martin-Smith & Tan 1998) yielded two new species of Gastromyzon (see Tan & Martin-Smith
1998). Subsequently, a new species of Clarias and Hemibagrus was described based on the
specimens collected from the upper reaches of Segama River, DVFC, Sabah (see Ng 1999, Ng et
al. 2000).
Streams and rivers within the Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve, Sabah was previously
surveyed for its ichthyofauna by a group from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Azli A. Bakar pers.
comm.). An additional ichthyofauna survey was carried out from 14th December to 21st
December 2004 at several rivers namely Ansuan River, Meliau River Tungud River and several
small unnamed streams within the vicinity of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve, Meliau, Sabah. The
objective was to assess the fish diversity of the area as a part of baseline study on fish biodiversity
of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve, Sabah. This study was regarded as secondary study to the
previous survey conducted at almost the similar area but the small streams within oil palm or
Acacia plantation within the reserve.

Material and Methods

Study sites

The description of the study sites visited during the present study was given in Table 1. Sampling
sites were randomly selected and was limited to the equipment availability during the survey and
manpower (Figure 1). Sampling sites of the present survey were chosen not to overlap the
previous study which was conducted to the similar area. Therefore, emphasis was given to the
small headwater streams or rivers that were not previously surveyed. Several sites are small,
unnamed streams within the Acacia plantations and oil palm plantations were included in the
survey to complement the database of fish fauna found in various areas of Ulu Tungud Forest
Reserve, Sabah.

Sampling methods

Fish were collected mainly using cast netting with stretched mesh of 1.5cm, 2m long. Scoop net
and seine net were used where permitted to collect fish. All fish were identified to the lowest
taxonomic level where possible before being returned to the water, except for voucher specimens
which were preserved in 10% formalin in the field but replaced by 75% ethanol after two weeks
in the laboratory. Abundance of fish were recorded based of the specimens collected; + = rare,
++ = common and +++ = ubiquitous when present. When identification in the field is not
permitted, species confirmation was performed in the laboratory using standard taxonomic
references of Roberts (1989), Kottelat et al. (1993) and Inger and Chin (1990). Familial
arrangement follows Kottelat et al. (1993).
Those species that were not possible to be placed in any taxa were designated as
‘undetermined species’ until further progress in North Borneo freshwater fishes is resolved.
Voucher specimens are currently deposited at the Ichthyological Collections at General Biology
Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, University College of Science and Technology
Malaysia (KUSTEM) under the care of the first author.

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 PRELIMINARY STUDY ON FISH DIVERSITY 23

Results and Discussions

A total of 19 species of primary freshwater fish belong to five families were recorded from
drainages within the Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve in the present survey (Table 2). The fish fauna
was dominated by Cyprinidae (nine species = 47%) followed by Balitoridae (seven species =
36% - including two morphospecies of Gastromyzon and Glaniopsis, respectively). Fish species
from the family Cyprinidae are rather common to North Borneo. Several species of the cyprinids
were restricted to Borneo namely Garra borneensis and Hampala sabanus. The family
Balitoridae is also common in headwater stream species of Borneo. It can constitute up to 50% of
the total species of ichthyofauna in that habitat (Tan and Martin-Smith 1998). Others were
represented by a single species (Table 2).
The occurrence of Gastromyzon and Glaniopsis in the study areas are expected but the
recent taxonomic keys are unable us to identify at least two morphospecies of Gastromyzon and
Glaniopsis, respectively. Until further taxonomic works to resolve the chaotic identity of these
species-complex, we are currently designated the specimens collected in the present study as
‘undetermined species’.
Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve headwater streams of by far contributing significantly low
fish species. Small, high gradient, swift flowing streams at the headwater are subjected to rapid
modification by natural processes such as heavy rain. Habitat modifications within the short
period of time are unable to allow animal to flourish. The middle reaches with much slower
current and large streams seem to be more abundant with ichthyofauna and most of the fish
collected in the recent study were from this area. Most of the cyprinids inhabit this habitat and
some are economically important such as Tor douronensis and Hampala sabana. Others were
species that having great potential as ornamental fishes such as Nemacheilus olivaceus and
Homaloptera stephensoni.
In general, fishes collected in the recent survey are common to headwater stream of
Sabah except fish species from the genus Gastromyzon and Glaniopsis that could be an
unreported species. Fish species recorded in the recent study are relatively low compared to
DVFC (see Martin-Smith and Tan, 1998). In term of habitat partitioning, fish species collected in
the recent survey predominantly representing the riffle specialist followed by ubiquitous species
(see Martin-Smith, 1998). Lack of pelagic fish species reported herein was probably contributed
by different equipment used in the present surveys.
The process of documenting the ichthyofauna diversity of this area is far from completed
and many species were not recorded but definitely present in the area. Until further surveys were
conducted, the recent study managed to catalogue approximately 19 primary freshwater fish
species of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserved, Sabah. The number of fish species known to the western
part of Meliau Range is now 31 species, at least. Cyprinidea by far, the most ubiquitous family of
freshwater fish in many part of Southeast Asia and the similar finding was observed from the
recent survey of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve, Sabah.

Acknowledgement

We wish to thank, Mr. Tay Soon Poh and Alladin bin Mujnabi of TSH Resources Berhad for
providing the facilities and accommodation during the field trip, the Sabah Forestry Department
and their staffs especially Mr. Postar and Mr. Masuari for their field assistances and support
during fish sampling. We thank the University College of Science and Technology Malaysia
(KUSTEM) for supporting this study. This study was partly funded by Global Environmental
Center and KUSTEM short term grant (Vot 54142) to the first author.

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Amirrudin Ahmad et al. 24

References

Chin, P.K. & Samat, A. 1992. A new species of loach, Nemacheilus elegentissimus (family
Balitoridae, subfamily Nemacheilinae) from Danum Valley, Sabah. Malay. Nat. J.46:25-
33.

Chin, P.K. & Samat, A. 1995. Freshwater fishes of Danum Valley, Sabah. Sabah Soc. J. 12: 17–
46.

Inger, R.F. & Chin, P.K. 1962. The Freshwater Fishes of North Borneo. Fieldiana Zool. 45: 1–
268.

Inger, R. F. and P. K. Chin. 1990. The Freshwater Fishes of North Borneo. (Revised edition with
supplementary chapter by P.K. Chin). Fieldiana Zool. (Republished by Lun Hing Trading,
Kota Kinabalu). 45: 1-268+46pp.

Goose, J.P. 1972. Fishes of Kinabalu National Park (North Borneo). Biologie 48(3): 1–5.

Kottelat, M., A. J. Whitten, S. N. Karthikasari, and S. Wirjoatmadjo, 1993. Freshwater fishes of

Western Indonesia and Sulawesi. Periplus Editions, Hong Kong, pp 259; 84 pls.

Martin-Smith, K. M. 1998. Relationship between fishes and habitat in rainforest streams in Sabah,
Malaysia. Journal of Fish Biology. 52: 458-482.

Martin-Smith, K.M. & Tan, H.H. 1998. Diversity of freshwater fishes from eastern Sabah: an
annotated checklist from Danum Valley and a consideration of inter- and intra-catchment
variability. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 46(2): 573-604.

Magurran, A.E. 1988. Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Chapman & Hall. London. 179
pp.

Ng, H.H. 1999. Two new species of catfishes of the genus Clarias from Borneo (Teleostei:
Clariidae). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 47 (1): 17-32.

Ng, H.H., K.M. Martin-Smith, P.K.L. Ng. 2000. Hemibagrus furcatus, a new species of bagrid
catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Sabah, East Malaysia. The Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology. 48 (1): 65-69.

Robert, T.R., (1989). The Freshwater Fishes of Western Borneo (Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia).
Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences (14): xii-209.

Samat, A. 1990. Taburan dan populasi ikan air tawar di beberapa altitud di Taman Kinabalu,
Sabah. Pertanika 13(13): 341–348.

Samat, A., P. K. Chin. 1996. The balitorid fish of Sabah. The Sarawak Museum Journal Vol L No.
71 (new series): 87-92.

Tan, H. H., K.M. Martin-Smith. 1998. Two new species of Gastromyzon (Teleostei: Balitoridae)
from the Kuamut headwaters, Kinabatangan Basin, Sabah, Malaysia. Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology 46(2): 361–371.

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 PRELIMINARY STUDY ON FISH DIVERSITY 25

SOUTH
CHINA SULU SEA
SEA
Mt. Kinabalu

Kota Sandakan
Ranau Labuk

Telupid
Mt. Trus Madi
Keningau
Kinabatangan
Tenom River
Mt. Rara Lahad Datu
Sapulut
CELEBES
SEA
KALIMANTAN
Tawau

Figure 1. The map of Sabah showing major towns. The sampling area is indicated by at the
upper part of Labuk River.

Table 1. General description of the study sites visited at the recent ichthyofauna survey.

Site Date General location Microhabitat characteristic

Site 1 15-Dec-04 Sg. Meliau - upstream of TSH medium size stream about 15-25m wide;
nursery rocky bottom, fast flowing water, clear and
cold water
Site 2 15-Dec-04 Sg. Meliau - downstream at IJM downstream of concrete crossing of Sg.
plantation Meliau; medium size stream about 25m
wide; fast flowing water, slightly
sedimented, gravel and sandy bottom
Site 3 16-Dec-04 Sg. Tungud - upstream of TSH small creek about 3-5m wide, pebbles and
basecamp rocky bottom; fast torrential headwater
stream, clear and cold water
Site 4 16-Dec-04 Sg. Tungud - at main tributary near medium size stream about 15-25m wide;
TSH basecamp rocky bottom, fast flowing water, clear and
cold water
Site 5 17-Dec-04 unnamed stream within TSH small stream about 3-5m wide; soft gravel
Acacia plantation and coarse sandy bottom; slow moving,
clear and cold water under riparian shades
Site 6 17-Dec-04 unnamed stream within IJM oil small stream about 3-5m wide; mainly
palm plantation rocky and coarse sandy bottom; slow
moving, clear and cold water partly exposed
to direct sunlight
Site 7 17-Dec-04 Sg. Ansuan - middle reach large size stream about 25-30m wide; rocky
bottom downstream, gravel and pebbles
upstream, fast flowing water, clear and cold
water

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Amirrudin Ahmad et al. 26

Table 2. Checklist of fish species collected on the recent survey of Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve,
Meliau, Sabah
Family No. Species Remarks Abund
ance
score
Anguillidae 1. Anguilla malgumora Kaup 1856 slow flowing, sandy bottom +
Cyprinidae 2. Barbodes balleroides fast flowing, rocky bottom +++
(Valenciennes 1842)
3. Garra borneensis (Vaillant 1902) inhabits rocky bottom +++
4. Hampala sabanus Inger & Chin 1962 open water, rocky bottom +++
5. Lobocheilos bo (Popta 1904) inhabits rocky bottom +
6. Nematabramis everetti Boulenger 1894 open water, rocky bottom +++
7. Osteochilus waandersii (Bleeker 1852) open water, rocky bottom ++
8. Rasbora cf. sumatrana (Bleeker 1852) slow flowing, sandy bottom +++
9. Schismatorhynchus holorhynchos Seibert & fast flowing, rocky bottom +
Tjakrawidjaja 1998
10. Tor tambra (Valenciennes, in Cuvier & fast flowing, rocky bottom +
Valenciennes 1842)
Balitoridae 11. Gastromyzon cf. danumensis Chin & Inger 1989 inhabits rocky bottom +
12. Gastromyzon sp. undet. 1 inhabits rocky bottom ++
13. Gastromyzon sp. undet. 2 inhabits rocky bottom ++
14. Glaniopsis sp. undet. 1 inhabits rocky bottom +
15. Glaniopsis sp. undet. 2 inhabits rocky bottom +
16. Homaloptera stephensoni Hora 1932 inhabits rocky bottom ++
17. Nemacheilus olivaceus* Boulenger 1894 inhabits rocky bottom +++
Sisoridae 18. Glyptothorax cf. major (Boulenger 1894) fast flowing, rocky bottom ++
Osphronemidae 19. Betta cf. unimaculata Chin 1990 slow flowing, sandy bottom +

* was observation by the first author

Fish status (designated as + = rare, ++ = common and +++ = ubiquitous when present) were
based on the specimen collected in the survey.

Journal of Sustain. Sci & Mngt., 2006 Vol. 1(2):21-26