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The aquatic habitats of this ecoregion support a large number of endemic species when compared with similar habitats in other parts of the world.
The Anatolian Rivers and Streams sustain life by providing precious water to a dry land. This southern Mediterranean region supports an abundance of rivers, lakes, and lagoons.
The Toros Mountains tower above Anatolia, with some peaks almost 11,000 feet (3,500 m high. One of the largest rivers in the ecoregion, the Ceyhan, starts in these mountains and flows for hundreds of miles before pouring into the Mediterranean. Many smaller rivers and streams in the ecoregion provide life-sustaining water in this dry region. This ecoregion historically supported about 20 species and 10 subspecies of endemic fish, many with very local distributions. Lakes are abundant in this ecoregion and are important habitat for migrating waterbirds. Endemic fish species are from the Clupeidae (herrings), Cyprinids (minnows), and Cobitidae (loaches) and Cyprinodontidae (pupfishes) families. A number of endemic fish species within the ecoregion are of conservation concern. Waterbirds that occur in abundance include the great bustard, ruddy shellduck, and common crane.
A lot of habitat is being lost as human populations grow in Syria and Turkey. Water is diverted using dams and canals, lessening that available for aquatic species and fragmenting their habitat. Pollution from industry, agriculture, and domestic sources has been blamed for declines in several imperiled species. Introduced species, particularly a fish called the zander, threaten natives through predation, and overfishing is a problem for some lake species. Draining of wetlands for malarial control and conversion to agriculture is also reducing the amount of available habitat for aquatic species. At least one dam has threatened an endemic species of fish.
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