Fish fauna of Yildiz Mountains (North-Eastern Thrace, Turkey)

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to determine the fish fauna of inland waters that are located in the Thrace region of Turkey and affected by the Black Sea and European fauna. The field surveys were carried out in 40 different locations in lotic and lentic biotopes located in the east of the Yildiz Mountains, between the Yalikoy in the south and the Rezve Stream in the north. Fish sampling was performed by using DC Electroshocker, gillnet, trammel-net, seine-net and fyke-net in April-September 2000, May-July 2001 and July 2009. A total of 33 taxa belonging to 14 families was identified; Acheilognathidae, Atherinidae, Centrarchidae, Clupeidae, Cobitidae, Cyprinidae, Gasterosteidae, Gobiidae, Gobionidae, Leuciscidae, Mugilidae, Poecilidae, Salmonidae and Syngnathidae. In the study area, Leuciscidae has the highest species richness with 10 taxa, while Acheilognathidae, Atherinidae, Centrarchidae, Clupeidae, Cobitidae, Gasterosteidae, Gobionidae, Poecilidae and Syngnathidae families are represented by a single species. The most common found fish species are Barbus tauricus, Gobio kovatschevi, Alburnus istanbulensis and Petroleuciscus borysthenicus. In terms of numbers of specimens, Gambusia holbrooki was followed by Phoxinus strandjae, Alburnoides tzanevi, Barbus tauricus and Alburnus istanbulensis.