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The current status of Adriatic ichthyofauna

The current fauna of the Adriatic Sea is a result of numerous geological, geographical, climatic and biological influences that took place over the earth's past. Those different environmental factors, mostly of a hydrographic nature, are crucial even today. The current checklist includes a total of 437 Adriatic fish species and subspecies (Myxini 1, Cephalaspidimorphi 3, Chondrichthyes 55, Actinopterygii 379), which make about 65% of Mediterranean species and subspecies (about 672). However, the list comprises about 20 species whose findings are old, questionable and/or imprecise, so their presence needs to be confirmed. According to biogeographical determination, the highest number of Adriatic fish belongs to Atlanto-mediterranean species (> 65%) and Mediterranean species (20%). Others are cosmopolites and species of wider geographical distribution (11%). There are also 9 lesepsian migrants and 6 endemic species. The highest number of fish species is recorded in whole Adriatic (56.5%), following by those distributed in middle and southern part (16.7%) or just in southern part (15.8%), respectively. Moreover, number of fish species falls from southern to northern Adriatic. The most dominant families are Gobiidae (46), Labridae (18), Sparidae (18), Blennidae (17) and Myctophidae (15). According to ecological affiliation and horizontal distribution, southern Adriatic is characterized by higher presence of termophilic and batiphilic species while more boreal species are recorded in northern Adriatic. Although, Adriatic Sea is naturally, strongly connected to eastern Mediterranean, it is still more similar by fauna to its western part. Anyway, despite its apparent connection via Otrant to Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea is a real province due numerous specificities of its ichthyofauna. Also, the current checklist is probably still not complete due many reasons: doubts about species that are record only once, unsolved taxonomic questions, insufficient exploration of ichthyofauna under 500m of depth and moreover, the influences of climate changes.

Adriatic Sea; ichthyofauna

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