engleski

Status of genus Cobitis and related species in Croatia

The present study describes the status of knowledge on the abundance of genus Cobitis and related genera in Croatian rivers. The distribution of the family of Cobitidae in Croatia is insufficiently known. Zoographically, Croatia is divided into two well separated catchments, the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea. Both watersheds have their Cobitis complex population peculiarities. The Danubian watershed has four species of fish: C. danubialis (Bacescu, 1993), C. elongata, Misgurnus fosilis and S. balcanica, whereas in the Adriatic watershed there are three, with two newly described species, C. dalmatina and C. narentana, which are recognised. Rivers within the Adriatic region of Istra and the river Krka in Dalmatia do not have Cobitis species in their ichthyofauna. In general, strong fish communities have small Cobitis populations. The level of endangerment, according to IUCN methodology, considers the rare S. balcanica as being data deficient. Cobitis danubialis from the Danubian watershed is in the category of lower risk, whereas C. elongata and Misgurnus fosilis are vulnerable. The species C. dalmatina and C. narentana in Adriatic rivers are considered vulnerable to endangered.

fish diversity; distribution; communities; endangered species; conservation

nije evidentirano