Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Balkan Biodiversity pp 291–306Cite as

The Current Status of Adriatic Fish Biodiversity

  • Chapter

Abstract

The western part of the Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea, a small semi-enclosed sea connected to the Eastern Mediterranean via the Strait of Otranto. It was named by ancient Greek geographers, referring to the city Adria, at the mouth of the Po River (Cushman-Roisin et al., 2001). Apart from the Black Sea, the Adriatic is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean; this has a significant influence on its physical characteristics even in its southernmost waters. The Adriatic is 783 km long, with a mean width of 243 km. Its surface area, including the islands, amounts to 138,595 km2 or about 4.6% of the total Mediterranean area. In the south, the Adriatic Sea is separated from the Ionian Sea by the 72 km wide Strait of Otranto. The eastern coast is steep and composed of limestone, with a rapidly deepening narrow shelf and a large number of both small and large islands, whilst the western coastal shelf is wider due to accumulation of river sediments, and has almost no islands. The Adriatic Sea is rather shallow, with the shelf making up about 74% of the sea bed. It is generally divided into three geographic regions: the Northern Adriatic, the Middle Adriatic and the Southern Adriatic (Figure 1) (Gačič et al., 2001). The North Adriatic is very shallow and strongly influenced by the rivers of northern Italy, and the Po in particular. The Middle Adriatic is deeper, reaching 280 m in the Jabuka Pit. It is separated from the Southern Adriatic by the Palagruža Sill (180 m depth). The Southern Adriatic is much deeper (the South Adriatic Pit reaches 1,233 m).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Barrull, J & Mate, I. 1999. Registros de Tiburon peregrino (Cetorhinus maximus) en aguas del Mediterraneo. Bolletin de la Asociación Española de Elasmobranquios 2, 37–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bello, G. 1995. Tylosurus acus imperialis (Osteichthyes: Belonidae), a fish new to the Adriatic Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 36, 197–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Tuvia, A. 1966. Red Sea fishes recently found in the Mediterranean. Copeia 2, 254–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Tuvia, A. & Golani, D. 1995. Temperature as the main factor influencing the Lessepsian migration. Proceedings of the International Colloqium Maison Environment, Montpelier. Montpelier , 6–7 April 1995, pp. 159–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bettoso, N. & Dulčič, J. 1999. First record of the oilfish Ruvettus pretiosus in the Northern Adriatic. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79, 1145–1146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brusina, S. 1888. [Sharks of the Adriatic Sea and the Red Sea.] Glasnik Hrvatskog Prirodoslovnog družtva 3, 67–236. (In Croatian with English summary)

    Google Scholar 

  • Buljan, M., 1953. Fluctuations of salinity in the Adriatic. Izvježća-Reports. The M.V. «Hvar» cruisesresearches into fisheries biology 1948–49. Izvježća-Reports 2(3), 64 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buljan, M. & Zore-Armanda, M. 1976. Oceanographical properties of the Adriatic Sea. Oceanography. Marine Biology Annual Review 14, 11–98.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collette, B.B. & Parin, N.V. 1986. Hemiramphidae. In Fishes of the North-western Atlantic and the Mediterranean , Vol. 2 (P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J. Nielsen, & E. Tortonese, eds.), pp. 620–622, UNESCO, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, M. J., Emblow, C.S. & Picton, B.E. 1996. Long-term trends in the discovery of marine species new to science which occur in Britain and Ireland. Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81, 717–718.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushing, D.H. & Dickson, R.R. 1976. The biological response in the sea to climatic changes. Advances in Marine Biology 14, 1–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cushman-Roisin, B., Gačié, M., Poulain, P.-M. & Artegiani, A. 2001. Physical oceanography of the Adriatic Sea , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Min, R. & A. Vio, 1997. Molluschi esotici nell’Alto Adriatico. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 5, 243–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. 1996. First record of ribbon fish larva, Trachipterus trachypterus , from the eastern Adriatic. Cybium 20, 101–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. 1998. First record of the cornich blackfish Schedophilus medusophagus (Pisces: Centrolophidae) larvae from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 78, 1935–1038.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčié, J. 1999. First record of larval Brama brama (Pisces: Bramidae) and Coryphaena hippurus (Pisces: Coryphaenidae) in the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Plankton Research 6, 1171–1174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. 2001. On the occurrence of three meso- and bathypelagic fishes in the Adriatic Sea. Cybium 25, 285–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. & Cetinić, P. 1993. Estimate of spawning biomass of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the eastern part of Adriatic from 1989 to 1990 by means of egg surveys. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 2, 67–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. & Grbec, B. 2000. Climate change and Adriatic ichthyofauna. Fisheries Oceanography 9, 187–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. & Lipej, L. 1997. New records of marine fishes from the Slovenian coastal waters. Falco 12, 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. & Pallaoro, A. 2000. Some new data on Xyrichthys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758) and Sparisoma (Euscarus) cretense (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Eastern Adriatic. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 11, 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J. & Pallaoro, A. 2002. First record of the Lessepsian migrant Leiognathus klunzingeri (Pisces: Leiognathidae) from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 82, 523–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J., Kraljevié, M. , Kržinié, F. & Pallaoro, A. 1997a. Occurrence of fingerlings of grey triggerfish Balistes carolinensis Gmelin, 1789 (Pisces: Balistidae) in the eastern Adriatic. Annales. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 4, 271–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J., Pallaoro, A. & Kraljević, M. 1997b. First record of pompano fingerling Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pisces: Carangidae) in the eastern middle Adriatic. Natura Croatica 1, 61–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčić, J., Grbec, B. & Lipej, L. 1999a. Information on the Adriatic ichthyofauna — effect of water warming. Acta Adriatica 40, 33–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dulčié, J., Jardas, I. & Kačié, I. 1999b. New records of the early history stages of louvar Luvarus imperalis Rafinesque, 1810, from the eastern Adriatic. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 9, 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabiano, M. & Fabiano, A.M. 1977. Pesci batifili raccolti nel corso delle campagne di pesca N/R »S. LoBianco«. Quaderni del Laboratorio per la Tecnologia della Pesca 3, 165–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francour, P., Boudoresque, C.F., Harmelin, J.G., Harmelin-Vivien, M.L. & Quignard, J.P. 1994. Are the Mediterranean Waters Becoming Warmer? Information from Biological Indicators. Marine Pollution Bulletin , 28 523–526.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gačié, M., Poulain, P.-M., Zore-Armanda, M. & Barale, V. 2001. Overview. In Physical oceanography of the Adriatic Sea (B. Cushman-Roisin et al ., eds.), pp. 1–44, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glamuzina, B., Tutman P., Geffen A.J., Kožul V. & Škaramuca, B. 2000. First record of white grouper, Epinephelus aeneus (Serranidae) in the south eastern Adriatic. Cybium 24, 306–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glamuzina, B., Tutman P., Kozul V. & Karamuca, B. 2002. The first recorded occurrence of the Mottled Grouper, Mycteroperca rubra (Serranidae), in the southeastern Adriatic Sea. Cybium 26, 156–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golani, D. 1993. Trophic adaptation of Red Sea fishes to the eastern Mediterranean environment — review and new data. Israeli Journal of Zoology 39, 391–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golani, D. 1998. Distribution of Lessepsian migrant fish in the Mediterranean. Italian Journal of Zoology 65 (Supp. 1), 95–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grbec, B. 1997. Influence of climatic changes on oceanographic properties of the Adriatic sea. Acta Adriatica 38, 3–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grbec, B., Morovié, M., Zore-Armanda, M. 1998. Some new observations on the long-term salinity changes in the Adriatic Sea. Acta Adriatica 39, 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guidetti, P. & Boero, F. 2001. Occurrence of the Mediterraean parrotfish Sparisoma cretense (Perciformes: Scaridae) in south-eastern Apulia (south-east Italy). Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81, 717–718.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guidetti, P., Boero, F. & Dulčié, J. 2002. Mass mortality of Sardinella aurita in the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. Cybium 26, 317–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmelin J.G., 1987. Structure et variabilité de l’ichtyofaune d’une zone rocheuse protégée en la Méditerranée (Parc national de Port-Cros, France). Marine Ecology (Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli) 8, 263–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmelin-Vivien, M. & Francour, P. 1992. Trawling or visual censuses? Methodological bias in the assessment of fish populations in seagrass beds. Marine Ecology (Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli) 13, 41–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herler, J. & Kovačié, J. 2002. Lebetus guilleti (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in the northern Adriatic sea: first record and details on the species’ morphology. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 12, 177–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herler J. & Patzner R. 2002. New records of Didogobius splechtnai Ahnelt &Patzner, 1995 (Pisces: Gobiidae) from the Tyrrhenian and northern Adriatic Sea. Cvbium 26. 153–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofrichter, R. & Patzner R. 1997. A new species of Apletodon from the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic with notes on the differentiation between Apletodon and Diplecogaster species. Senckenbergiana Biologica 77, 15–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofrichter, R. & Patzner, R.A. 2000. Habitat and Microhabitat of Mediterranean Clingfishes (Teleostei: Gobiesociformes: Gobiesocidae). P.S.N.Z.I. Marine Ecology 21, 41–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jardas, I. 1985. [Check-list of the fishes (sensu lato) of the Adriatic Sea (Cyclostomata, Selachii, Osteichthyes) with respect of taxonomy and established number.] Biosistematika 11, 45–75 (In Croatian with English summary).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jardas, I. 1996. [The Adriatic ichthyofauna.] Zagreb: kolska kniiga (in Croatian with English summary).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jardas, l., Pallaoro, A. , Kraljevié, M., Dulčié, J. & Cetinié, P. 1998. Long-term changes in biodiversity of the coastal area of the Eastern Adriatic: fish, crustacean and cephalopoda communities. Periodicum Biologorum 100, 19–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kačié, I. 1975. [Observations on gilt sardine Sardinella aurita in the Adriatic.] Morsko ribarstvo 27, 11–13. (in Croatian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovačić, M. 1999. Gammogobius steinitzi Bath, 1971, a fish new to the Adriatic Sea. Natura Croatica 8, 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovačié, M. 2001. The Kvarner population of Gobius couchi (Teleostei, Gobiidae), a fish new to the Adriatic Fauna. Natura Croatica 10, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovačić, M. & Miller, P. J. 2000. A new species of Gobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the northern Adriatic Sea. Cybium 24, 231–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lascaratos, A., Roether, W., Nittis, K. & Klein, B. 1999. Recent changes in deep water formation and spreading in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Progress in Oceanography 44, 5–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipej, L., Spoto, M. & Dulčić, J. 1996. Plectorchinchus mediterraneus from off north east Italy and Slovenia — the first records of the family Haemulidae from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 48, 805–806.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipej, L., Makovec, T., Soldo, A. & Žiža V. 2000a. Records of the Sandbar Shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic). Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 10, 199–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipej, L., Makovec, T., Orlando, M. & Žiža V. 2000b. Occurrence of Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) in the waters off Piran (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic). Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 10, 211–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marasović, I., Grbec, B. & Morović, M. 1996. Long-term production changes in the Adriatic. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research 34, 267–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mearns, A. J. 1988. The odd fish: unusual occurrences of marine life as indicators of changing ocean conditions In Marine Organisms as Indicators (D. F. Soule & G. S. Keppel, eds.), pp. 137–173, Springer, New York.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P. J., 1979. Adaptiveness and implications of small size in Teleosts. Symposium of the Zoological Society ofLondon 44, 263–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller P. J., 1992: A new species of Didogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Natural History 26, 1413–1419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P.J., 1996. The functional ecology of small fish: some opportunities and consequences. Symposium of the Zoological Society ofLondon 69, 175–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morcos, S., 1972. Sources of the Mediterranean Intermediate Water in the Levantine Sea. In Studies in physical oceanography, 2 (A.L. Gordon, ed.). Gordon &Breach, NewYork, pp. 185–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pallaoro, A. 1988. [On the possibilities of the occurrence of certain fish species in the Middle Adriatic conected with the Adriatic ingression in years 1986/1987.] Morsko ribarstvo 3, 82–87. (In Croatian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pallaoro, A. & Dulčić, J. 2001. First record of the Sphyraena chrysotaenia (Klunziger, 1884) (Pisces, Sphyraenida) from the Adriatic Sea. Journal ofFish Biology 59, 179–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pallaoro, A. & Kovačić, M. 2000. Vanneaugobius dollfusi Brownell, 1978 a rare fish new to the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 57, 255–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parenti, P. & Bressi, N. 2001. First record of the orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides (Perciformes: Serranidae) in the northern Adriatic Sea. Cybium 25, 281–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parin, N.V. 1986. Exocoetidae. In Fishes of the North-western Atlantic and the Mediterranean , Vol. 2 (P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J. Nielsen, & E. Tortonese, eds.), pp. 612–619, UNESCO, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patzner, R.A. 1999. Habitat utilization and depth distribution of small cryptobenthic fishes (Blenniidae, Gobiesocidae, Gobiidae, Tripterygiidae) in Ibiza. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55, 207–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pucher-Petković, T. & Zore-Armanda, M. 1973. Essai d’évaluation et prognostique de la production en function des facteurs du milieu dans l’Adriatique. Acta Adriatica 15, 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quignard, J. P. & Tomasini, J.A. 2000. Mediterranean fish biodiversity. BiologiaMarinaMediterranea 7, 1–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rakaj, N. 1995. Albanian Ichthyofauna. Shtëpia Botuese “Libri Universitar”, Tiranë, 700 pp. (In Albanian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Regner, S. 1977. On the plankton stages of gilt sardine Sardinella aurita Valenciennes, in the Central Adriatic. Acta Adriatica 17, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, J.C., 1990. The association between the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Southern Oscillation in the Northern Hemisphere. Monthly Weather Review 112, 1999–2015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stefanni, S. 2000. First record of the Norway goby in the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 57, 828–830.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, J. S., Hose, J. H. & Lowe, M. S. 1988. Fish assemblages as indicators of environmental change in nearshore environments. In Marine Organisms as Indicators (D. F. Soule & G. S. Keppel, eds.) , pp. 91–103, Springer, New York.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tziperman, N. & Mallanote-Rizzoli, P. 1991. The climatological seasonal circulation of the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Marine Research 49, 411–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ungaro, N., Marano G. & Rivas, G. 2001. Notes on ichthyofauna of the deep basin of the Southern Adriatic Sea. Sarsia 86, 153–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vacchi, M, Boyer, M., Bussotti, S., Guidetti, P. & La Mesa, G. 1999. Some interesting species in the coastal fish fauna of Ustica Island (Mediterranean Sea). Cybium 23, 323–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vučetić, T. & Alegria-Hernandez, V. 1988. Trends of annual catches or stock densities of some pelagic fishes in recent “Pelagia years” in the Adriatic. In Fifth technical consultation of stock assessment in the Adriatic (J. F. Caddy &M. Savini, eds.). GFCM , Rome, pp. 133–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M., 1963. Les masses d’eau de la mer Adriatique. Acta Adriatica10 , 5–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M., 1969. Temperature relations in the Adriatic Sea. Acta Adriatica , 13, 1–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M., 1972. Response of the Mediterranean to the oceanographic/meteorological conditions of the Northern Atlantic. Rapport du Comité International pour l’Exploration Mer Méditerranée 21, 203–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M. 1974. Formation of the Eastern Mediterranean water in the Adriatic. Coll. Internat. C. N. R. S .215,127–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M. & Bone, M. 1987. The effect of bottom topography on the current system of the open Adriatic Sea. Bolletino di Oceanologia Teorica e Applicata5 , 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M. & Grbec, B. 1993. Unusual sea temperatures conditions in the Adriatic in summer 1992. Notes ofInstitute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split 77, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zore-Armanda, M., Grbec, B. & Morović, M. 1999. Oceanographic properties of the Adriatic Sea-A point of view. Acta Adriatica 40 (Suppl.), 39–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuffa, M., Soldo, A. & Storai, T. 2001. Preliminary observations on abnormal abundance of Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) in the Central and Northern Adriatic Sea. Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies 11, 185–192.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Lovrenc Lipej
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jakov Dulčić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Hull, UK

    Huw I. Griffiths

  2. Science and Research Centre Koper, University of Primorska, Slovenia

    Boris Kryštufek

  3. Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Boris Kryštufek

  4. Department of Geography, University of Hull, UK

    Jane M. Reed

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lipej, L., Dulčić, J. (2004). The Current Status of Adriatic Fish Biodiversity. In: Griffiths, H.I., Kryštufek, B., Reed, J.M. (eds) Balkan Biodiversity. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2854-0_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2854-0_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6732-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-2854-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation