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Fishes Encountered in the Turkish Thrace River Systems (Northwestern Part of Turkey)

  • ICHTHYOLOGY
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Abstract

In the last 30 years, the natural life in the inland waters of the Turkish Thrace has been threatened by water pollution, deterioration of river continuity, the presence of non-native or invasive fish, and drought. The aim of the present study is to determine the recent status of fish fauna in the river systems lying at the Turkish Thrace, under these threats. The field surveys were conducted in a total of 164 sampling sites in both Marmara and Meriç-Ergene water basins between July and August 2017. A total of 36 freshwater fish species representing 12 families (Acheilognathidae, Atherinidae, Centrarchidae, Cobitidae, Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Gobiidae, Gobionidae, Leuciscidae, Percidae, Poeciliidae, and Salmonidae) were determined. The most widespread species of the region was Cobitis strumicae and it was followed by Rhodeus amarus and Squalius orpheus. This study provides first detailed information on the distribution of the species of Barbus tauricus, Chondrostoma vardarense, Cobitis strumicae, Squalius orpheus, and Vimba melanops.

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  1. Anonymous, 2018-Grain Sector Report, Turkish Grain Board General Directorate. https://www.tmo.gov.tr/Upload/Document/hububatsektorraporu2018.pdf. Downloaded on February 2, 2021 (in Turkish).

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The present study was supported by Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) (project code: 3001, project no.: 116Z761).

Funding

Research project no. 116Z761-TÜBİTAK “Recent Status of River Systems Fish Fauna in Thrace Region” 2018.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, Istanbul, Turkey

    Müfit Özuluğ & Gülşah Saç

  2. Department of Marine and Freshwater Resources Management, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, Istanbul, Turkey

    Özcan Gaygusuz

  3. Trakya University, Keşan Vocational High School, Keşan, Edirne, Turkey

    Çiğdem Gürsoy Gaygusuz

  4. Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Science and Engineering, Vezneciler, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nilgün Kaya

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  1. Müfit Özuluğ
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  2. Özcan Gaygusuz
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  3. Çiğdem Gürsoy Gaygusuz
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  4. Nilgün Kaya
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  5. Gülşah Saç
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Correspondence to Özcan Gaygusuz.

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Özuluğ, M., Gaygusuz, Ö., Gaygusuz, Ç.G. et al. Fishes Encountered in the Turkish Thrace River Systems (Northwestern Part of Turkey). Inland Water Biol 16, 341–356 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082923020165

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082923020165

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