Fish Community Composition and Habitat Use in the Eg-Uur River System, Mongolia

Abstract

Mongolian rivers and their fi sh communities have suffered severe impacts from anthropogenic activities. However, the remoteness of some systems has allowed for the conservation of unique fi sh faunas, including robust populations of Hucho taimen . Conservation of H. taimen requires understanding the composition and ecology of other fi shes in the community. Using multiple sampling techniques, direct observation, and existing literature, we assessed the composition, relative abundance, and ecological attributes of fi shes in the Eg-Uur watershed (Selenge basin). We collected 6 of 12 species known in the watershed. Phoxinus cf. phoxinus and Lota lota were the most and least abundant species, respectively. We failed to detect H. taimen , indicating low abundance or unknown habitat requirements for juveniles. We compared the effectiveness of different sampling techniques (with electro fi shing producing the highest species richness), constructed length-weight relationships for four species , and identi fi ed ecological attributes (i.e., trophic guild, preferred habitat) for resident fi shes.

Keywords

• Barbatula sp.
• Brachymystax lenok
• Cobitis sp.
• habitat use
• Phoxinus sp.