The Black Sea Trout, Salmo labrax Pallas, 1814 (Pisces: Salmonidae) in Romanian Waters

Abstract

The review assembles chronological data on Black Sea trout (Salmo labrax) from Romanian waters and brings up-to-date information related to the distribution of the species. The information used dates from 1909 to 2020 and includes books, articles, digital databases, field observations, and notes from different research fields such as ichthyology, biogeography, genetics, aquaculture, conservation, and ecology. Global distribution, migration, meristic characters, and aquaculture of the species were analyzed based on the recorded data from the specialty literature. New information related to a possible population of Salmo labrax inside the Carpathian Arch was discussed. In Romanian waters the species is found in the Black Sea, Danube, Danube Delta but the current paper proposes a new hypothesis, namely that resident populations can be found in rivers and lakes adjacent to the Carpathian Arch. The highest migration point of the Black Sea trout in the Danube was recorded near Corabia locality, Olt County, (43°46′25″N- 24°30′12″E). In the Danube Delta, it was caught in all the three branches (Sulina, Sf. Gheorghe and Chilia), and lagoonary complexes such as Razim-Sinoe. Sexually matured females were caught especially in Spring Season while unmatured specimens were caught in all seasons. Even if the species is protected under Romanian legislation, fishermen and anglers should report its presence when caught accidentally.

Keywords

• salmonidae
• ichthyology
• rare species
• salmo genus
• black sea.