Fish fauna from Lower Romanian Mureș River

Abstract

In the summer 2019 ichthyofauna was investigated in 4 localities sites of Lower Romanian Mureș River: Lipova, Sâmbăteni, Semlac and Nădlag. The status of fish fauna and presence of community interest species (An. II, III and V / H.D.) inside of ichthyocenoses, as abundance and frequency, anthropogenic impact, were assessed. In all 4 sites it were recorded 23 fish species included some species reported by authorized persons and fisheries literature in lower Mures River. From 23 species 7 are community interest fish species (Leuciscus aspius, Barbus petenyi, Romanogobio kessleri, R. vladykovi, Rhodeus amarus, Zingel zingel and 1 sturgeon’s species Acipenser ruthenus. Fish fauna was dominated in abundance by Alburnus alburnus, Squalius cephalus and Chondrostoma nasus, but in biomass by Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Leuciscus aspius, Chondrostoma nasus and Silurus glanis. Main anthropogenic pressures consists legal and illegal overfishing, ballast activity and pollution.

Keywords

• fish species richness
• ecological parameters