Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Leuciscidae (Minnows) > Leuciscinae
Etymology: Alburnus: From the city of Al Bura, where the fish was known (Ref. 45335); sarmaticus: Named after the Sarmatians, referring to an earlier group of tribes that inhabited southern European Russia, Ukraine and the eastern Balkans from the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD.
Eponymy: These are not true eponyms but refer to the Sarmatians, a group of tribes that inhabited southern Russia, Ukraine and the eastern Balkans from 5th century BC to 4th century AD. The Sarmatians occupied the area of distribution of these fish. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Freyhof & Kottelat.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic. Temperate
Europe: Rivers South Bug and Dniepr in Ukraine; River Danube in Romania and most likely in Ukraine and Bulgaria; River Kolpa, an upper tributary to the River Save in Croatia and Slovenia (Ref. 75106). Almost extirpated in Danube; seems to survive only in River Kolpa (Ref. 59043).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 25.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 59043)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Differs from other species of shemayas by the combination of the following characters: origin of anal fin about 1½ -2½ scales behind dorsal-fin base; anal fin with 15-17½ branched rays; gill rakers 27-34; length of gill raker at angle between upper and lower limbs of first gill arch 30-55% of opposite inner gill filament; lateral line scales 56-63 + 4-5; ventral keel exposed for 4-6 scales in front of anus, reaching about 25% of distance between anus and pelvic-fin base; head length 21-23% SL; predorsal length 53-58% SL; caudal peduncle depth 6.9-8.1% SL,1.7-2.0 times in its length; eye diameter 4.8-5.8% SL, 1.3-1.6 times in interorbital distance; presence of numerous small tubercles in nuptial males; absence of faint, dark midlateral stripe (Ref. 75106).
Inhabits lower and middle parts of large rivers, estuaries, coastal lakes and adjacent areas of seas where salinity is lowered by large inflow of freshwater. Can tolerate salinities of up to 12 ppt. Adults mainly prey on planktonic crustaceans, terrestrial insects, and small fish. Larvae and young juveniles feed on zooplankton, algae and insect larvae. Spawns in riffles with heavy current on gravel bottom. There are semi-anadromous and riverine populations. Anadromous populations commence to enter rivers in autumn and move upstream in winter and/or spring. Adults move back to the sea soon after spawning to forage. Young individuals migrate downriver in autumn of same year or the following spring. Hybridizes with Squalius cephalus. All populations sharply declined in the early and middle 20th century due to the constructed dams that hindered in reaching the spawning grounds. Today, spawning occurs only below these dams (Ref. 59043).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Deposits sticky eggs which adhere on pebbles or stones (Ref. 59043).
Freyhof, J. and M. Kottelat, 2007. Review of the Alburnus mento species group with description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 18(3):213-225. (Ref. 75106)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00661 (0.00311 - 0.01404), b=3.12 (2.95 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.7 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming Fec < 10,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (21 of 100).
