Abstract
The ichthyological biodiversity of Polish lakes is poorly understood, even in lakes not used for fishing and those under strict protection. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive ichthyological survey of several lakes in the Wolin National Park (Poland). The study was conducted in Domysławskie and Gardno lakes and the anthropogenic Stara Kredownia reservoir. Each fishing exercise was conducted using benthic nets over a 12 h period. The fish caught were measured and weighed, and the species identified. Shannon-Wiener (H) and Simpson biodiversity indices were determined. The catch comprised a total of 4580 fish (of which 4391 were caught in Domysławskie Lake) belonging to 15 species, with a combined weight of 98,165 g. In general, the most prevalent species were non-predatory fish: roach (Rutilus rutilus), freshwater bream (Abramis brama), white bream (Blicca bioerkna), bleak (Alburnus alburnus), and rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus). Individually, perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) were the most abundant species. Ichthyofauna diversity varied greatly between the studied water bodies, with 15 species found in Domysławskie Lake and only 6 species in Gardno Lake. In Stara Kredownia Reservoir, no fish were caught, but amphibians were observed, such as great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) and common newts (Lissotriton vulgaris). Based on the results obtained, Lake Domysławskie had a higher species ichthyofauna diversity than the other ‘tench and pike’ lakes. Gardno Lake had a much lower biodiversity.
Highlights
Biodiversity assessment of ichthyofauna in lakes is usually based on analysis of commercial fishing or angling surveys [1,2,3,4]
Despite the aforementioned problems with conducting com hensive ichthyological research, available literature about Polish lakes does include on the biodiversity of fish inhabiting selected lakes, e.g., [7,8], but for most water bo this is fragmented and often very selective
A total of 14 fish species were found across 14 lakes in the West Pomeranian Province (Poland) used by the Polish Angling Association in Szczecin, but there were only 4 to 10 species per lake [26,27]
Summary
Biodiversity assessment of ichthyofauna in lakes is usually based on analysis of commercial fishing or angling surveys [1,2,3,4]. These methods are subject to biases, such as those caused by gear selectivity in commercial fishing, which results from both the fishing laws that mandate specific minimum size net or slot limits to protect younger fish, and from consumer preferences. Despite the aforementioned problems with conducting cant strong reluctance on the part of fishermen or anglers toward research based o use of non-selective nets. Despite the aforementioned problems with conducting com hensive ichthyological research, available literature about Polish lakes does include on the biodiversity of fish inhabiting selected lakes, e.g., [7,8], but for most water bo this is fragmented and often very selective
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