Length-weight and length-length relationships of three endemic freshwater fish species from Anatolia, Turkey

Gülşah Saç,Müfit Özuluğ

doi:10.28978/nesciences.868080

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the length-weight (LWRs) and length-length relationships (LLRs) of three endemic freshwater fish species (Squalius recurvirostris, Squalius carinus and Capoeta turani) living in Turkey. Fish samples were captured with backpack electro-shocker from June 2006 to October 2010. The calculated values of parameter b in the LWRs were 3.363 and 3.045 for S. recurvirostris (Eber and Ilgın Lake populations, respectively), 3.275 for S. carinus and 3.111 for C. turani. The coefficients of correlation (r) for all the LLR equations were greater than 0.95. The growth parameters of S. recurvirostris is provided for the first time in this study.

Highlights

Endemism that is the ecological classification of a species having a range restriction is one of the most conspicuous notions in biogeography and has a central role in conservation biology (Fattorini, 2007)
Anatolia located in the region where three (Mediterranean, Caucasus and Irano-Anatolian hotspots) of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots cross and interact has notable endemism habitats that reflect the richness of biodiversity (Myers et al, 2000; Gür, 2016)
The genus Capoeta is the other species-rich fish group that existed in Turkey and it shows high endemism with 13 species recently recognized from Anatolia (Turan et al, 2006a,b; Turan et al, 2008; Özuluğ & Freyhof, 2008; Küçük et al, 2009; Schöter et al, 2009; Turan et al, 2017b; Elp et al, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

Endemism that is the ecological classification of a species having a range restriction is one of the most conspicuous notions in biogeography and has a central role in conservation biology (Fattorini, 2007). According to Çiçek et al (2020), a total of 208 freshwater fish species is endemic to Turkey’s inland waters. Until 2000’s most of the short-snouted chubs, within the ‘Euro-Asiatic’ lineage, were identified as chub Squalius cephalus and known from almost all water bodies of Anatolia (Doadrio & Carmona, 2006; Özuluğ & Freyhof, 2011). The genus Capoeta is the other species-rich fish group that existed in Turkey and it shows high endemism with 13 species recently recognized from Anatolia (Turan et al, 2006a,b; Turan et al, 2008; Özuluğ & Freyhof, 2008; Küçük et al, 2009; Schöter et al, 2009; Turan et al, 2017b; Elp et al, 2018). Seyhan scraper Capoeta turani Özuluğ & Freyhof, 2008 is known from the tributaries of the River Seyhan in southern Anatolia. According to IUCN (2021), C. turani was listed as Near Threatened (NT) due to qualify for a threatened category in the near future with the threats of natural system modifications, pollution, and climate change

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion