Fishes Encountered in the Turkish Thrace River Systems (Northwestern Part of Turkey)

Abstract—In the last 30 years, the natural life in the inland waters of the Turkish Thrace has been threatened by water pollution, deterioration of river continuity, the presence of non-native or invasive fish, and drought. The aim of the present study is to determine the recent status of fish fauna in the river systems lying at the Turkish Thrace, under these threats. The field surveys were conducted in a total of 164 sampling sites in both Marmara and Meriç-Ergene water basins between July and August 2017. A total of 36 freshwater fish species representing 12 families (Acheilognathidae, Atherinidae, Centrarchidae, Cobitidae, Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Gobiidae, Gobionidae, Leuciscidae, Percidae, Poeciliidae, and Salmonidae) were determined. The most widespread species of the region was Cobitis strumicae and it was followed by Rhodeus amarus and Squalius orpheus. This study provides first detailed information on the distribution of the species of Barbus tauricus, Chondrostoma vardarense, Cobitis strumicae, Squalius orpheus, and Vimba melanops.