Preliminary study of fish community structure in Amanos Mountain streams (Hatay-Turkey)


Okur E., Yalcin-Oezdilek S.

BIOLOGIA, cilt.63, sa.3, ss.427-438, 2008 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 63 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2008
  • Doi Numarası: 10.2478/s11756-008-0058-3
  • Dergi Adı: BIOLOGIA
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.427-438
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: fish, distribution, Amanos Mountains, diversity, abundance, Turkey, PISCES
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Fish diversity and distributions in 33 streams of the Amanos Mountains were investigated between December 2002 and November 2003. Some physical and chemical parameters, such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, and velocity of the streams were measured periodically at each site. The study area was grouped into three regions: AS (Asi Basin), IS (Iskenderun Gulf) and CE (Cevlik region). Fish abundance and Shannon Diversity Index were computed for each region. CE region was the poorest compared to the others in terms of fish abundance and diversity. A total of nine species in four families (Cyprinidae, Balitoridae, Anguillidae, Blenniidae) were recorded and all species collected were found to be indigenous. Capoeta barroisi (42.2%) and Garra rufa (33.3%) were the most common and abundant species and Salaria fluviatilis (0.4%), Carasobarbus luteus (0.9%), Anguilla anguilla (1.0%) and Alburnus sellal (1.2%) were the most rarely encountered species in the Amanos Mts. The endangered species Alburnus orontis is also rarely found. Fish diversity was greater in perennial streams (0.62) than in intermittent streams (0.27). There are many adverse human impacts on fish fauna in the Amanos Mountain streams; however, numbers of intermittent streams impose the greatest threat to fish in the Amanos Mts.