The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece is characterized by high diversity and endemism and faces v... more The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece is characterized by high diversity and endemism and faces various conservation challenges. Despite significant efforts, mainly with traditional assessment methods, the precise taxonomic status and geographic range of some of the currently acknowledged fish species remain insufficiently explored. Here, the results of the first comprehensive DNA barcoding survey of the genus Pelasgus are presented, covering its entire known range in Greece. Two hundred and forty COI sequences (retrieved from collected samples, museum specimens and the GenBank) were analysed to determine the number of putative species and delineate their current distribution. Data support the existence of seven haplogroups, corresponding to the currently valid Pelasgus species. Analysis of museum samples of the critically endangered species P. epiroticus from its type locality (now extinct there) uncovers its presence in contemporary samples from a neighbouring aquatic system (Zaravina Lake) and from aquatic systems well outside its native range (possibly as a result of past translocations) for the first time. A subgroup of P. epiroticus haplotypes was also identified in North-western Greece in regions previously believed to host P. thesproticus or P. stymphalicus. Based on the above, hotspots for further Pelasgus taxonomic investigations are identified and conservation actions are discussed.
The accurate identification of the early stages of fish development is a fundamental step in the ... more The accurate identification of the early stages of fish development is a fundamental step in the study of their ecology. Fish larvae are often difficult to identify because their body proportions and color pattern can change significantly during their development. One of the biggest problems in larval identification is the lack of proper instructions and keys. During this doctoral dissertation, sampling was performed during the breeding period of Louros cyproids (chapter 2.2). Four species of cyprinids are found in the river Louros: Telestes pleurobipunctatus, Squalius pamvoticus, Pelasgus thesproticus and Luciobarbus albanicus.A first step, which contributes to their identification, is to separate the larvae into groups according to their family (chapter 3.1.1). For this reason I created tables for each family of fish that live in Louros river. Each table summarizes the basic characteristics of the eggs, embryos, larvae and juveniles of each family. There are two basic approaches i...
Ο ακριβής προσδιορισμός των πρώτων σταδίων ανάπτυξης των ψαριών είναι ένα θεμελιώδες βήμα στη μελ... more Ο ακριβής προσδιορισμός των πρώτων σταδίων ανάπτυξης των ψαριών είναι ένα θεμελιώδες βήμα στη μελέτη της οικολογίας τους. Οι προνύμφες ψαριών είναι συχνά δύσκολο να αναγνωριστούν, επειδή οι σωματικές τους αναλογίες και το χρωματικό τους πρότυπο μπορούν να αλλάξουν σημαντικά κατά τη διάρκεια της ανάπτυξής τους. Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα προβλήματα στην αναγνώριση των προνυμφών είναι η έλλειψη κατάλληλων οδηγιών και κλειδών. Κατά τη διάρκεια της διδακτορικής διατριβής πραγματοποιήθηκαν δειγματοληψίες κατά τους μήνες της αναπαραγωγής των κυπρινοειδών του Λούρου (κεφάλαιο 2.2). Στον ποταμό Λούρο απαντώνται τέσσερα είδη κυπρινοειδών: Telestes pleurobipunctatus, Squalius pamvoticus, Pelasgus thesproticus και Luciobarbus albanicus. Ένα πρώτο βήμα, που συμβάλλει στην αναγνώριση, είναι να διαχωριστούν οι προνύμφες σε ομάδες ανάλογα με την οικογένεια (κεφάλαιο 3.1.1). Γιά το λόγο αυτό δημιούργησα πίνακες για κάθε οικογένεια ψαριών που διαβιώνουν στο Λούρο. Ο κάθε πίνακας συνοψίζει τα βασικά χαρακ...
Distribution records (historical, contemporary) for native and non-native freshwater fish species... more Distribution records (historical, contemporary) for native and non-native freshwater fish species from 105 hydrographic basin areas were compiled and analysed in order to develop a nation-wide inventory (including transboundary river basins). Overall, 162 species, including diadromous and euryhaline, with documented occurrence records in freshwaters, and taxa of unclarified taxonomic status, are accommodated in the distributional compilation. An annotated checklist summarises the confirmed ichthyofauna of Greek freshwaters (161 species); a provisional supplementary list contains species recorded in brackish waters (55 species). In comparison to the last published (1991) checklist of freshwater fish of Greece, the present checklist shows an increase in species number of 53% (56 species). This increase has resulted mainly from taxonomic re-evaluations of existing taxa on the basis of new information and adoption of a new systematic concept. The current trend, as reflected in recent ic...
An Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modeling approach was used to explore the ecological structure of th... more An Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modeling approach was used to explore the ecological structure of the largest lake in Greece (Lake Trichonis). Until the mid-1990s, the lake was receiving a high level of pollution and the fishing pressure was intense, while since the early 2000s, fisheries and other human pressures gradually declined. Nowadays, the lake’s fisheries mainly target Atherina boyeri due to the absence of market demand for the other fish species in the lake, resulting in a low overall fisheries pressure on the fish stocks. The model was built with data collected through: (a) field samplings, (b) in-depth targeted interviews of professional fishermen and (c) historical archive information. The model considered 22 functional groups, while fishing activities were represented by three classes according to the used gears. The outputs of the model revealed that the ecosystem is dominated by low trophic level species (also identified as keystone species), indicating the significance...
Incomplete knowledge of biodiversity remains a stumbling block for conservation planning, and eve... more Incomplete knowledge of biodiversity remains a stumbling block for conservation planning, and even occurs within globally important Biodiversity Hotspots. Although technical advances have boosted the power of molecular biodiversity assessments, the link between DNA sequences and species and the analytics to discriminate entities, remain crucial. Here, we present an analysis of the first DNA barcode library for the freshwater fish fauna of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot (526 spp.), with virtually complete species coverage (498 spp., 98% extant species). In order to build an identification system supporting conservation, we compared species determination by taxonomists to multiple clustering analyses of DNA barcodes for 3165 specimens. The congruence of barcode clusters with morphological determination was strongly dependent on the method of cluster delineation, but was highest with the GMYC model-based approach (83% of all species recovered as GMYC entity). Overall, genetic-morphological discontinuities suggest the existence of up to 64 previously unrecognized candidate species. We found reduced identification accuracy when using the entire DNA-barcode database, compared to analyses on databases for individual river catchments. This scale effect has important implications for barcoding assessments, and suggests that fairly simple identification pipelines provide sufficient resolution in local applications. We calculated EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) scores in order to identify candidate species for conservation priority, and argue that the evolutionary content of barcode data can be used to detect priority species for future IUCN assessments. We show that large-scale barcoding inventories of complex biotas are feasible and contribute directly to the evaluation of conservation priorities
In the present study, we provide evidence on the first established, self-sustaining population of... more In the present study, we provide evidence on the first established, self-sustaining population of Oncorhynchus mykiss in Greece, which is also the southernmost population reported for Europe. This population was found in an upland section of a spring-fed stream (Kissano Stream) in Southern Crete. During this study, in October 2012, rainbow trout of various sizes, ranging from 5 cm to 30 cm of total length, were caught at a riffle-pool section of the stream, located near the village of Spili. According to local inhabitants, the fish population in the Kissano Stream originated from a single introduction of rainbow trout juveniles in the mid-1980s, transferred from a trout farm in mainland Greece. A comparison of the population sizestructure of O. mykiss in the Kissano Stream and the environmental features of its habitat to those of two other locations in Greece with O. mykiss presence (in Crete and in northern Greece) further supports the contention of a self-reproducing population in...
The discovery of the racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus in the transboundary Evros river basin, coll... more The discovery of the racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus in the transboundary Evros river basin, collected on September 10th 2018 at two locations very close to the Greek-Bulgarian and Greek-Turkish borderlines, is reported. This is a new addition to the non-native ichthyofauna of Greece and the Aegean Sea drainages, and it is the second non-native Ponto-Caspian goby to enter this river. Boat-based electrofishing sampling, following the EU Water Framework Directive monitoring program, provides first evidence of what is presumed to be a recently established population; most of the 13 collected specimens are juveniles and the species has not yet been located in the river's tributaries. Further study and international cooperation in monitoring and management of this and other alien species in the Evros are proposed.
Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of Greece: An annotated checklist is the 8th volume of Monographs ... more Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of Greece: An annotated checklist is the 8th volume of Monographs on Marine Sciences published by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Athens, Greece. This work provides a list of all species of fishes occuring in inland freshwaters; the most recent, carefully referenced account of its kind. The work is part of a project to compile and disseminate information on fishes at the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMBRIW) of HCMR.
The overall objective was to collect and evaluate all available biological and ecological informa... more The overall objective was to collect and evaluate all available biological and ecological information on the lakes rivers and springs of 7 prefectures of Greece (Aetoloakarnania, Florina, Pella, Kilkis, Serron, Ioanninon, Eurytania, Kozani, Kastoria, Thessaloniki, Rodopi, Karditsa, Boetia, Arkadia, Ilia, Achaia, Grevena, Thesprotia, Imathia & Arta) with a management perspective. The data collected from each aquatic system (rivers, lakes and springs) concern hydrology, geology, geomorphology, biological parameters (aquatic vegetation, plankton, invertebrates, fish, birds, etc.), conservation status of the system and the organisms that live in it (national and international treaties, endangered species, etc.), fisheries (fleets, fishermen, production, state of stocks, production, legislation, aquaculture) and human impacts (land use patterns, water abstraction, pollution, damming, technical works). A next phase of the project was to evaluate the existing information and to propose man...
The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece is characterized by high diversity and endemism and faces v... more The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece is characterized by high diversity and endemism and faces various conservation challenges. Despite significant efforts, mainly with traditional assessment methods, the precise taxonomic status and geographic range of some of the currently acknowledged fish species remain insufficiently explored. Here, the results of the first comprehensive DNA barcoding survey of the genus Pelasgus are presented, covering its entire known range in Greece. Two hundred and forty COI sequences (retrieved from collected samples, museum specimens and the GenBank) were analysed to determine the number of putative species and delineate their current distribution. Data support the existence of seven haplogroups, corresponding to the currently valid Pelasgus species. Analysis of museum samples of the critically endangered species P. epiroticus from its type locality (now extinct there) uncovers its presence in contemporary samples from a neighbouring aquatic system (Zaravina Lake) and from aquatic systems well outside its native range (possibly as a result of past translocations) for the first time. A subgroup of P. epiroticus haplotypes was also identified in North-western Greece in regions previously believed to host P. thesproticus or P. stymphalicus. Based on the above, hotspots for further Pelasgus taxonomic investigations are identified and conservation actions are discussed.
The accurate identification of the early stages of fish development is a fundamental step in the ... more The accurate identification of the early stages of fish development is a fundamental step in the study of their ecology. Fish larvae are often difficult to identify because their body proportions and color pattern can change significantly during their development. One of the biggest problems in larval identification is the lack of proper instructions and keys. During this doctoral dissertation, sampling was performed during the breeding period of Louros cyproids (chapter 2.2). Four species of cyprinids are found in the river Louros: Telestes pleurobipunctatus, Squalius pamvoticus, Pelasgus thesproticus and Luciobarbus albanicus.A first step, which contributes to their identification, is to separate the larvae into groups according to their family (chapter 3.1.1). For this reason I created tables for each family of fish that live in Louros river. Each table summarizes the basic characteristics of the eggs, embryos, larvae and juveniles of each family. There are two basic approaches i...
Ο ακριβής προσδιορισμός των πρώτων σταδίων ανάπτυξης των ψαριών είναι ένα θεμελιώδες βήμα στη μελ... more Ο ακριβής προσδιορισμός των πρώτων σταδίων ανάπτυξης των ψαριών είναι ένα θεμελιώδες βήμα στη μελέτη της οικολογίας τους. Οι προνύμφες ψαριών είναι συχνά δύσκολο να αναγνωριστούν, επειδή οι σωματικές τους αναλογίες και το χρωματικό τους πρότυπο μπορούν να αλλάξουν σημαντικά κατά τη διάρκεια της ανάπτυξής τους. Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα προβλήματα στην αναγνώριση των προνυμφών είναι η έλλειψη κατάλληλων οδηγιών και κλειδών. Κατά τη διάρκεια της διδακτορικής διατριβής πραγματοποιήθηκαν δειγματοληψίες κατά τους μήνες της αναπαραγωγής των κυπρινοειδών του Λούρου (κεφάλαιο 2.2). Στον ποταμό Λούρο απαντώνται τέσσερα είδη κυπρινοειδών: Telestes pleurobipunctatus, Squalius pamvoticus, Pelasgus thesproticus και Luciobarbus albanicus. Ένα πρώτο βήμα, που συμβάλλει στην αναγνώριση, είναι να διαχωριστούν οι προνύμφες σε ομάδες ανάλογα με την οικογένεια (κεφάλαιο 3.1.1). Γιά το λόγο αυτό δημιούργησα πίνακες για κάθε οικογένεια ψαριών που διαβιώνουν στο Λούρο. Ο κάθε πίνακας συνοψίζει τα βασικά χαρακ...
Distribution records (historical, contemporary) for native and non-native freshwater fish species... more Distribution records (historical, contemporary) for native and non-native freshwater fish species from 105 hydrographic basin areas were compiled and analysed in order to develop a nation-wide inventory (including transboundary river basins). Overall, 162 species, including diadromous and euryhaline, with documented occurrence records in freshwaters, and taxa of unclarified taxonomic status, are accommodated in the distributional compilation. An annotated checklist summarises the confirmed ichthyofauna of Greek freshwaters (161 species); a provisional supplementary list contains species recorded in brackish waters (55 species). In comparison to the last published (1991) checklist of freshwater fish of Greece, the present checklist shows an increase in species number of 53% (56 species). This increase has resulted mainly from taxonomic re-evaluations of existing taxa on the basis of new information and adoption of a new systematic concept. The current trend, as reflected in recent ic...
An Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modeling approach was used to explore the ecological structure of th... more An Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modeling approach was used to explore the ecological structure of the largest lake in Greece (Lake Trichonis). Until the mid-1990s, the lake was receiving a high level of pollution and the fishing pressure was intense, while since the early 2000s, fisheries and other human pressures gradually declined. Nowadays, the lake’s fisheries mainly target Atherina boyeri due to the absence of market demand for the other fish species in the lake, resulting in a low overall fisheries pressure on the fish stocks. The model was built with data collected through: (a) field samplings, (b) in-depth targeted interviews of professional fishermen and (c) historical archive information. The model considered 22 functional groups, while fishing activities were represented by three classes according to the used gears. The outputs of the model revealed that the ecosystem is dominated by low trophic level species (also identified as keystone species), indicating the significance...
Incomplete knowledge of biodiversity remains a stumbling block for conservation planning, and eve... more Incomplete knowledge of biodiversity remains a stumbling block for conservation planning, and even occurs within globally important Biodiversity Hotspots. Although technical advances have boosted the power of molecular biodiversity assessments, the link between DNA sequences and species and the analytics to discriminate entities, remain crucial. Here, we present an analysis of the first DNA barcode library for the freshwater fish fauna of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot (526 spp.), with virtually complete species coverage (498 spp., 98% extant species). In order to build an identification system supporting conservation, we compared species determination by taxonomists to multiple clustering analyses of DNA barcodes for 3165 specimens. The congruence of barcode clusters with morphological determination was strongly dependent on the method of cluster delineation, but was highest with the GMYC model-based approach (83% of all species recovered as GMYC entity). Overall, genetic-morphological discontinuities suggest the existence of up to 64 previously unrecognized candidate species. We found reduced identification accuracy when using the entire DNA-barcode database, compared to analyses on databases for individual river catchments. This scale effect has important implications for barcoding assessments, and suggests that fairly simple identification pipelines provide sufficient resolution in local applications. We calculated EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) scores in order to identify candidate species for conservation priority, and argue that the evolutionary content of barcode data can be used to detect priority species for future IUCN assessments. We show that large-scale barcoding inventories of complex biotas are feasible and contribute directly to the evaluation of conservation priorities
In the present study, we provide evidence on the first established, self-sustaining population of... more In the present study, we provide evidence on the first established, self-sustaining population of Oncorhynchus mykiss in Greece, which is also the southernmost population reported for Europe. This population was found in an upland section of a spring-fed stream (Kissano Stream) in Southern Crete. During this study, in October 2012, rainbow trout of various sizes, ranging from 5 cm to 30 cm of total length, were caught at a riffle-pool section of the stream, located near the village of Spili. According to local inhabitants, the fish population in the Kissano Stream originated from a single introduction of rainbow trout juveniles in the mid-1980s, transferred from a trout farm in mainland Greece. A comparison of the population sizestructure of O. mykiss in the Kissano Stream and the environmental features of its habitat to those of two other locations in Greece with O. mykiss presence (in Crete and in northern Greece) further supports the contention of a self-reproducing population in...
The discovery of the racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus in the transboundary Evros river basin, coll... more The discovery of the racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus in the transboundary Evros river basin, collected on September 10th 2018 at two locations very close to the Greek-Bulgarian and Greek-Turkish borderlines, is reported. This is a new addition to the non-native ichthyofauna of Greece and the Aegean Sea drainages, and it is the second non-native Ponto-Caspian goby to enter this river. Boat-based electrofishing sampling, following the EU Water Framework Directive monitoring program, provides first evidence of what is presumed to be a recently established population; most of the 13 collected specimens are juveniles and the species has not yet been located in the river's tributaries. Further study and international cooperation in monitoring and management of this and other alien species in the Evros are proposed.
Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of Greece: An annotated checklist is the 8th volume of Monographs ... more Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of Greece: An annotated checklist is the 8th volume of Monographs on Marine Sciences published by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Athens, Greece. This work provides a list of all species of fishes occuring in inland freshwaters; the most recent, carefully referenced account of its kind. The work is part of a project to compile and disseminate information on fishes at the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMBRIW) of HCMR.
The overall objective was to collect and evaluate all available biological and ecological informa... more The overall objective was to collect and evaluate all available biological and ecological information on the lakes rivers and springs of 7 prefectures of Greece (Aetoloakarnania, Florina, Pella, Kilkis, Serron, Ioanninon, Eurytania, Kozani, Kastoria, Thessaloniki, Rodopi, Karditsa, Boetia, Arkadia, Ilia, Achaia, Grevena, Thesprotia, Imathia & Arta) with a management perspective. The data collected from each aquatic system (rivers, lakes and springs) concern hydrology, geology, geomorphology, biological parameters (aquatic vegetation, plankton, invertebrates, fish, birds, etc.), conservation status of the system and the organisms that live in it (national and international treaties, endangered species, etc.), fisheries (fleets, fishermen, production, state of stocks, production, legislation, aquaculture) and human impacts (land use patterns, water abstraction, pollution, damming, technical works). A next phase of the project was to evaluate the existing information and to propose man...
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