Alosa caspia

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CLUPEIFORMES	CLUPEIDAE

Scientific Name:

Alosa caspia

Species Authority:

Eichwald, 1838

Common Name/s:

English

–

Caspian Shad

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2008
Assessor/s:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M.
Reviewer/s:	Bogutskaya, N., & Smith, K. (IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit)
Justification: A widespread species with no known major widespread threats.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Caspian Sea from where adults ascend rivers, migrating a short distance upstream to spawn.
Countries:	Native: Azerbaijan; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Kazakhstan; Russian Federation; Turkmenistan
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitat: At sea, pelagic, in coastal waters with steady current, avoids areas with stable salinity. Migrates from sea to mouth of large rivers, spawns in fresh or slightly brackish water at shallow sites washed by flow of large rivers. Biology: Anadromous. Males migrate upriver at 2-3 years, females at 4-5. Many individuals reproduce 2-4 seasons. There are two migration peaks, one in late April (mostly males) and one in early May (mostly females), entering rivers when temperature rises above 10°C. Spawns when temperature reaches 15°C or more, in May-June. Spawns usually in the upper 3 m. Eggs semipelagic and demersal. Spent fish migrate back to sea. Juveniles migrate to sea during first summer, remaining at sea until they mature. At sea, feeds predominantly on zooplankton such as copepods and mysids.
Systems:	Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat:
At sea, pelagic, in coastal waters with steady current, avoids areas with stable salinity. Migrates from sea to mouth of large rivers, spawns in fresh or slightly brackish water at shallow sites washed by flow of large rivers.

Biology:
Anadromous. Males migrate upriver at 2-3 years, females at 4-5. Many individuals reproduce 2-4 seasons. There are two migration peaks, one in late April (mostly males) and one in early May (mostly females), entering rivers when temperature rises above 10°C. Spawns when temperature reaches 15°C or more, in May-June. Spawns usually in the upper 3 m. Eggs semipelagic and demersal. Spent fish migrate back to sea. Juveniles migrate to sea during first summer, remaining at sea until they mature. At sea, feeds predominantly on zooplankton such as copepods and mysids.

Systems:

Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No major threats known. Damming in the Caspian basin (1950-60s) has restricted the species access to some of their spawning grounds.

Major Threat(s):

No major threats known. Damming in the Caspian basin (1950-60s) has restricted the species access to some of their spawning grounds.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No information.

Conservation Actions:

No information.

Citation:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. 2008. Alosa caspia. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 February 2012.
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