Sabanejewia balcanica

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CYPRINIFORMES	COBITIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sabanejewia balcanica

Species Authority:

(Karaman, 1922)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Balkan Golden Loach

Taxonomic Notes:

Populations (even from close localities) exhibit important differences in pigmentation pattern, morphology and habitat. Although this variability lead to the recognition of several populations as distinct taxa. Kottelat and Freyhoff (2007) treat the Danubian and Balkan populations as a single species; however, this requires critical re-examination.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	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; but it is locally threatened by habitat alteration.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Black Sea basin, in Danube drainage; Aegean Sea basin, in Maritza and from Gallikos to Pinios drainages.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Austria; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; Greece; Hungary; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; Poland; Romania; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Turkey; Ukraine
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitat: Mainly hill streams with clear water and bottom with sand or fine gravel bottom. In moderate current with few plants at water depths up to 1.5 m. Also observed in large rivers. Biology: Burrows during daylight into sand, sometimes in gravel. Spawns in spring. In aquarium, eggs indiscriminately scattered over sand, gravel and plants. A dwarf population was observed in a pond fed by a warm thermal spring with constant temperature in western Romania.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat:
Mainly hill streams with clear water and bottom with sand or fine gravel bottom. In moderate current with few plants at water depths up to 1.5 m. Also observed in large rivers.

Biology:
Burrows during daylight into sand, sometimes in gravel. Spawns in spring. In aquarium, eggs indiscriminately scattered over sand, gravel and plants. A dwarf population was observed in a pond fed by a warm thermal spring with constant temperature in western Romania.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No major threats known.

Major Threat(s):

No major threats known.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No information.

Conservation Actions:

No information.

Bibliography [top]

	Ahnelt, H. and Tiefenbach, O. 1994. Verbreitungsmuster zweier Steinbeisserarten (Cobitis aurata, Cobitis taenia) im Einzugsgebiet der Mur (Österreich). Banarescu, P., Nalbant, T.T. and Chelmu, S. 1972. Revision and geographical variation of Sabanejewia aurata in Romania and the origin of S. bulgarica and S. romanica (Pisces, Cobitidae). IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008). Kottelat, M. 1997. European freshwater fishes. An heuristic checklist of the freshwater fishes of Europe (exclusive of former USSR), with an introduction for non-sys tematists and comments on nomenclature and conservation. Kottelat, M. and Freyhof, J. 2007. Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland.

Ahnelt, H. and Tiefenbach, O. 1994. Verbreitungsmuster zweier Steinbeisserarten (Cobitis aurata, Cobitis taenia) im Einzugsgebiet der Mur (Österreich).

Banarescu, P., Nalbant, T.T. and Chelmu, S. 1972. Revision and geographical variation of Sabanejewia aurata in Romania and the origin of S. bulgarica and S. romanica (Pisces, Cobitidae).

IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008).

Kottelat, M. 1997. European freshwater fishes. An heuristic checklist of the freshwater fishes of Europe (exclusive of former USSR), with an introduction for non-sys tematists and comments on nomenclature and conservation.

Kottelat, M. and Freyhof, J. 2007. Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland.

Citation:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. 2008. Sabanejewia balcanica. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2012.
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