Pelecus cultratus

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	CYPRINIFORMES	CYPRINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pelecus cultratus

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ziege

Taxonomic Notes:

The relationships of this species are not yet clear. It is unique among European cyprinids with is long, slender, highly compressed body with a sharp keel from throat to anus, but this appearance is shared with some Asian species, especially Macrochirichthys macrochirus. In recent years it has been placed in the Leuciscinae or the Cultrinae. Kottelat and Freyhoff (2007) tentatively place it in Leuciscinae.

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 major widespread threats. However, semi-anadromous populations markedly declined in Black Sea basin following impoundment of rivers. They have stabilised since.

History:

1996

–

Data Deficient

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Black, Caspian and Aral Sea basins; Baltic basin from Vistula to Neva drainages, southern Sweden and Finland, Lakes Ladoga and Onega. Occasionally on Baltic coast west of Vistula and on Finnish coast north of 61°N.
Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bulgaria; Croatia; Estonia; Finland; Germany; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Kazakhstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant in large rivers and dams (resevoir).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitat: Surface of open waters of large rivers and lakes. Abundant in reservoirs (Don, Volga). Semi-anadromous individuals forage and spawn in pelagic. freshened parts of sea or lower parts of rivers, in main channel or floodplains. Lacustrine populations spawn in open water of lakes. Biology: Lives up to nine years. Spawns for the first time at 3-5 years, 200-300 mm SL. Semi-anadromous individuals start entering rivers in July (Don). When rivers are covered by ice, spawning migration ceases and is resumed with breaking up of ice in April-May. Resident individuals are found in rivers year-round. Spawns in May-June, earlier in southern drainages (April in Syr-Darya) at temperatures above 12°C. Eggs are semi-pelagic and drift with the current (in rivers). Eggs hatch after 3-4 days. Adults return to estuaries to forage immediately after spawning. Juveniles may migrate to estuaries during first summer. Feeds on zooplankton, terrestrial invertebrates and small fish.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat:
Surface of open waters of large rivers and lakes. Abundant in reservoirs (Don, Volga). Semi-anadromous individuals forage and spawn in pelagic. freshened parts of sea or lower parts of rivers, in main channel or floodplains. Lacustrine populations spawn in open water of lakes.

Biology:
Lives up to nine years. Spawns for the first time at 3-5 years, 200-300 mm SL. Semi-anadromous individuals start entering rivers in July (Don). When rivers are covered by ice, spawning migration ceases and is resumed with breaking up of ice in April-May. Resident individuals are found in rivers year-round. Spawns in May-June, earlier in southern drainages (April in Syr-Darya) at temperatures above 12°C. Eggs are semi-pelagic and drift with the current (in rivers). Eggs hatch after 3-4 days. Adults return to estuaries to forage immediately after spawning. Juveniles may migrate to estuaries during first summer. Feeds on zooplankton, terrestrial invertebrates and small fish.

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.

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