Pungitius platygaster

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	GASTEROSTEIFORMES	GASTEROSTEIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pungitius platygaster

Species Authority:

(Kessler, 1859)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ukranian Stickleback

Taxonomic Notes:

P. aralensis, from the Aral Sea basin, earlier considered as a subspecies of P. platygaster, is a distinct species.

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.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Lower course of rivers draining to northern shore of Black, Caspian and Aral Sea basins, Danube drainage as far upstream as Belgrade; isolated populations in Axios and Aliakmon drainages (Greece). Also in Lower and middle reaches of Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya, Sary-su River, Lower Chu River; headwaters of Ob' river (Nura River, Kurgal'dzhin Lake). In 1980s invaded Ishim River (tributary of Irtysh) and spread downstream to Ust'-Ishim and Tyumen' Province in Russia
Countries:	Native: Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; Greece; Hungary; Kazakhstan; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Turkey; Ukraine
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitat: Swamps and slow-flowing streams with dense vegetation; occasionally enters brackish water. Biology: Spawns for the first time at one year. Feeds on benthic invertebrates. Spawns in spring when temperature reaches 17°C. Territorial during spawning season. Males build a nest made of filamentous algae and submerged plants, with a separate entrance and exit. Males guard nest until the young swim away a few weeks later. Females lay about 90 eggs.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat:
Swamps and slow-flowing streams with dense vegetation; occasionally enters brackish water.

Biology:
Spawns for the first time at one year. Feeds on benthic invertebrates. Spawns in spring when temperature reaches 17°C. Territorial during spawning season. Males build a nest made of filamentous algae and submerged plants, with a separate entrance and exit. Males guard nest until the young swim away a few weeks later. Females lay about 90 eggs.

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]

	IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008). Keivany, Y. and Nelson, J.S. 2000. Taxonomic review of the genus Pungitius, ninespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae). Kottelat, M. and Freyhof, J. 2007. Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland. Paepke, H.J. 2002. in: Banarescu, P. & Paepke, H.-J. (eds.) The freshwater fishes of Europe. Vol. 5/II. Cyprinidae 2. Part III: Carassius to Cyprinus. Aula, Wiebelsheim.

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

Keivany, Y. and Nelson, J.S. 2000. Taxonomic review of the genus Pungitius, ninespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae).

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

Paepke, H.J. 2002. in: Banarescu, P. & Paepke, H.-J. (eds.) The freshwater fishes of Europe. Vol. 5/II. Cyprinidae 2. Part III: Carassius to Cyprinus. Aula, Wiebelsheim.

Citation:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. 2008. Pungitius platygaster. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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