Balkan gold loach
| Balkan gold loach | ||||||||||||
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Balkan golden loach ( Sabanejewia balcanica ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sabanejewia balcanica | ||||||||||||
| ( SL Karaman , 1922) |
The Balkan gold wolffish ( Sabanejewia balcanica ) is a benthic freshwater fish species from the family Cobitidae (wolffish) within the order of the Cypriniformes (carp-like).
Distribution, habitat and biology
The species is widespread in the catchment area of the Danube and thus in the catchment area of the Black Sea . It is also known for the Mariza , Pinios and Gallikos river systems that drain into the Aegean Sea .
The Balkan Goldsteinbeisser needs sandy or fine gravel substrate and prefers shallow water sections up to 1.5 m deep with moderate flow speed and little aquatic vegetation. During the day the wolffish often buries in the substrate.
The species is classified as "not endangered" by the IUCN . However, the species is locally threatened by anthropogenic habitat changes.
features
Sabanejewia balcanica reaches a standard length of 9 cm. Like all species of the genus, the animals have 6 barbels on their mouths, which serve as organs of touch and taste . On the sides of the body the animals have a number of 10-17 (rarely only 8-9) dark spots. As a rule, there are no further dark pigmented areas below this row of spots, as is the case with some other species of the genus. The spots are not connected by dark pigmented areas. The dorsal fin always begins at the level of the pelvic fins .
swell
- ↑ Maurice Kottelat, Jörg Freyhof: Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Ed .: Kottelat. Cornol, 2007, ISBN 978-2-8399-0298-4 .
- ^ Jörg Freyhof, Maurice Kottelat: Sabanejewia balcanica. In: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed December 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Sabanejewia balcanica on Fishbase.org (English)