
Friday 25 January
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Actinopterygii |
Order | Cypriniformes |
Family | Cyprinidae |
Genus | Alburnus albidus (1) |
This small freshwater fish, once a common inhabitant of rivers in southern Italy, has been the victim of a drastic population decline in recent years. The Italian bleak (Alburnus albidus) has a spindle-shaped body with a slight protrusion behind the head. It is a dark metallic colour on the upperparts and silvery-white on the underside, with yellow eyes and grey fins. The tail is forked with sharpened lobes. Different populations of this species may differ slightly in size and colouration (4).
The Italian bleak differs from the closely related common bleak (Alburnus alburnus) by its rounded mouth and less prominent jaw (4).
An omnivorous fish, the Italian bleak’s diet is strongly influenced by the changing of the seasons. During spring the Italian bleak feeds on drifting insects or invertebrates that have fallen onto water’s surface (5), in summer it tends to eat freshwater green algae, while in winter its diet is largely composed of organic debris (4).
Reproduction takes place late in the spring, when the female lays eggs between small stones close to the riverbank (4).
The Italian bleak inhabits well-oxygenated, clear, mountainous and hilly streams, as well as small rivers(5). It usually populates the middle and lower parts of a river, where it is often the dominant species together with the European chub (Squalius cephalus) and the common barbel (Barbus barbus) (4).
The population of the Italian bleak has been reduced by 50 percent in the past 10 years, mainly due to the introduction of Rutilus rubilio (South European roach), and by the decline in habitat quality caused by the creation of canals and draining of water courses (1). Hybridization with Leuciscus cephalus (European chub) is also a threat to this little fish (1) (6).
Climate change also poses a long-term threat to the Italian bleak (1), as an increase in global temperatures is predicted to result in a decrease in freshwater in the Mediterranean basin region (8).
The Italian bleak is protected in Europe under Appendix III of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (also known as the Bern Convention) (7). Efforts are being made to protect the habitat of this fish by creating special conservation zones. Educating fishermen, who sometimes uses the Italian bleak as bait, is another important action being undertaken by Italian authorities (4).
To learn about efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems see:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk
Image credit
© Dr. Massimo Lorenzoni
Dr. Massimo Lorenzoni
Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare ed Ambientale - Università di Perugia
Via Elce di Sotto
06100 Perugia
Italy
Tel: +39 (075) 585716
Fax: +39 (075) 5855615
lorenzon@unipg.it
http://bio.unipg.it/staff/massimo.html
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