Iranian Journal of Ichthyology
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Sep 2023

he Konya endorheic basin covers a large area, and there are many different water habitats in this basin containing a high endemic fish diversity. A total of 39 fish species have been reported in this basin, with 27 (69.2%) being endemic to Türkiyeand 19 local endemics exclusively distributed within this basin. When considering the IUCN categories of fish species, it is observed that Alburnus akiliis extinct (EX), one is DD, 11 are LC, one is NT, three are VU, eight are EN, five are CR, and 10 have not been evaluated (NE). Threats to fish biodiversity in this basin are more diverse and intense, including drought, changes in river regime, habitat destruction, shrinking, and loss, invasive species, illegal and unconscious hunting, and water pollution. Recently, some of the wetlands in this basin have completely dried up, while the ecosystem integrity of other wetlands has been deteriorating annually. It is of great importance to establish a master plan to put forward the situation in the basin and take protection measures.

The term “mahseer” is collectively used for three genera of the family Cyprinidae namely Tor, Neolissochilusand Naziritor. Among mahseers, Tor putitora, popularly known as Golden Mahseer, is one of the most important fishes in the Himalayan regions and South Asia. It is commercially important as an edible fish and a popular game fish. The present study is an attempt to understand the phylogenetic relationship of Tor putitorawith other species of mahseers using the mitochondrial partial 12S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that Neolissochilusis a sister genus of Tor andTor putitorais more closely related to Tor torand Tor mosal mahanadicus as compared to other species ofTor.

The relationships between sagittal otolith dimensions and fish sizes are estimated for Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) from the Persian Gulf. Three dimensions of the otolith (length, width and weight) were shown to be suitable factors for prediction of the length and weight of fish in this species based on calculated coefficients of determination values in linear and exponential regression relationships (r2>0.76). There were no significant variations observed between the sizes of the left and right otoliths. The provided data will be useful for estimating fish size based on remnant otoliths in related studies in the Persian Gulf.

Megalops cyprinoides is distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific Ocean. The population of the species have declined in recent years due to the over exploitation for commercial fisheries, habitat loss and alteration of freshwater flow from rivers and the species listed as Data Deficient (DD) in the IUCN red list. The present study reports on the fishery, length-weight relationships, growth, mortality and exploitation of M. cyprinoidesfrom Kodungallur-Azhikode estuary, South West coast of India. Monthly catches of the species from the estuary varied from 135kg to 710kg. The length-weight relationship of the population was described by the equation: BW= 0.006TL2.98(r= 0.99). The growth parameters, asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficients (K) were 394.8mm and 0.87 year-1respectively. The potential longevity (tmax) and the observed length at first capture (Lc)were estimated to be 3.44 years and 227.90mm respectively. Fishing mortality rate (F= 1.24 year-1) of M. cyprinoideswas higher than the natural mortality rate(M= 0.82 year-1) and the present exploitation level (E=0.60) is 80% of the predicted maximum exploitation (Emax=0.75), which indicates that the stock is over exploited under current level of harvest. Therefore, the present investigation suggests reducing the fishing pressure for M. cyprinoidesalong the Indian coastal water that will be useful for their sustainable fisheries management.

The subfamily Leuciscinae,within Cypriniformes, consists of many species distributed widely in Eurasia. During numerous ichthyological field expeditions between 2015-2019, we collected the available species of this subfamily from different parts of Iran. Based on previous reports, and our field-collected material, the spatial distribution patterns of the Leuciscinetaxaare described and mapped in the country. According to the results, the Iranian diversity of Leuciscinaeconsist of 42 species in 15 genera, which are distributed in 13 out of 19 Iranian drainage basins,with the highest diversity in the Caspian, Tigris and Urmia basins. We also documented the first occurrence of Alburnoides holcikiand Squalius turcicusin the Caspian and Kavir basins, respectively. In addition, two new localities were discovered for Alburnushohenackeriand Squaliusturcicuswithin the Esfahan and Caspian basins, respectively. The Iranian Leuciscinespecies are partly known; apart from the fact that their conservation status has been incompletely assessed, the known genetic, biological, ecological and distributional data on these species are also insufficient and systematic observations are needed for taking steps towards their conservation.

A large part of Mohr and Lamerd counties in the south of Fars Province, Iran is encompassed in the Mehran River basin of the greater Hormuz basin, which is closely connected to the Persian Gulf and the borders of Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces. The purpose of this research was to prepare a checklist of common edible fishesfrom the Persian Gulf that are present in the food baskets of the people of the south of Fars Province. Identification of these edible fish species was based on examinations of the cargoes of fishing docks, trade markets, field interviews with elder and modern fishermen and fish sellers of the Persian Gulf, as well as scientific and experimental knowledge of ichthyology. Based on the results of this research, 67 marine fish species belonging to 8 orders, 27 families, and 50 genera were identified and listed as contributing to the typical food basket of people in the southern regions of Fars Province, and more broadly, the Persian Gulf. Within Actinopterygii the highest species richness was found for the order Perciformes (38 species), followed by Carangiformes (19 species), Clupeiformes (4 species), Pleuronectiformes (2 species), and Beloniformes, Mugiliformes, Mulliformes, and Scorpaeniformes (each with 1 species). This is despite the fact that species of cartilaginous fish are not common in the food basket of the people of southern Fars Province. The results also showed that unusual species of bony and cartilaginous fish have more recently been incorporated into the local diet due to changing tastes, use in traditional medicine, and sport. Nevertheless, the traditional and historical food preferences of the local people have not changed greatly in terms of the choices of edible fish. The results of this research may be useful in understanding the dietary habitats of the people of the south of Fars Province and the Persian Gulf region, as well as for the management of the catch, sale, and stocks of fish in the Persian Gulf.