Crimean Barbel
Barbus tauricus Kessler, 1877
Barbus barbus borysthenicus Dybowsky: Drensky, 1951: 89; Barbus barbus bergi Chichkoff, 1935: Chichkoff, 1935: 20.
Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Vulnerable VU [B1a, b]; International: HD-V.
General distribution. In the Black Sea drainage basin: most Crimean rivers, the rivers Dnieper, Dniester, Bug and some smaller rivers in Bulgaria and Turkey, which flow directly into the Black Sea.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. The species was first recorded in the Rezovska River [1]. Later, it was recorded in other Black Sea rivers: Veleka [2], Eleshnitsa [3], Dvoynitsa [4], Sredetska and Fakiyska [5]. In the Kamchiya River, it was reported as early as the 1930s [6], but its occurrence was confirmed later [7]. In the past, it was widely found in the Kamchiya River, its tributaries and most of the adjacent marshes [8]. Its finding was also reported in the rivers Aheloy and Dyavloska [9]. At present, the species range is considerably decreased. It has been found in the Veleka River, where it is one of the most common species [10, 11], and probably in the Rezovska River. It has been recorded in the Kamchiya River basin and its tributary the Eleshnitsa River [our data], having disappeared in the adjacent marshes [12]. During the latest investigations (2005-2006), it was not recorded in the rivers Aheloy and Dyavolska.
Habitats. It is found in the middle reaches of permanent rivers with sandy and gravel bottom; it inhabits rarely estuaries.
Biology. Poorly known. A benthic reophilic species inhabiting sections with a moderate current. It reaches sexual maturity in the second year. The spawning period is probably from April to June. The fecundity of females is about 21 000 eggs. It feeds on bottom invertebrates and less on algae. It usually reaches a length of up to 30 cm. The largest specimen caught in Bulgaria was 38 cm [2, 13].
Similar species. It is differentiated from the Balkan barbel (Barbus petenyi) by the slender and weakly denticulated last unbranched dorsal fin ray, and from the Maritsa barbel (Barbus cyclolepis) - by the lower number of scales in the lateral line (up to 62).
Negative factors. The main threats to the species are water pollution, river regulation activities and poaching.
Conservation measures taken. None.
Conservation measures needed. Protection of the middle reaches of rivers flowing into the Black Sea against pollution; imposing restrictions on regulation activities there.
References. 1. Chichkoff, 1935; 2. Drensky, 1951; 3. Pechev, 1966; 4. Pechev, 1969; 5. Pechev, 1970; 6. Chichkoff, 1934; 7. Pechev, 1971; 8. Karapetkova, 1974; 9. Karapetkova, 1976; 10. Karapetkova et al., 2003; 11. Dikov, Zivkov, 2004; 12. Vassilev, 1999; 13. Marinov, 1989.
Authors: Tihomir Stefanov, Teodora Trichkova
