Application of Innovative Methodologies

for the Wide Range Monitoring of Native and Alien Freshwater Fish of Greece

has a wide geographical scope encompassing Greece and uses a wide scope of field and laboratory methodologies, such as freshwater fish population monitoring through electrofishing and the environmental DNA method, native fish enhancement/ translocation, laboratory genetic analyses, native fish breeding and laboratory behavioral experiments on native and alien species

The freshwater fish fauna of Greece

Greece has one of the most diverse freshwater ichthyofaunas of Europe and the highest degree of freshwater fish endemism in the Mediterranean region

Many of these unique species have been impacted by anthropogenic pressures and are classified as threatened

Anthropogenic threats include hydrological perturbation, hydromoprphological modification and habitat degradation through pollution

These are often augmented by introduced alien species that have led to the local extinction or even extirpation of some native fish species of Greece

what led to

GREEK KILLIFISH

Project GREEK KILLIFISH aimed to give baseline information on V. letourneuxi abundance, geographical distribution, ecological requirements and population status to assist conservation efforts

FISH-NET GREECE

Project FISH-NET GREECE seeked to stabilise the populations of the critically endangered Corfu killifish (the sister species Valencia letourneuxi and Valencia robertae), by using field monitoring, captive breeding, laboratory research, trial translocation and awareness raising activities

RESILIENT

Project RESILIENT aimed to assess the current population status of the Corfu killifish using both conventional fish monitoring methods and the least invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) method, with a view to expand this work to other threatened freshwater fish species of Greece

PACIM

Project PACIM aimed to conduct population surveys of two range-restricted and Critically Endangered freshwater fish species of Greece, and of two invasive alien freshwater fish species, with conventional electrofishing and eDNA sampling

DECAGON

Project DECAGON aimed to create safety net stocks of the Greek killifish and to study its reproductive behaviour, larval development, upper salinity and thermal maxima, as well as its antagonistic interactions with alien fish species