Population assessment of two critically endangered Greek fish species and range assessments of the highly invasive mosquitofish and topmouth gudgeon
(05/2019 – 12/2020)

OBJECTIVES

  • Assessment of the expansion range and local population densities of two range-restricted and critically endangered native Greek species (the Evia barbel Barbus euboicus and the Greek stickleback Pungitius hellenicus) using fish sampling data and eDNA analysis
  • Assessment of the expansion range and local population densities of two highly invasive alien freshwater fish species (the Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki and the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva at selected Greek basins, using both fish sampling and eDNA data

ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES

  • We assessed the current population status of the Evia barbel Barbus euboicus and the Greek stickleback Pungitius hellenicus via electrofishing data obtained in the summer 2019 from five basins in Evia Island and the Sperchios basin, Central Greece, as well as eDNA analysis data …… Conservation implications ….
  • We assessed the expansion range of the Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki and the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva at selected Greek basins, using  both fish sampling and the eDNA method. Field work and eDNA analysis for these two top invaders of Greek riverine systems had the following conservation implications:
    (a) rigorous feature monitoring of the basins still free of the two aliens is required for early detection of their invasion;
    (b) basins that still support small populations of the alien species should be prioritised for active removal actions, based on various criteria, such as the size of the basin, the degree of habitat degradation, etc

SCIENTIFIC OUTPUT

COLLABORATING BODIES

This project was led by Dr Eleni Kalogianni, Researcher at the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMBRIW) of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) and Brian Zimmerman, Aquarium Curator at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Dr Mark Steer, Lecturer at the University of West England (UWE)

FUNDING

A.G. LEVENTIS FOUNDATION

PHOTOS