Skadar gudgeon  (Gobio skadarensis)

The Skadar gudgeon is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Named for its occurrence around Lake Skadar in Montenegro (1) (2), the Skadar gudgeon (Gobio skadarensis) is a member of the Cyprinidae family, a diverse group of fish comprising over 2,000 species (3). Very little information is available on the Skadar gudgeon, but Cyprinidae species are generally quite small, and males and females are usually similar in appearance. Most Cyprinidae species lack scales on the head (3).

Like the related gudgeon (Gobio gobio), the Skadar gudgeon is likely to be a rounded fish with a large, triangular dorsal fin on the back and two well-developed barbels near the mouth (4). The Skadar gudgeon has six to seven blotches along its side, often arranged in pairs (2).

The Skadar gudgeon is known only from the Lake Skadar drainage system, near the border between Montenegro and Albania. It has only been recorded from two locations in Montenegro, in the Zeta stream and the lower Morača River (1) (2), the largest tributary of Lake Skadar (5).

Little information is available on the habitat preferences of the Skadar gudgeon. However, it inhabits freshwater (1) (2) and, like G. gobio, is likely to be a bottom-dweller (2) (4).

Very little is currently known about the biology of the Skadar gudgeon (1). However, it may be similar to that of the gudgeon (G. gobio), which matures at two to three years old and spawns between May and June. The eggs of G. gobio hatch in about 15 days (4).

The diet of Cyprinidae species is usually quite diverse (3). Like G. gobio, the Skadar gudgeon is likely to feed on a variety of insects, crustaceans, molluscs and occasional plant material (4). Instead of jaw teeth, most members of the Cyprinidae family possess a pair of enlarged bones in the throat, with structures known as ‘pharyngeal teeth’ which are used to process food (3).

The Skadar gudgeon is likely to be mainly solitary, although it may sometimes come together in small shoals (4).

The Skadar gudgeon occupies only a relatively small area, where it is under threat from water abstraction and drought, which may potentially be exacerbated by climate change (1). Fortunately, the Zeta stream is fed by a limestone water basin which means that it is unlikely to completely dry out (1).

A further potential threat to the Skadar gudgeon comes from proposed dams on the Morača River, which could affect fish species in Skadar Lake and in the river itself (5).

Skadar Lake is a designated Ramsar site, or Wetland of International Importance (6). However, there are no specific conservation measures currently known to be in place for the Skadar gudgeon (1). As it is so poorly known, this small fish may benefit from further research into its biology, ecology and conservation status.

Find out more about the Skadar gudgeon:

• FishBase - Skadar gudgeon:
  http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=65122

More information on wetland conservation:

• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands:
  http://www.ramsar.org/
• Wetlands International:
  http://www.wetlands.org/