Occurrence and active protection of the endangered cyprinid fish species, lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pall.), in Poland
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1
Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute, Poland
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2
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
At present the vast majority of the Polish lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pall.) populations occur in small (0.01-0.5 ha) and shallow (< 1 m) former peat excavations, which are highly prone to destruction by either natural or anthropogenic threats. The period of the existence of such water bodies is limited to only several decades. Due to the specific nature of its habitats, the lake minnow is one of the rarest and most endangered freshwater fish species in Poland. Thus, the lake minnow is included in the Polish Red Data Book of Animals (EN). It is a strictly protected species that requires active protection measures. It is also a priority species in the European Ecological Natura 2000 Network. This is in contrast to lake minnow global status (not threatened; Kottelat and Freyhof 2007).
The total number of lake minnow sites presently existing in Poland is estimated at approximately 140, which is considerably less than only 5-10 years ago (160-170 sites). All the sites but one are distributed in the Vistula river basin within the historical range of the species (Wolnicki and Sikorska 2009). Most of the sites are subject to more or less distinct threats to the existence of the lake minnow habitats, populations or both (Wolnicki and Radtke 2010).
In Poland, the first attempts to actively protect the lake minnow took place in the previous decade (Wolnicki et al. 2008). Various protection activities have been implemented so far including the following:
A. Initiation of new populations by translocations of lake minnow from aquaculture without habitat revitalization (2004-2018)
From 400 to 3 000 juveniles aged 0+ that were offspring of maternal fish originating from a strong local population were translocated to 12 individual water bodies previously not inhabited by lake minnow. Five attempts proved to be entirely successful, i.e. no additional fish translocations have been necessary until today; 5 were entirely unsuccessful; 2 need to be checked in 2019.
B. Initiation of new populations by means of translocations of wild lake minnow with habitat revitalization (2015-2018)
From 50 to 150 wild individuals from a strong local population were translocated to 7 individual water bodies, previously not inhabited by lake minnow, shortly after the water bodies were revitalized by deepening and cleaning. Three attempts proved to be successful; 4 need to be checked in 2019.
C. Revitalization of a habitat without lake minnow translocation (2015)
One attempt was undertaken at the final stage of the disappearance of a water body with a vanishing lake minnow population. The attempt was successful; a considerable increase in the population size, from less than 100 to at least 300 fish, was recorded in 2018.
D. Setting up a lake minnow gene bank (2016-2017)
A lake minnow gene bank was established in the Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Poland. It comprises about 400 individual samples of cryopreserved semen taken from male lake minnow originating from 8 Polish populations. The biological quality of each sample of semen deposited in the bank was determined; all semen donors were genetically profiled.
It is generally accepted that active protection is necessary for preservation of lake minnow in Poland and that different protection measures should be employed. Today, the most important task seems to be revitalizing lake minnow habitats by increasing the depth of the water bodies, so that they can retain more water, thus increasing their life span. It is noteworthy that substantial climate changes (high temperatures in summer combined with hydrological droughts) have recently become the major threat to lake minnow existence in Poland, and today this factor is regarded as being responsible for the decline of many of its sites.
Acknowledgements
The present studies were carried out within the project No. 2014/15/B/NZ9/05240 granted by the National Science Centre (Poland) for years 2015-2019.
References
Kottelat M., Freyhof J. 2007. Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland and Freyhof, Berlin, Germany, 646 pp.
Wolnicki J., Radtke G. 2010. Threats to existence of lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pallas) sites in Poland. Teka Kom. Ochr. Kształt. Środ. Przyr. – OL PAN 7: 473-477.
Wolnicki J., Sikorska J. 2009. Occurrence of lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pallas) in Poland by the end of the XXth century. Komun. Ryb. 2: 10-13.
Wolnicki J., Sikorska J., Kamiński R. 2008. Occurrence and conservation of the endangered cyprinid fish species, lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pallas, 1814), in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Poland. Teka Kom. Ochr. Kształt. Środ. Przyr. – OL PAN 5: 190-198.
Keywords:
lake minnow,
initiation of populations,
fish translocations,
habitat revitalization,
Cryopreserved semen,
Gene bank
Conference:
XVI European Congress of Ichthyology, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2 Sep - 6 Sep, 2019.
Presentation Type:
Oral
Topic:
THREATS AND CONSERVATION
Citation:
Wolnicki
J,
Kaminski
R,
Sikorska
J and
Kaczmarczyk
D
(2019). Occurrence and active protection of the endangered cyprinid fish species, lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus (Pall.), in Poland.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XVI European Congress of Ichthyology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.07.00133
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Received:
30 May 2019;
Published Online:
14 Aug 2019.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Jacek Wolnicki, Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute, Olsztyn, Poland, j.wolnicki@infish.com.pl