New Localities and Length-Weight Relationship for Alburnus caeruleus in the Euphrates and Tigris River Basins (Turkey)

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to contribute to the geographic distribution and length-weightrelationship of Alburnus caeruleus Heckel, 1843 living in the Euphrates and Tigris River basins (Turkey). For this purpose, fish specimens were investigated from the collection preserved in the Istanbul University Science Faculty Hydrobiology Museum (IUSHM). The length–weight relationship wascalculated using the equation: W=ɑLb. Through sample examinations, A. caeruleus was identifiedfrom one new locality (Eğri Stream) in the Euphrates River basin and with this contribution, thedistribution range of the fish has extended to the tributaries of the Atatürk Dam Lake in the north.The results also contributed to the literature with two new localities of A. caeruleus species in theSavur Stream and River Tigris, both in the Tigris River basin. The b values calculated for the Euphrates and Tigris populations were 3.243±0.139 (n=56) and 3.340±0.329 (n=30) respectively, whichboth indicated positive allometric growth. In addition, the b value was calculated for A. caeruleusfrom the Tigris River basin is the first finding. This study also reported a new maximum length (TL)for A. caeruleus (13.0 cm).