Freshwater fish in Anatolia, Turkey Original Research Article

The southern, western and north-western regions of Anatolia have abundant freshwater resources in the form of rivers, lakes and lagoons. In the past, these aquatic habitats were unpolluted and had very rich fish populations, but some water courses have started to become polluted in the last 20 years. This is because Turkey is a country that is developing very fast, both industrially and in agricultural terms. As a result of the large numbers of major towns and various types of factory, some species have been particularly affected by industrial pollution and generally the populations of fish living in these habitats have greatly diminished in recent years. The waste waters from these sites are discharged via rivers and lakes into the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean and the Mediterranean Seas. Some factories are equipped with filtration systems or purification plants, but at present most have no form of effluent treatment. Twenty species and ten subspecies of fish are described that are endemic to Turkey and neighbouring countries. One endemic species (Tor canis) is now extinct in Turkish waters, and three species (Alosa fallax nilotica, Aphanius fasciatus and Blennius fluviatilis) are endemic to the northern Mediterranean. It is essential as a first priority that conservation measures are taken to protect certain species and subspecies.