Salmo balcanicus

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Salmo balcanicus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Species:
S. balcanicus
Binomial name
Salmo balcanicus

Salmo balcanicus is a type of trout, a fish in the family Salmonidae. It is endemic to Lake Ohrid and its outlet in North Macedonia and Albania in the Balkans.

Salmo balcanicus is one of four different forms of the Ohrid trout complex which is endemic to the single lake, along with Salmo letnica , Salmo aphelios and Salmo lumi . The various forms, suggested to be different species, are distinguished by their breeding time and habitat, by which they in practice are reproductively isolated from each other. There is no support for their distinct species status from molecular data however. [2] Salmo balcanicus specifically spawns from October to January at the outlet of the lake, Black Drin, in the northwestern end of the lake near the Macedonian-Albanian border area. As the river has been dammed, it is suspected that the population may have gone extinct.

The flesh of Salmo balcanicus is typically of pale pink colour. Overall the Ohrid trouts are silvery in colour, with black dots. Red dots occur along the lateral line. Salmo balcanicus can grow to 40 cm length.

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Geography of North Macedonia

North Macedonia is a country situated in southeastern Europe with geographic coordinates 41°50′N22°00′E, bordering Kosovo and Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. The country is part of the wider region of Macedonia and makes up most of Vardar Macedonia. The country is a major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Southern Europe and the Aegean Sea. North Macedonia is a landlocked country but has three major natural lakes: Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran. It has a water area of 857 km2, while its land area is 24,856 km2.

<i>Salmo</i> Genus of fishes

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Lake Ohrid International lake in North Macedonia and Albania

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Ohrid trout Species of fish

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<i>Salmo dentex</i> Species of fish

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Wildlife of North Macedonia

Over 22,500 species of wildlife have been recorded in North Macedonia. The majority of these are animals, with invertebrates making up over half of the total species of recorded wildlife. Of these, the vast majority are insects, which include over 10,000 identified species. Over 3000 of these insects are beetles, with other large clades including Lepidoptera, flies, and Hymenoptera. Other arthropods invertebrate groups include Chelicerata and crustaceans. Among vertebrates, there have been over 300 species of birds recorded at some point, although not all nest in the area. There are over 80 species of both fish and mammals, 32 reptiles, and 14 amphibians.

References

  1. Crivelli, A.J. (2006). "Salmo balcanicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2006: e.T61375A12457697. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T61375A12457697.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Lake Ohrid trouts Balkan trout restoration group. Downloaded on 19 May 2010.