Towards the Establishment of Conservation Units of the Endangered European Weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis)

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00645372" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00645372 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/67985904:_____/25:00645372

Result on the web

<a href="https://aca.pensoft.net/article/182183/" target="_blank" >https://aca.pensoft.net/article/182183/</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/aca.8.e182183" target="_blank" >10.3897/aca.8.e182183</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Towards the Establishment of Conservation Units of the Endangered European Weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis)

Original language description

The European weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis) has suffered significant declines across its distribution area due to extensive anthropogenic habitat destruction. As a result, many European countries classify the species currently as ‘endangered’ or ‘critically endangered’. Misgurnus fossilis is also known for exhibiting exceptionally low genetic diversity throughout Europe if compared to other freshwater fish species. This study analyses the genetic diversity of M. fossilis based on mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) sequence data from 30 populations across Central Europe and two from Eastern Europe. Both datasets reveal that populations from the Czech Republic, Austria, and Bavaria form a genetically distinct lineage, separate from other European populations. This lineage is found in three major river basins — Elbe, Danube, and Oder — but is geographically isolated by surrounding mountain ranges. Despite at least two natural contact zones between the CZ-A-Bav lineage and other groups and a relatively small genetic distance between them, the two should be recognised as separate conservation units. In Austria, Bavaria, and the Czech Republic, the populations are typically geographically extremely limited and small, making them highly vulnerable to the ongoing landscape and climatic changes leading to the disappearance of surface water. These populations are experiencing a rapid and alarming decline. Given their precarious status and ecological uniqueness, this Central European conservation unit should be classified as critically endangered and prioritised for protection. Urgent habitat conservation efforts are essential, not only for M. fossilis but also for the broader ecological community that coexists with it.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

D - Article in proceedings

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10619 - Biodiversity conservation

Project

<a href="/en/project/SS07010366" target="_blank" >SS07010366: Genetic diversity of the weather loach (Misgurnus fossilis) in the Czech Republic – providing fundamental data for conservation measures of a disappearing, critically endangered species</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Article name in the collection

ARPHA Conference Abstracts

ISBN

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ISSN

2603-3925

e-ISSN

2603-3925

Number of pages

2

Pages from-to

e182183

Publisher name

ARPHA

Place of publication

-

Event location

Vídeň

Event date

Oct 23, 2025

Type of event by nationality

WRD - Celosvětová akce

UT code for WoS article

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