Macedonia shad (Alosa macedonica)

Scientific name: Alosa macedonica Vinciguerra, 1921

Macedonia shad (Alosa macedonica)

The Macedonia shad (Alosa macedonica) is a freshwater fish of the family Clupeidae. Native range: Europe, endemic to Lake Volvi, Greece.

Biology

Lacustrine, pelagic, in upper water layers during summer and descending to deeper layers in winter. It spawns at 1-2 years, near shores above gravel or coarse sand, with most individuals spawning more than one season. Spawning starts when temperature reach about 19-20?C, in July to August. Adults form schools in the epilimnion during summer and tend to congregate in shallow waters near shores. They feed on plankton (cladocerans and copepods) and small fishes. It is threatened by water abstraction and pollution.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Alosa macedonica
Family
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
35.1
Environment
Freshwater; pelagic
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Europe: endemic to Lake Volvi, Greece.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable (VU) (D2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=1; tmax=10; K=0.403)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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