Current Fish Fauna of Göksu River (Turkey) and Evaluation of Its Ecological Status
Abstract
The Göksu River, fed by the Central Taurus karst areas, is the largest river of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin flowing into the Mediterranean. In this study, within the scope of the samples and observations we made on different dates between 2004-2017, and in the light of other research findings; The current taxonomic status of the Göksu River fish fauna, distribution areas, IUCN conservation criteria and ecological structure of the river regions were evaluated. In our study, except for the brackish water region of the stream; A total of 11 taxa were identified, belong to 8 families; 7 native (as 6 endemic and 1 widespread), 3 exotic and 1 migratory (diadromous). The high rate of endemism in the upper basins of the river is quite remarkable. There have been physical destructions such as the construction of highways, bridges, dams and HEPPs on Göksu Stream and Ermenek Stream (Gevne Stream) within the upper-middle basin drainage area, which form the main branches of this river. It has been observed that these destructions disrupt the natural structure of the river ecosystem, causing partial drying in the river bed and habitat fragmentation. As a result of these pressures on the stream, it has been determined that the population density of the endemic Taurus cirrus (Capoeta caelestes), which is the dominant fish species of Göksu Stream and Gevne Stream, has decreased significantly. Due to the same negative factors, it was determined that the red spotted trout (Salmo opimus) population, which was rarely sampled between 2004 and 2009, disappeared in the upper part of the Gevne Stream, approximately 45 km between Beyreli Village (Hadim-Konya) and Dumlugöze (Sarıveliler-Karaman).
Keywords
Fish fauna , river ecology , environmental impact , conservation criteria
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