ictio.cat has the purpose of disseminating current knowledge about the freshwater fish of Catalonia
Public awareness of the fish fauna of our inland waters by is relatively scarce compared to other groups of organisms.. Except the most popular species because of their importance for fishing, such as brown trout or carp, most species are very little known. In Catalonia we have 29 native fish species and many introduced.
Fish occupy practically all the continental bodies of water in Catalonia, from coastal lagoons and estuaries to high mountain rivers and lakes. The diversity of native ichthyofauna is relatively low compared to other European regions. However, it is unique and differentiated, with many endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula. Native species are adapted to survive in the fluctuating environmental conditions characteristic of the Mediterranean climate, which cause periodic droughts and floods. Impacts of human origin affect them, especially the modification of the natural flows of the rivers, the construction of reservoirs, pollution and the introduction of exotic species.
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Inland Fish of Catalonia – Ecology, conservation and identification guide is a complete and up-to-date work of the native and introduced fish that inhabit the rivers, lakes, reservoirs and coastal wetlands of Catalonia.
The book is an excellent scientific and informative reference in which they are described 59 species of 21 families of fish. A section of the book is devoted to the identification of fish, with dichotomous keys to differentiate families and species. For each species information is given of its distinctive morphological characters, biology, habitat and distribution, with detailed distribution maps and high quality color photographs.
The book contains information on the characteristics of the river basins of Catalonia, the ecology and biology of fish, human relationships with aquatic systems and their environmental consequences, inland fishing and conservation.
Many of our native fish are threatened or endangered due to human activities that alter their natural habitat., as well as the introduction of a large number of invasive alien species.
History of ichthyology in Catalonia
