Spatial groups, occurrence, relative abundance and ecological indices of fish species from Lesser Zab river, Kurdistan region, Iraq

Volume 16 , Issue 1 , October 2014 , Pages 323-334

Authors

¹ Department of Ecology, College of Science, University of Basrah

² Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah

The fish assemblages of Lesser Zab river was examined to establish a base line

ecological data to be compare future situation and any present disturbance or anomaly

from base line. The fish assemblages were divided according to their spatial occurrence to

five groups. Generic and species names were revised to their current status. Synonym

species were combined together and their numbers were added to the original. The most

abundant species was Alburnus mossulensis, followed by Acanthobrama marmid and third

class Cyprinion macrostomum but slightly different in the three river zones. Diversity,

evenness and richness of Lesser Zab river in general were 2.40, 0.72 and 3.63 respectively,

impaling a prosperous environment. Upper part of Zab was 1.89, 0.65; 2.72, Dokan 1.59,

0.89 and 1.08 lower part of Zab 2.25, 0.71 and 3.61. Similarity between Upper and Lower

parts Zab 71% and 55.5% and lower values with Dokan reservoir was according Bray,

Curits and Jaccard indices respectively, Indicating spatial species difference accordance

with water current and bed nature of Lesser Zab, certain species were chosen as zone

indictor, upper part of Zab Barbus lacerta and Glyptothorax spp., Dokan reservoir Barbus

escocinus Lower part of Zab Barbatula frenatus and Capoeta barrosis.

Statistics