Adriatic roach
Leucos aula (Bonaparte, 1841)
Also calledDalmatinischer Zwergdöbel (deu) · Italiensk skalle (dan) · Masnica (hrv) · Mazenica (slv) · Rotfeder (deu) · Südeuropäisches Rotauge (deu) · dalmatinė kuoja (lit) · gardon rouge (fra) · padaniansärki (fin) · plotice benátská (ces) · rietvoorn (nld) · rotengle (fra) · ruisvoorn (nld) · sarv (swe)
First described in: Bonaparte, Charles L. 1841. : 155-160.
Leucos aula, the North Italian roach, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related species. This species is found in the river systems draining into the Adriatic basin in southern Europe.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
description
Description. General appearance in Fig. 2 A. A small-medium sized, not exceeding 180 mm, usually 80 – 120 mm SL. A species of Leucos characterized by a quite marked mid-lateral band, extending from the operculum (sometimes from the tip of the snout) to the end of the caudal peduncle: on caudal peduncle the band is sometimes enlarged to form an oval spot; body moderately elongate, dorsal profile convex; sometimes a small hump in largest specimens; posterior mouth corner placed beyond the vertical crossing the anterior margin of orbital cavity; snout blunt; mouth opening oblique and terminal to slightly sub-terminal; lips smooth; horizontal diameter of eye, less or equal than pre-orbital length; head small, its length about 3.8 – 4.2 times in the SL; body quite deep, its depth about 2.6 – 3.0 times in the SL; origin of the D at same level or slightly below the insertion of the P 2; free margin of D and A, slightly concave; caudal fin moderately forked; LL complete, with 35 – 42 pored scales, placed below the middle of the body, slightly concave and extending from the upper margin of opercular membranae, to the end of caudal peduncle; modally 3 un-branched and 9 branched rays both in
A revision of the Rutilus complex from Mediterranean Europe with description of a new genus, Sarmarutilus, and a new species, Rutilus stoumboudae (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
diagnosis
Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished from all others species of Leucos for the presence of a middle lateral band, and a smaller head length, which in fish of comparable size is less than 4.5 times in the SL, except L. panosi, and more than 4.0 times in the others species. Additionally, L. aula differs from in the modal number of circum-peduncular scales, which is 12 as opposed to 14 in other species.
A revision of the Rutilus complex from Mediterranean Europe with description of a new genus, Sarmarutilus, and a new species, Rutilus stoumboudae (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
discussion
Remark on the Bonaparte fish collection. Several question were raised about the value of the syntypes of the Bonaparte collection housed in ANSP and catalogued by Böhlke (1984) by Dr. Maurice Kottelat (pers. comm.). Kottelat’s point of views were followed by several ichthyologists and, among them, one of the reviewers of the first version of this contribution, originally submitted to Zootaxa. The study was rejected mainly on the grounds that there are no proof that syntypes of Bonaparte housed in ANSP were used for the original description. But this controversy was recently solved and the collection of Bonaparte’s new cyprinid species are confirmed to be syntypes (Bianco, 2014 a). Remarks on ecology, biology and conservation. Preferential habitats: lakes and still waters of rivers. Not thriving in moderately to fast flowing rivers. This species strongly competes and tends to eliminate Sarmarutilus rubilio in still waters. It is responsible for the extinction of S. rubilio in central and southern Italian lakes and rivers (Bianco & Ketmaier, 2001). The reproductive season extends from April to August, peaking in May – June. Age at first reproduction is 1 + or 2 + for males and 2 + fo
A revision of the Rutilus complex from Mediterranean Europe with description of a new genus, Sarmarutilus, and a new species, Rutilus stoumboudae (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
distribution
Distribution. The species was endemic in the Padany-Venetian ichthyogeographic district, including all the river basins tributary of the upper Adriatic Sea, from Croatia, in basins near the town of Zara (Mačrovcić et al., 2006), Slovenia and down, in Italy, to the River Reno in the Marche Region. It was introduced in several basins of central and southern Italy: at least lakes of Monticchio, Massaciuccoli, Bracciano, Piediluco and rivers Tiber, Arno, Mignone (Bianco & Taraborelli, 1985; Bianco & Santoro, 2011; P. G. Bianco, pers observ). Lectotype designation for Leucos aula (Bonaparte, 1841). The syntypes series of Leucos aula (Bomparte’s original catalogue number 438) in ANSP includes two species: 11 individuals are L. aula (ANSP 6434 - 6444, 55 – 101 mm SL), and 1 is Scardinius hesperidicus (ANSP 6445, 43.0 mm SL). Among the 11 syntypes, the specimen ANSP 6434, 74 mm SL, in very good condition, is designated as lectotype (Fig. 3 A). It has 39 scales on the LL; 9 branched rays in D and 9 in A; 7.5 rows of scales above LL and 3.5 below LL; total GR, 9; 14 circumpeduncular scales; pharyngeal teeth formula, 5 - 5. The 10 paralectotypes, ANSP 6435 - 6444, 43 – 101 mm SL, show the fol
A revision of the Rutilus complex from Mediterranean Europe with description of a new genus, Sarmarutilus, and a new species, Rutilus stoumboudae (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
Leucos aula has its dorsal and anal fins each supported by 12 soft rays. It can be distinguished from all other species in the genus Leucos by a band along the lateral line and a shorter head. Within Italy this species can be distinguished by commonly having 9+1⁄2 branched rays in the dorsal and anal fins. It also has between 36 and 42, typically 38 or 39, scales in the lateral line. The mouth is subterminal, the pelvic, pectoral and anal fins are greyish, and the eye is red in life. There is an obvious dark brown midlateral stripe running from the eye to the base of the tail. The North Italian roach has a maximum total length of 26 cm (10 in).
Range & habitat
Leucos aula is found in rivers draining into the northern Adriatic Sea, extending from the Esino River in the Marche region of Italy to the Raša River in Istria County in Croatia. There are a few isolated populations further south in Croatia in Zadar County, including Lake Veliko on the island of Pag, and at least two short coastal streams in Ravni Kotari near the city of Zadar. It may also be found in the Lake Vrana basin. In Italy the North Albania roach has been introduced to the south of its natural range to rivers draining into the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, where it is considered invasive. This species has also become naturalised in at least one reservoir in Sardinia. The North Italian roach is found in slow moving river stretches, lakes and ponds, mostly in the lowlands, but it can also be found in perialpine lakes within the Po River drainage in Italy and Switzerland. This species is frequently associated with submerged vegetation, and frequently colonises reservoirs and drainage channels.
== References ==
In human culture
Leucos aula is the type species of the genus Leucos. This name is derived from the Greek leukos, which means "white". The genus was named by Johann Jakob Heckel. He did not explain why he chose this name, but it may refer to the silvery colour of Squalius aula. The specific name, aula, was not explained by Bonaparte, but may be a latinisation of avola, the Italian or Venezian name for a bleak, which may have been applied to this species as well.
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Every page naming Leucos aula in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 7639231.